As workplace trends continue to evolve, many aspects of the professional world have changed drastically.
So, when you are recruiting new employees to join your team, it is integral to keep up with current trends. To effectively attract top talent, consider these three big things:
1. The changing nature of the workplace
With millennials dominating the workforce, traditional workplace structures are no longer adequate to satiate the young employee’s ambitions. In fact, experts at WGU state that millennials, “want sustainability, flexibility, authenticity, and diversity in the workforce.
Most millennials want a high quality of life, which includes work-life balance, and the chance for remote work where possible. In fact, many of this generation are willing to leave a job they like for a lesser paying job so that it better aligned with their millennial values.”
With that, the old 9-to-5 schedule just doesn’t cut it anymore. A growing trend that fits within the changing face of traditional workplaces is the ability to work remotely.
Consider the example of Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC). After learning that a lot of employees were disappointed with the amount of work-life balance they were able to maintain, PwC asked managers how they would help their team members work hours that better suited them.
A top-down decision which, alongside a firm-wide contest to submit workplace flexibility plans, entirely reformed company culture.
Now, employees are encouraged to customize their schedules to suit their personal needs, work from home (or from wherever they choose) if they don’t have client meetings, and even slip out for a quick mid-day workout.
The emphasis on work-life balance paired with the ability to work from anywhere keeps employees happy, healthy, and more productive.
The takeaways from this example are to ask new employees what is important to them during the recruitment and onboarding process, and then ensure that you are able to meet these demands. Executive recruiters can help you in this case.
Other aspects of the non-traditional workplace of today include increased digitization and an emphasis on technology.
A strong value placed on leadership even in menial roles, and the provision of opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Before recruiting new members to join your team, it is critical that your firm has adapted to the changing face of business culture, and evolved to absorb these changes so as to retain new employees.
2. The type of position you are hiring for
Hiring the wrong employee can be both expensive and time-consuming.
Rather than creating positions based on the employee, you need to recruit employees for specific and relevant positions.
That being said, hiring the right employee can be an extremely challenging process.
The first step is to do a thorough job analysis, one that enables you to collect information about the various duties, responsibilities, unique skills, outcomes, and work environments of a particular job.
Based on this, you can plan your employment recruitment strategy, involving all key employees for that particular role.
Creating a checklist is a good way to ensure that you don’t overlook critical points during the hiring process.
After verifying credentials and thoroughly vetting applicants, you will be able to shortlist people of interest for the interview stage of the recruitment process.
Interviews are crucial in separating excellent candidates from average ones, and so, you need to tailor your interview questions to be relevant to the position you are hiring for.
Consider asking candidates to teach you something. By doing so, you’ll be able to gauge whether the candidate has a penchant for explaining things in a simple manner.
Whether they get frustrated if you ask them to re-explain, whether they are enthusiastic about disseminating knowledge and whether they have a strong grasp of concepts. All are important traits for any position.
Identifying what skills and values are crucial to a particular position in your job analysis will enable you to tailor interview questions and recruitment material so that you can hire the cream of the crop.
3. More than money: Intangible benefits to employees
Why do recent graduates flock to Silicon Valley to look for work?
The many perks — over and above monetary compensation — provided by companies are a huge draw for potential employees.
To recruit and retain employees, you need to meet the standard set by companies that provide employees with a wealth of benefits, essentially fostering a culture of care.
Consider Salesforce, where a people-driven culture has been cultivated over the years. Global Head of Recruiting Ana Recio defines Salesforce’s culture as “ohana, the Hawaiian word for family.
And it is the idea that families—blood-related, adopted, or intentional—are bound together and responsible for one another.”
Recio credits this culture for the high rate of 80 percent of interns coming on as full-time employees. Providing benefits like discounted gym memberships, competitive insurance policies, and on-site childcare are useful in attracting top talent.
Other appealing features you might consider trying out include providing nap rooms, free breakfasts, pet-friendly policies, and casual Fridays.
Unfortunately, not all organizations have the budget to provide extensive perks. But showing employees that you care for their well-being can be done without spending the big bucks.
In this article on tips to foster workplace wellness, Amsterdam Printing suggests initiating a lunch-hour walking club. This requires no investment aside from allowing employees time in their schedules to participate.
Inviting local guest speakers to share advice, having ongoing learning seminars led by higher-ups from your company itself. And creating a wellness task force to research and execute low-budget ideas are just some of the things you can do to entice new recruits.
This sort of workplace wellness can be integrated into your everyday processes in many ways, and only you can determine what works best for your organization.
Although there are other things to consider when recruiting new employees, these three major concepts are of immense importance.
Keeping these big things in mind will not only help you recruit top talent; but also aid you in retaining it for a long time to come.
Ainsley Lawrence is a writer who loves to talk about good health, balanced life, and better living through technology. She is frequently lost in a good book.
