Month: January 2015

Strategies for Establishing a Presence in the Workforce

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image_011Establishing a presence in the workforce allows employers to find candidates with the skills, expertise and experience necessary to succeed in a particular position. Being able to recruit this top talent depends on these desirable employees recognizing an employer’s name and worth. These three strategies can help employers establish a presence for recruiting the top talent in the workforce.

Creation and Maintenance of Recruiting Networks

Even as unemployment levels remain moderately high compared to historical numbers, the talent that an employer desires may not be aware of the employer’s available position openings. To get the word out about who an employer is looking for to fill available openings, the establishment and maintenance of a recruitment network is necessary. Employers can use tools such as social media, company blogs and employment forums to send out messages about the type of talent the company desires.

Partner with Local Colleges and Universities

Local educational institutions that train and educate workers are natural partners for establishing a presence in the workforce. In addition to recruiting high-quality interns, the college and universities in the area are also a great source of regular staff members as students graduate from their programs. Within the higher education system, remember to add the alumni office to the partnership list. Alumni often contact their alma mater when they are seeking a career change or a new position within their industry.

Working with Professional Organizations

Professional organizations related to an employer’s industry are often the go-to source for those seeking a new position. Employers can post their job openings on the websites of these organizations. Individuals who maintain a membership with their professional organization are likely to have the training and experience that employers are looking for. This type of workforce strategy also expands the search for candidates as most professional organizations have a national base. If the organization has state or local chapters, post with them as well.

Effective Blogging Strategies for Recruitment

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image_010Locating and then recruiting the right staff members is a challenge for any organization. As job candidates increasingly look to blogs, online postings and social media to search for jobs, one way that Human Resources personnel can recruit the top tier of applicants is by taking to the blogs themselves and enticing the best candidates to apply for openings within the organization. These top four blogging strategies for recruitment are effective and efficient at getting the most desirable person into the job.

Infuse the Blog with Personality

Even corporate blogs should be infused with personality that is in line with the operations of the organization. The tone of the blog should allow readers and future applicants to get a feel for the culture of the organization. A light touch of humor can go a long way in helping applicants feel welcome to the company.

Vary the Posting Types

Readers of a business blog do not want to read the same material over and over again. Vary the type of posts to maintain reader interest. Consider various post options such as tips for applicants, hints about what is going on in the industry and success stories of people working in the company. Interviews with current staff members and list-type posts also help to recruit top-notch candidates.

Make a Point in Every Post

Give applicants a reason to come back and join the corporation. Every post should have a point. Making each recruitment posting worthwhile helps applicants understand that their time is respected and that future events at the company, such as staff meetings, will be productive and worthwhile. Blog posts should not be too wordy or too vague.

Share Industry Insights

Keep it interesting by sharing industry insights that show why the business is top in its field. Infographics are an up-to-date means of sharing information in a way that is eye-catching and easy to understand. Embedded videos are another way to share insights while maintaining the applicant’s interest in being recruited to the organization.

 

Hiring Techniques to Reduce Employee Turnover

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image_02The hiring process is not only an economically costly endeavor for a company but a time-consuming one as well. When a relatively new hire jumps ship to join the team of some other company, all the resources that went into hiring and training that staff member are for naught. These three hiring techniques can help employers reduce employee turnover.

Make Sure the Candidate is the Right Fit

During the candidate interview process, Human Resources specialists and managers must take care to ask the right questions to ensure the candidate is the right fit for both the job and the organization. In addition to ensuring that a candidate has the right skills and educational background to do a job, he or she must also be a good fit for the manager and the corporate culture in order to succeed and stay loyal to the organization.

Regularly Review Employee Needs

Employers should take the time to understand what employees want. Flexibility in scheduling, telecommuting, job sharing, tuition reimbursement and other benefits may be more important than significant salary increases. Candidates can be asked during the hiring process about which benefits comprise the most important parts of their compensation package. Human Resources can address these employee needs during the hiring process and as an ongoing strategy to retain highly qualified staff.

Create and Maintain a Positive Work Environment

Candidates should be treated in a positive manner right from the start. The organization should be able to explain how employee recognition works and how achievements and goals are rewarded. Candidates typically want a position that will challenge them and motivate them to work their way up the corporate ladder. Tangible examples of awards, recognition and praise can be provided to candidates during the hiring process. This shows applicants that the organization is committed to maintaining a positive work environment. These actions also show that managers and the Human Resources department recognize successes. Candidates want to know that they will be appreciated and respected for their work and effort.

 

Best Practices for Engaging Top Talent in Interviews

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image_015A prospective employee’s interview is part of the hiring process continuum rather than an isolated stage. Top talent engagement begins before the formal interview and continues while they remain in the pipeline, during training and throughout their career with your company.

Engagement Based on Employment Brand

Your organization’s employment brand derives directly from the company’s shared vision of the future. The brand image must be comprehensive and present themes tailored to your hiring demographics.

Each organization’s brand is unique, but encompasses basic values:

  • Open communication and information sharing
  • Support for learning and growth
  • Meaningful work goals
  • Regard for work/life balance
  • Generous compensation for great work

These and a shared sense of mission towards personal, department and company-wide goals are the basis for recruit engagement.

Prior to the Interview: Consistent Branding

Smart companies will have developed suites of videos communicating their organizational values and showing off their “best place to work” attributes. Videos reinforce brand image after an interview and are easily shared via social media.

During the Interview

Despite a consistent brand image, a top candidate may remain skeptical about whether the organization means what it says. Prepare for their doubts about how their career goals align with those of the company. Listen carefully and address these with relevant, concrete examples. If possible, enlist a member of the team with the requisition to address their questions.

Post-Interview Engagement

Especially if your candidate was identified with the help of social media, utilize that media after the interview to maintain engagement. Sharing relevant media or comments shows interest as long as it is tasteful and non-intrusive. Regular contact lets the candidate know there is ongoing interest, and he or she will greatly appreciate the attention to any further questions they have.

Benefits to Interview Engagement

Candidates who feel that a company has a place for them and listens to their concerns and ideas are far more likely to accept an offer and subsequently grow to be high performers. They also have potential to become one of your organization’s greatest proponents of the company culture to other recruits.