Changing the Way Company Culture is Understood: OrgVitals and Incipio Workforce Solutions’ Synergistic Partnership is Revealing Workplace Culture Strengths & Weaknesses

How the startup company is unlocking the formula to an ever-changing work landscape coming up on its first anniversary

Louisville, Kentucky: OrgVitals and Louisville-based Recruiting and HR organization, Incipio Workforce Solutions, are bringing intentional hiring to the forefront and focusing on workplace culture to retain current employees. 

Incipio is helping businesses exceed through recruiting, HR solutions, direct hire recruiting, employer branding, team building, and more. OrgVitals is a strategic partner in cutting-edge technology that delivers predictive insights and enhanced analysis to organizations to ensure that its teams thrive within the workplace.

Culture is ready for its Moneyball moment,” said Dr. Brad Shuck, Chief Data Scientist for OrgVitals. “For a very long time, employee engagement has been the standard for which everybody has aspired to.”

OrgVitals measures organizations by their strengths, growth opportunities, and blindspots that they might not look at or notice in their culture. These three key components are directly connected to its team and the people in the company.

OrgVitals does this by distributing surveys to its client’s employees in order to measure these analytics and deliver actionable data.

“From the get-go, we saw a synergy between what Incipio Workforce Solutions was doing and what we could help leverage for them within culture data. We’re feeding that back into clients and giving them time back in their data to do their best work one on one with their clients,“ continued Dr. Shuck. “OrgVitals has become a backend partner for Incipio. We’ve been able to partner with Incipio with several clients, and deliver a significant return on investment, not just for Incipio but for their end client, and that’s our goal.”

OrgVitals intentionally moves the needle on performance and ultimately saves organizations substantial amounts of money. Additionally, they’re showing companies culture data they’ve never seen before, so, in turn, these organizations can be behind the wheel when it comes to driving workplace culture. 

About Org Vitals

OrgVitals was founded in 2021 by Charley Miller, Dr. Brad Shuck and Kristina Rodriguez. Our mission is to help organizations capture data on culture, learn from it and then put this information into action. Additionally, OrgVitals is intentional about cultivating workplace culture and leveraging it as a strategic point in organizations. We’re changing the way work is experienced. For more information on how we can help you make an impact within your organization, book a demo here.

About Incipio Workforce Solutions

Since 2015, Incipio has been on a mission to transform the way companies attract, engage, and delight their team members. Our professional services break down the challenges you face and create manageable goals, obtainable standards, and process improvements to reorganize, revitalize, and redefine what was into what is possible. Comprised of expertise in HR, Recruiting, Employer Branding, and Service, Incipio gives companies the tools they need to manage their employee experience from interview to retirement successfully. For more information on how we can help you and your business, call us at 502-409-4821 or email us at [email protected].

Leveling Up: The Transformative Recruiting Process Incipio Workforce Solutions is Implementing With its Strategic Partners

How the organization is revamping the recruiting process
from beginning to end

Louisville, Kentucky: Incipio Workforce Solutions is changing the recruiting industry with its strategic partners; Grit & Gravel, OrgVitals and UnicusPar. Incipio Workforce Solutions is a strategic partner in helping businesses thrive through recruiting, HR solutions, direct hire recruiting, employer branding, team building, and more.

The growth of Incipio through these strategic partners allows the organization to be a more intentional workforce solution company. 

“I believe after almost seven years of being in business, we have finally found partners that are as dedicated and committed to their success, and their company, to partner to be successful together,” said Molley Ricketts, CEO of Incipio Workforce Solutions. 

Incipio’s strategic partners have the talent to put the pieces together.

  • Grit & Gravel is helping attract and retain top talent with its holistic employer branding efforts including services like custom culture and leadership videos, current employee testimonials, paid and organic social media job management, brand & content marketing, career page and full website optimization & development, and much more.  
  • OrgVitals measures organizations by inclusion, employee engagement, alignment, communication models, etc., and then determines how they relate to one another to calculate strengths and opportunities for growth and highlight a company’s blindspot.
  • UnicusPar is changing the hiring game by matching the right candidates with the right companies the first time without bias through its proprietary assessment and matching technology.

Incipio is being recognized as an organization that provides a different way to recruit and wants to help its clientele and future clients make the difference to transform. 

