Candidates in today’s job market will do their homework to learn about the climate inside a company. A job applicant today wants to know about how your employees and customers view your company behaviors and how you fulfill promises. They want to know if you are a fit for their needs and skills before they apply. In order to attract a better applicant, you need to know where you stand now.
When we talk about all the things that need to happen when recruiting new team members, we cannot forget our current bench. Your current bench is sharing your current culture to anyone who will listen. In the Maxwell Daily Reader, John Maxwell calls this managing the revolving door. Making sure that candidates joining the team are better than those who are leaving. To attract that level your reviews need to reflect a strong culture.
I do not believe anyone takes a new position with the mindset that they want to fail at it. Unfortunately, several leaders hire poorly, place people in positions they can’t do their best at, or simply manage them with a leave alone… zap mentality. Leave alone… zap means you do not give direction or feedback until someone makes a mistake, then you zap them with criticism. The goal should be to retain staff. You hired them because you saw something you could appreciate and needed. It falls to the leader every time to create an environment that promotes and encourages development. The culture your company is known for is the talent that it will attract for the future.
Your bench is your future. Investing in the bench will increase the number of starters within your inner circle. Loyalty comes from the heart not a contract. A loyal culture comes from the belief that you have the team’s best interest at heart. What does the company do to get the right tools for success in the hands of their team member? Future success for your bench is making sure they have continued training and are encouraged to share and use their new found knowledge. When this is not happening, they may look for a greener pasture. First, they will be sure to let others know that you did not fulfill your promises.
Flexible hours is one of the top priorities of today’s job seekers in terms of benefits. Source: Harvard Business Review. Flexible work hours and work-life balance are particularly popular among millennials and parents. According to FlexJobs, around 8 out of 10 parents polled chose flexibility and work-life balance as the most important factors in a potential job opportunity. While it is not possible for all businesses to offer some of these flexibility ideas, they can learn to be more creative. For instance: Closings do not all have to happen between nine and five. If a closer could attend a child’s school activity and then perform a closing after 5 or on a Saturday, at the benefit of the client who also works nine to five, it is a win win. Have you ever looked at a four-day work week? Work through the pros and cons for your office. You could have later hours for some, offer Saturday work for those who prefer it or have a need to be off occasionally on a week day. It does not have to be inconvenient for everyone. It is called being flexible. Not all jobs can be remote and not everyone is capable of working remotely. They simply want another consideration.
Building a strong culture towards being the employer of choice can start with a simple checkup of where you are now. Learn what steps you should take next. Attracting the right people to your company will save you lots of time, frustration and money. Being an employer of choice can improve your profit margins. Understand how your story can be shared better by those who you depend on daily. We can help bring to life your vision of your culture by emailing us at contact@bowedigital.com.
Today’s internet access allows applicants to be savvier when searching for an employer. Recent studies show that job seekers do their home work before applying to most companies. You may not realize that you have a reputation in the job market already. Knowing what and where this reputation comes from is important to attracting the right applicants. Today’s applicant wants the new job to be just right for them as well.
There are a couple of housekeeping tips that need to be addressed before you advertise any job opening.
Having a clear job description is essential. This highlights the basic requirements of the position. It is not uncommon for many companies not to have written job descriptions. (I am not saying this practice is good.) Over the year’s, tasks were assigned to certain people and they alone were responsible. These same people were with the same company for 20+ years. Now as they leave or retire, we need to know what it takes to replace their knowledge.
When you ask an employee to list all the tasks they are responsible for and the tasks they know how to do, even if they are not held responsible for them, there are usually surprises. Employers and their managers are not always aware of who knows how to complete certain tasks, or better yet how they learned to do the tasks.
Don’t hesitate to get help to write job descriptions that will let you and the applicants know if they are qualified for the position. They can help you write detailed job descriptions and step by step training manuals if needed. Be sure to remove the jargon and industry phrases from descriptions targeting new candidates. You want them to be accurate and appealing to attract the best humans for the job.
Emphasize the benefits your company has to offer. Make a complete list of everything that you do for your employees. This is your time to shine. Include, health care plans, retirement /401K packages, scheduling requirements and holiday schedules, company vehicle/computer/cell phone use, vacation/personal days, even pet insurance! Be sure to list any policy that gives the employee a chance to be appreciated or make their life easier! Ask why you started offering this benefit, if there is still a need, or is there something missing you could add. Applicants want to know how you recognize and appreciate the worth of those who work for you. The benefits being asked for these days does vary a great deal from years past. Each generation has a different want or need for what they consider a benefit. Companies should look at this list be sure they are still needed, wanted, and more importantly viewed as a benefit by the staff. It is nice to see more weight being thrown at personal time than possibly just pay scales. It has been said many times that the mental health of our work force shows in their productiveness. Do your research and know what you can afford to offer. Learn what your team needs to happier and more successful for all of you.
There are many points to the hiring process. This is only the tip of the iceberg. We will address more ways to attract and retain great employees in the future. If there is something you are struggling with promoting let us know how we can help. We will get the information you need to be the best at hiring and retention, to help save you money and headaches. Email us today at contact@bowedigital.com.
