Some tips to help you find and keep good workers!
COVID-19 Recruiting—Time to address the elephant in the room! Many employers believe that the extra UI benefits many workers are receiving as a result of the pandemic have drastically reduced the incentive for the unemployed to look for work. And while this belief may be true, it is not the only reason there is a missing labor force. Many potential workers still have childcare or schooling issues that prevent them from committing to a traditional work schedule, and some workers may still be afraid of catching the virus from co-workers.
The solution? While pandemic restrictions won’t last forever, savvy employers are now including COVID safety messages within their job postings. These can be details about a company’s safety precautions and worksite protections. Add hiring enticements to include extra benefits related to flexible work schedules, remote work options, or expanded Wellness & Prevention programs that can be beneficial to your current staff while enticing to applicants.
Here are some additional tips that can help you recruit good workers—and many of them work even in the best of times!
1. Develop and promote your Why Work Here message. You want to sell candidates on the value of coming to work for your company. Survey current employees to get their input on why they like to work for your company and share that input with potential workers.
2. Don’t hide your job openings. Post job openings in places where job seekers can find them! Post job openings on social media or send out a press release or email to various community groups letting them know you have job openings. Be sure to include your “Why Work Here” message points.
3. Make it easy to apply. Prioritize enabling candidates to easily view and apply for jobs using their mobile devices. Is your application long, detailed, and takes more than an hour to fill out? Do you ask for applications, cover letters, resumes and then ghost your applicants?
4. Post realistic job listings—dump corporate biz-talk, legal terms, or requests for inner character traits. Do your job requirements indicate that only noble prize winners have a chance to be hired? Your job posting will be competing within a challenging marketplace, so use readable/relatable job posts. Stick to listing what the job duties are and experience requirements.
5. Offer a hiring bonus. This is a high-profile way to attract candidates if you’re competing in a tight labor market. Some companies pay signing bonuses immediately upon hiring, or after a certain period of time such as an introductory training period, while others make multiple payments over a period of time. When an employee accepts a job with a signing bonus, they typically sign an agreement explaining the amount of the bonus and when and how it gets paid.
6. Create an employee referral program that includes monetary rewards. Internal employee referrals are the most cost-effective source of quality applicants. Consider offering a tiered bonus referral system: a bonus for recommending candidates and an additional bonus if the candidate is hired. Most incentive rewards are monetary based but could include paid time off.
7. Offer competitive compensation and benefits. As the job market gets more competitive, so do compensation and benefits. Let’s face it, minimum wage jobs are a hard sell in the current job market. Stress the long-term value of your benefits package and the more “family-friendly” you can make it, the more you will attract workers who want a stable employment home.
8. Train managers on how to interview a potential employee. Never assume your managers or supervisors know how to interview a potential employee! Do your supervisors understand the connection between cost per hire, turnover rates, and why the hiring process is crucial to your company’s success and continued viability? Offer training that includes interview guidelines that will help standardize and elevate your company’s hiring process.
9. Consider re-hires. Allowing former employees an opportunity to return can be a cost-saving & time-saving strategy. Allowing an employee to leave, gain new skills, and then return with a fresh perspective and attitude can result in a rejuvenated worker who appreciates your company. Just be sure to address old performance or employment issues that caused them to leave in the first place.
10. Are you a “hidden” company? Can job seekers google your company name and connect immediately to your company? Most job seekers will check out your company as a potential employer. They want a clear picture of what your company does, how you make money, how long you’ve been in business—details that let candidates know you’re worth working for. Make sure people can find information about your company on the internet or on your website.
11. Outsource your recruiting. You can save your company time, money, and reduce the odds of making a bad hire by using a professional staffing firm like Cardinal Services. Professional recruiters will promote your job and your company. They can find, screen, and interview candidates, perform reference & background checks and send you candidates that are the right fit for your company.