“Until employers really understand the entire market of the workforce has changed, intentional hires to build teams with top talent has to be the focus,” Ricketts continued.

Employers are recognizing that they can’t solely recruit people; they have to have an entire package, from the hiring process to onboarding and continue to build a positive culture where employees want to work. 

Incipio continues to make intentional hires, with the help of its strategic partners, to build teams with top talent. The organization’s team members traveled 76,098 miles, devoted 8,583 total hours of recruitment horsepower to employ 409 team members for its clients in 2021.

About Incipio Workforce Solutions

Since 2015, Incipio has been on a mission to transform the way companies attract, engage, and delight their team members. Our professional services break down the challenges you face and create manageable goals, obtainable standards, and process improvements to reorganize, revitalize, and redefine what was into what is possible. Comprised of expertise in HR, Recruiting, Employer Branding, and Service, Incipio gives companies the tools they need to manage their employee experience from interview to retirement successfully. For more information on how we can help you and your business, call us at 502-409-4821 or email us at [email protected].

Hiring Challenges: Solved

If you have been paying attention the past year, most industries and sectors have struggled with attracting talent and keeping talent. All evidence points to a prolonged tightening of the labor market, which is why it is vital that recruiters and the companies that are looking to hire need to think out of the box and consider alternative strategies. 

The labor market has been a fluid environment with several challenges over the last few years. As we embark on the new normal following the pandemic and the “Great Resignation,” the challenges faced by hiring managers and recruiters are considerable. Even before COVID-19 rocked the world, recruiters have had to navigate changing demands and challenges. From technological advancements, candidate priorities, remote working, and a later retiring workforce, recruiting these days can be complex. Recruiters and hiring managers must stay ahead of the game and pivot when necessary.

REMOTE WORKING

One of the biggest challenges over the last 18-24 months has been the shift to remote working. While remote working initially required some significant adjustments for some organizations in terms of logistics, technology, work culture, and the ability to manage a team, remote working proved to be viable, productive, and extremely popular in most instances. Although remote work is not feasible for all sectors of the economy, we have learned that many roles outside of the service, hospitality, healthcare, and retail sectors can be done remotely. Remote working has provided flexibility for many employees and has allowed them to balance their work and personal lives. Remote work requires a high level of trust on the part of the employer and work ethic on the employee. Communicating expectations concerning productivity and availability are essential for the remote work environment to be mutually beneficial. With remote working comes the challenges of recruiting remotely. 

Recruiters and companies must mirror their current work environment during the recruitment process. It’s time to embrace the virtual recruiting environment. Utilize Teams, Zoom, and other virtual platforms that allow you to be face to face with your candidates virtually. Remote working and interviewing can also benefit employers as it enables them to recruit from a broader and more diverse talent pool. An organization must understand its long-term goals regarding remote working. Many outsourcing companies are familiar with the virtual recruiting process and can assist in sourcing and initial screens.

UNQUALIFIED CANDIDATES

Another recruiting challenge that seems prevalent in today’s environment is the vast pool of applicants applying for open positions but seemingly lack the qualifications that companies are looking for or simply not the right fit for the organization or culture. How and where you advertise your current openings can impact the quality and candidate compatibility to the role you are looking to fill. For instance, certain industry sector candidates may gravitate more toward an Indeed-type platform than LinkedIn. Understanding which platform may suit your needs can be challenging and expensive if you are not familiar with what is available. 

Working with an outsourcing company like Incipio may provide the most cost-effective and efficient screening process for your organization, thus allowing you to focus on your core business and leave the screening up to the experts. Creating effective job descriptions and open position listings are also crucial in attracting the best candidates. Clear and concise job postings that list necessary basic skills and qualifications can deter unqualified candidates from applying. Having an experienced screener, whether in-house or outsourced, can also eliminate spending time on candidates that may not be qualified. If you find that many applicants are a bit green for the roles you are looking to fill, designing an apprenticeship program or a “get your foot in the door” approach allows you to train candidates to become the employee you desire.

COMPANY BRAND AND CULTURE

Candidates these days are very intentional about where they are seeking employment. That in itself is not the challenge. Where the challenge lies is in your company brand. Do you have a solid online presence? Is that presence communicating a consistent brand message on your website, social media pages, and job post websites? Company reputation and branding are vital in today’s market. Candidates are purposefully looking for companies that meet their needs regarding flexibility, compensation, growth opportunities and mirror their values regarding sustainability, community involvement, diversity, inclusion, and equity. Now more than ever, in this candidate-centric market, you need to have a clear company brand that is communicated through several avenues. Your company must stand out among its hiring competition if you want to attract the best candidates.

