How to attract the best talent in the workforce
Find out the motivations and priorities of your target workforce
Who do you want to hire? Narrow down some answers to this question. Your target candidate demographic can change from role to role, but you will find consistent themes regarding what candidates look for in a company and a position. Some of these things include company values, average salaries for the advertised position, flexibility, and often most importantly, company culture.
The crux of it all: Create an awesome culture
Approximately one third of people’s lives are spent at work. That’s a lot of time. Therefore, a responsibility forms for employers to create a workplace that is catered around work/life balance. But what exactly does that mean? The work life balance is always a little bit uneven, even in flexible workplaces. It’s about making the time at work balanced, not just allowing for time and life outside of work. Here are five ways to ensure you’re promoting a healthy balance between work and life at your office:
Value wellbeing
Many employees will often sacrifice their own wellbeing in order to perform well at work or to put in extra hours. It’s important for a workplace to show how much they value employee wellbeing. This can come in the form of discounted or free gym memberships, free lunch, wellbeing workshops, flexible hours and so on. You don’t have to have all these things, but there needs to be a clear message that you want employees to take care of themselves as well as their work. Not only is this appealing to candidates of a high calibre but will likely increase the productivity of your entire workforce. It shows employees that when they come to work, they don’t have to disconnect from other things that might be important to them which often reduces stress and increases motivation.
Allow for opportunities
With attracting brilliant candidates in mind, there needs to be a culture of growth. No one except retiree’s wants to walk into a job that will be their last role for the rest of their lives. People are enticed by opportunity and being able to see a path that will take them further than the present. It can be helpful for your company to be seen as somewhere many people have found success, not just by promotion but also side way steps into different departments or roles that were created around an individual’s talents and skillset. Be the kind of business that helps people thrive. As part of having opportunities, companies also need to be aware of the average market salaries and pay well for top talent. The opportunity to do well and grow is massively important but growth should happen alongside the promise of decent compensation.
Create an environment where teamwork is favoured
What you don’t want is being a company that is well known for internal conflict. Take hiring decisions very seriously and make sure you are creating a team of people that will not only work well professionally but who will also enjoy each other’s company. Yes, not every employee will get along, there will always be those who clash. However, it is possible that businesses, over all, can create an environment that is cohesive and collaborative. Afterall, many people are needed in order to make things work and run efficiently. It can be helpful to express values that promote teamwork such as acceptance, understanding and communication.
Display transparency
Most great talent in the market like to know exactly who they’re working for. It is even more important that after they join the same transparency is in action. It is unlikely to retain quality employees if you have a culture of keeping secrets and not updating employees at any level. Honesty enables trust to form, you want employees or potential employees to trust you, just as you want to trust them.
Have a larger purpose
Many for-profit companies can sometimes feel ‘all about the money’. Especially if they’re publicly listed – this means there is more pressure to show stakeholders that the company is doing well. However, this is not what motivates most employees. This pressure can be enormous and often comes with little benefit to anyone except those that are making money. A lack of purpose can begin to grow when individuals feel their work is based on lining the pockets of people with already full pockets. The right thing to do, and what can really help employees find more meaning in their work is to support a greater cause. Whether is be a charity close to the heart of the business, a program you can run or the like. It will help employees and candidates see that they can contribute to a bigger picture.
Make the candidate experience seamless
Most great candidates aren’t scared off by a long drawn out process and will have the respect to go to the effort of repeating themselves or waiting a while between interviews. However, you have to remember that the hiring process is not just about what you think of the candidate but also what they think about you. Most people are drawn to and impressed by companies that can demonstrate organisation, good communication and prompt yet thorough methods. Seeing these qualities during the hiring process is a good indication of how a company runs internally. If a candidate is going through two separate hiring experiences at the same time, they are more likely to choose the company that acts fast and has shown them a degree of professionalism and respect.
