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.