INTERVIEW PROCESS

Are you losing talent before you even have a chance to decide if you want to make them an offer to join your team? Recruiting new team members can take time. A streamlined process must be in place when hiring. According to Dr. John Sullivan, a professor of management at San Francisco State University, the cost of candidate withdrawal is real, and the investment in time and resources may place a drain on your team and finances. There are reasons why candidates choose to remove themselves from the hiring process, and it is crucial to determine why it is happening in your organization. A candidate may choose to withdraw for a few reasons. Some of these might include your application process may be too lengthy, they may have had a chemistry issue with the screener or hiring manager. Additional factors might include the job posting not matching what the candidate was told in the interview process and the interview process being long and drawn out. A key reason for self-selecting out of the process is lack of communication between the candidate and the recruiter or hiring manager. 

Your application process must be as seamless as possible. Many candidates will drop out of the process before completing the application if it is repetitive, long, confusing, and not accessible. Making it easy to apply via your phone and utilizing programs that allow a candidate to upload a resume instead of entering in their work history can help alleviate this issue. 

One of the primary reasons for candidates to self-select themselves out of the hiring process is the length of time from initial application to offer. SHRM found the average time to fill a position is forty-two days, but candidates generally make decisions within ten days of applying with a company. The very best candidates are more than likely being pursued by other companies, maybe even your competition. Making sure that you move them through the interview process in a timely manner while ensuring they are the right fit can be a delicate balance, especially when juggling core business tasks and recruiting. Outsourcing allows for the focus to be on the candidate and ensuring that they are the right fit. 

Follow-through and communication are also key factors in making the hiring process a positive experience for candidates. It is imperative that you communicate throughout the process and set expectations with the candidate. Communicate how many interviews they will be invited to complete should they move through the entire hiring process. Hiring Managers and recruiters must also communicate when they plan on deciding about the position the candidate is seeking. 

Successful business leaders understand their core competencies and generally surround themselves with strategic partners. If recruiting, human resource generalist duties, and company branding are not your core competencies, you may want to consider partnering with an organization like Incipio, which will be hyper-focused on the expertise you need in the areas of human resources, recruiting, and employer branding.

Find your next great hire! Call us at 502-409-4821 or email us at [email protected].

Follow us on social media – we’re on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

BOILERPLATE: Incipio Workforce Solutions is a strategic partner in helping businesses thrive through recruiting, HR solutions, direct hire recruiting, employer branding, team building, and more! Since 2015, Incipio has been on a mission to transform the way companies attract, engage, and delight their team members. Our professional services break down the challenges you face and create manageable goals, obtainable standards, and process improvements to reorganize, revitalize, and redefine what was into what is possible. Comprised of expertise in HR, Recruiting, Employer Branding, and Service, Incipio gives companies the tools they need to successfully manage their employee experience from interview to retirement. For more information on how we can help you and your business, call us at 502-409-4821 or email us at [email protected].

Recruitment Process Outsourcing

In this “War for Talent,” companies must tighten their recruiting strategy. Is Outsourcing your option?

The success of your business depends on several factors: strategic focus, operations, finances, marketing, and people. The best companies are comprised of the best people.

Building your team takes precision, patience, time, and money. Recruiting, or the process of permanently/temporarily attracting, screening, and selecting suitable candidates for positions within an organization, is crucial to operate and grow a business. Today’s market has created an unprecedented level of competition for employers. Companies are vying for top talent alongside many other companies and need every advantage to compete in this market. If talent acquisition is not your key business model, you might consider outsourcing your recruiting. This will allow your organization to focus on your core business and leave the recruiting process up to the recruiting experts.

