In the current business climate, you’re competing with other firms for the best talent. So you want to stand out from the competition and position yourself as the best option. Building a reputation as a desirable employer can benefit your team and help you inspire the best people on the market to apply for your open positions. Here is how you can do it:
1. Know What Value You Bring to the Table
When you’re marketing your products or services to potential customers, you would start with a unique value proposition. Take this same approach to attract employees. Ask your current employees what they like about your company and the value you bring to their lives.
Assess your corporate culture and list the highlights. Use social media and other external communications to spotlight your corporate culture and the unique value you bring to your employees.
2. Nurture Your Current Employees
Many employees value career progression and look to an organization for advancement opportunities. When you’ve already attracted the best employees, work with them to foster growth. Identify career goals, provide mentorship, and offer additional training.
When you’re dedicated to growing and developing employees, they are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs. And you can build your reputation as a great employer who helps your employees advance in their careers.
3. Tout Your Current Employees
Employees like to work for companies at which they feel valued. Regular praise and recognition go a long way toward keeping your employees happy at their jobs. If you have a recognition program, communicate this in your corporate branding.
If you don’t have a recognition program in place, poll your employees. Ask them what they want in an incentive program. See what they value most and create a program tailored to your workforce.
4. Rely on Your Employees To Advocate for You
When you treat your employees well, they can become your biggest supporters. If you know you’ve got a happy workforce, encourage them to rate and review you on sites like LinkedIn and Glassdoor. This will give new recruits an idea of what to expect when they work for you.
Take it a step further and start a referral program. Have your employees help you fill open positions with people in their networks.
5. Promote Your Values
Simply saying what you value isn’t enough to attract talent. You want to promote these values to help attract people who align with them. Keep your values visible around the office and throughout your branding.
You could dedicate a section to your website and social media feeds about your values and the steps you take to uphold them. Be consistent in your communications, and make sure you hold your leadership team accountable.
Include your values, vision, and mission in your job descriptions to give applicants a sense of what you represent as a company.
6. Write Better Job Descriptions
Speaking of job descriptions, they go a long way toward ensuring you get a good pool of applicants. But you could be hindering your search by not thinking them through. First of all, if you’re promoting dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion, make sure your job descriptions are inclusive.
Stay away from terms that would deter certain groups of people from applying. Instead of focusing on your requirements for a job, keep your descriptions straightforward and focused on the tasks and responsibilities. Research shows that most women won’t apply for a job unless they think they’re 100% qualified. Being overly focused on requirements could limit your Applicant Pool.
7. Offer Competitive Salaries and Benefits Packages
Although younger workers still consider a job’s salary when applying for a job, it isn’t likely their only consideration. As millennials and Gen Z workers start representing a higher portion of the workforce, you need to create packages that appeal to them. Most millennials want to be paid fairly, but they also want to do a job that has meaning.
To appeal to these workers, you need to be competitive. Research what your competitors are paying and what benefits they are offering. Poll your workers to see if there are ways you can improve benefits. Consider offering flexible work schedules and a hybrid in-office/remote work schedule to accommodate your employees.
8. Train Your Managers
In a 2018 study, 60% of workers indicated that managers need more training. If you’re like many companies, you’ve likely rewarded your best performers by promoting them into management positions. But not everyone is suited to manage people, and some managers feel like they were thrust into their jobs without being trained.
When you’re filling management positions, find employees with an aptitude for supervising and inspiring people. Put a thorough training program in place to improve your management team’s soft skills and their ability to guide their team.
Consider different career trajectories for people who may not be interested in managing others. Offer them ways to grow in their careers without putting them on a management track.
9. Change Your Recruitment Strategy
Instead of posting your job on every board on the internet and hoping it attracts the right candidates, be intentional. Use Data Driven Recruitment strategies to tailor your job descriptions and post them in places where the right applicants will see them.
Use an applicant tracking system to mange your recruitment and onboarding process. Follow up with your applicants to see what they liked about your recruiting process and refine it with each open position. Having an efficient recruiting and onboarding strategy will help you match the right employees with the right jobs, potentially reducing early turnover.
Let Oleeo Help With Your Strategy
Oleeo offers solutions for your recruiting needs. From data-driven insights to faster onboarding, our platform offers everything you need to manage the recruiting process from the job post to hiring. Take advantage of our tools to connect with future talent and engage recruits.
We will help you communicate your mission and vision with potential employees who share your values and want to work with your team. Learn more about our platform by scheduling a demo today.