With an unstable economy and a new way of working, you might be wondering how recruiting will look in this new year. Talented people are still looking for meaningful jobs, even as working from home becomes the new normal. How will you find the best new employees to help your brand become an industry leader?
Being Transparent Benefits Everyone
Whether you attract industry vets or new graduates, you probably already realize that they like your brand for the same reason as your consumers. Many hires, especially those in management, partially define themselves by their employer and its outward-facing reputation. So, it’s important to acknowledge that how you recruit new hires will reflect back onto your brand, especially in these unusual times.
Being a leader in your industry often relies on staying consistent with your messaging and values as circumstances change. Take a look at your Careers page and the job listings posted. These days, potential employees want to know that you’ve given a lot of thought to how COVID-19 is affecting your work culture. What is your work from home policy? What benefits are offered? If your office is closed, when will it open? Answering these essential questions up front will benefit everyone.
Start a “Now Hiring” Newsletter
You use creative and unique tactics for acquiring new customers, so why not take the same approach to top-notch hires? Right now, job hunters know that digital networking is more important than ever, which is why they’re looking beyond the job boards, signing up for a multitude of newsletters so that they can stay on top of fresh positions and related industry news. Your brand can easily provide this content -- your career openings, your brand’s unique perspective on how you and your industry have adapted to the uncertainty of the last year, as well as the new challenges and opportunities that exist. Bragging a bit about recent new clients or completed projects can also build confidence in your business’s stability. Your Careers page is a great place to add a signup button for this newsletter. A competitive hire might not be ready to submit an application, but they’ll almost certainly appreciate the effort you put into being a thought leader in your field, and will sign up for your newsletter in return.
Is Your Hiring Process a Turn-Off?
Hiring is a multi-step process, from the initial application to the final interview. When was the last time you did a quick review of your process?
It’s a common complaint: Qualified and interested candidates are often turned off by a clunky online application. If your company requires applicants to re-enter their resume in a time-consuming form, ask yourself if this process has any measurable benefit to you. Many applicants, especially high-value ones, will chafe at this task when they could simply attach their resume or a link to their portfolio. At the same time, it’s okay to create different applications for different positions, according to your needs. The goal is to ensure that you get the information you need from your prospective hires, and they feel like they’re able to present their best selves, so that you can start choosing who to interview.
Before the interview, do your own due diligence -- check LinkedIn, or call a reference -- to get some background on the potential hire. When offering the interview, set expectations as to the length and type of interviews you use. Be transparent about any tests you’ll be giving, whether the work performed will be paid, and how that work may be used in the future. These are pain points for many job seekers (especially in the tech world) and the sooner you get out in front of them, the more trust your applicants will have in you and your brand. It also reduces stress and anxiety on both sides of the table. Overall, addressing your ability to offer a streamlined, intuitive, and customized hiring experience at every turn will certainly make your company appear more attractive in the eyes of a potential hire.
Stay In Communication
It’s safe to assume that the person you’re recruiting is interviewing at other places as well. Throughout the interview process, it’s important to stay in communication. Staying on top of the process and keeping the applicant informed not only provides clarity, but makes your brand look organized and efficient. Remember when you were looking for work and how frustrating it was to be led on, or to be the one to always initiate the follow up? Take that into account and let applicants know where they stand in the process.
Have a Plan for Keeping Employees Happy
Now that you’ve hired some of the top talent in your field, you need to keep them. After all, many people probably left similar brands who may not have taken retention as seriously as they should have. Employee retention is a great indicator of a brand’s personal health and potential hires can see that. Make sure you and your team are engaging in robust internal communications, creating a safe work environment for all types of people, and ensuring that your employees’ work is the ticket to career advancement. Get creative with events and incentives to keep your teams engaged. With so many teams working remotely or on hybrid schedules, employees are looking to their employers for leadership, now more than ever.
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- Recruiting In A New (and Unpredictable) Year - January 3, 2023
