Running your own company or being head of HR in a larger corporation has its problems’ where staffing is concerned. Attracting and then retaining the right people is key to running any business whether large or small
Some of the basics for achieving this are:
Market your company, have testimonials from current and past employees saying why you are a good company to work for. Use social media, such as LinkedIn, to highlight expansion plans, promotions in the workplace, recent social events. This gives future employees an overview of your company and promotes interest in the workforce. LinkedIn is the first place employees go to to check out prospective employers after looking at their website.
Write a detailed job description, outlining at least 5 key responsibilities along with behavioral characteristics suited to the role and environment will give the employee a good idea what they are signing up for. Always ensure these details are written to comply with laws and are not discriminatory. A detailed job description will enable you to conduct an effective search through social media and job boards and allow you to assess qualified resumes quickly. The more detailed the description the less candidates but the better quantified candidates will apply.
Where possible try to ensure the turnaround from advertising to source and interview as quickly as possible. If you see the right candidate don’t hesitate, make the offer! Candidates are normally flattered when offered quickly, especially if they are attending multiple interviews. We have known clients lose the best talent through hesitation, sometimes you just have to follow your gut instinct!
If they are qualified and have the skill set required for the vacancy don’t let them go. If you are not quite 100% let them know you are interested and give them a time frame for when you will be in touch. We have also seen situations where candidates receive multiple offers, if this is the case then you need to stand out from the competition and offer them something unique aside from basic salary which could persuade them to accept your offer.
To do this you would need to have asked direct questions during the interview, what motivates them, what is important in their work/ life balance and their previous compensation package. You also need to advise them what makes your company unique and what the future will hold for them.
When advertising also include the compensation package, so many companies nowadays advertise withy no salary mentioned and state “salary commensurate with experience”, we have proven adding a salary range increases applications by over 35%!
Take your time and let the reader know what promotion opportunities are likely and what training is offered along with such things as flexible working hours and vacation allowances. We are aware of some companies who offer free coffee and soft drinks along with fruit/snacks, this may seem a small thing but employees appreciate this.
Maintain a database with all qualified candidate resumes. Just because you didn’t not hire someone this time does not mean they were not a good fit for your company, sometimes candidates do not know what their strengths are and a good interviewee will plug way and find these out and sow the seed for another position at a later date.
If you are inundated with candidates, as sometimes happens, make it clear that you have had so many people apply that you would like to keep their details on file as you think they would be a good fit moving forward, this will help you have an active list of candidates for future roles. Stay in touch by sending monthly newsletters and occasional emails updating them on the employment situation this will help build your network and can save you a lot of time.