Any company that has ever considered looking externally for assistance in their recruiting efforts has most likely heard the term Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO). Recruitment Process Outsourcing is when an organization transfers in part or all of its recruiting efforts to an external organization like us here at Incipio. According to industry analysts, the global recruitment outsourcing market size was valued at USD 5.48 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow to a compound annual growth rate of 18.5% from 2020 to 2027. Many organizations are turning to outsourcing for their hiring needs, and we anticipate that this trend will continue into 2022.

recruitment-process-outsourcing-recruiting

Recruiting consists of owners, supervisors and managers tasked with the hiring process, start to finish. A well-oiled hiring process develops, facilitates, and implements all phases of the recruiting process, which include:

  • Working with owners and managers to determine hiring needs. 
  • Collaborating with the human resource team to generate a job description and hiring criteria.
  • Marketing and posting the job postings and hiring criteria.
  • Sourcing and screening the candidates.
  • Coordinating interviews.
  • Facilitating offers and employment negotiations.
  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, regulations, and company policies.

No matter the size of your business, hiring can impact your company’s bottom line. Most organizations experience an ebb and flow in their recruiting cycle. Staffing demands can vary by industry, skill, and location. Depending on the organization’s needs, RPO services can be provided on-site, off-site, or a combination of both. Recruitment Process Outsourcing can also come in all shapes and sizes to fit your organization.

WHAT DOES AN RPO DO FOR YOU?

Some of the services that an RPO partner can provide include:

  • Recruitment services
  • Recruitment forecasting
  • Candidate sourcing
  • Application review
  • Scheduling and conducting interviews
  • Assessments: psychometric and behavioral
  • Creating of job descriptions
  • Human Resource matrix tracking and review
  • Current employee stay interviews
recruitment-process-outsourcing-recruit

HOW DO I WORK WITH AN RPO?

One of the most significant benefits of working with an RPO partner is customizability. From sourcing to overseeing the entire recruitment process, your RPO partner works with you to support you in the best manner for your organization. 

Recruitment Process Outsourcing Models

1. Fully Outsourced

A company outsources all recruiting tasks. The RPO provider would be responsible for all recruitment tasks, from sourcing to hiring.

2. Shared or Hybrid Recruiting

A company outsources only certain positions, while others remain in-house. 

3. Project-Based Recruiting

A company outsources an RPO provider for a specific period of time for particular roles. The RPO provider would be responsible for the entire recruitment process.

HOW DO I WORK WITH AN RPO?

Today’s hiring environment tends to be more challenging to navigate than in the past. To recruit top talent, companies need to be at the top of their game in today’s market. Ensuring companies remain current with the latest recruiting trends, technology, source opportunities, and what candidates seek outside of compensation and benefits is vital to a positive hiring outcome.

SHOW ME THE MONEY

Understanding the costs associated with hiring is crucial and often overlooked by hiring managers. Businesses must look at both direct and indirect costs related to hiring. Costs associated with hiring a new employee go beyond the employee’s compensation and benefits. To calculate your cost-per-hire, and other hiring matrices to better understand your recruiting budget needs, and how an RPO could stretch your budget while also providing additional benefits, click here to learn more.

Hiring costs also include items such as:

  • Sourcing – job board fees, career events, marketing 
  • Recruiting software
  • Interviewing – time required by individual sourcing, the hiring manager, and or Human Resource professional. 
  • Assessment testing
  • Background checks
  • Onboarding/initial training
  • Unfilled job duties while filing a position
  • Lowered productivity of current employees

One of the benefits of partnering with an RPO is cost-effectiveness, and it is often one of the top motivations for companies to move in this direction. Working with an RPO partner creates a streamlined process based on recruiting history, future needs, and the current market. Each recruiting area, from sourcing candidates, interviews to onboarding, takes time and costs money. When you optimize the hiring process, the cost per hire is decreased. 

Your RPO partners’ essential function is to provide a customized recruiting process that generates solid hires that contribute toward your business model. To effectively recruit an RPO must remain up-to-date on recurring trends, software, company culture, employee experience expectations, assessment options, and the most utilized sourcing avenues. Many of these are changing at a faster pace than in the past and can add significant costs to your organization. 

recruitment-process-outsourcing-louisville-ky

In addition, an RPO partner focusing on your hiring needs ensures that your current employees focus on their core tasks that lend to your overall business plan. When employees are able to focus on their core tasks, productivity, morale, and ability to service your clients increase significantly.

The flexibility of working with an RPO can also allow you to customize and only pay for the services that your organization requires. Many RPO’s can scale up or scale down their services based on your fluctuating needs.

NOT ALL CANDIDATES ARE THE SAME

The right candidate is much more than the sum of their resume. Several factors go into identifying the right candidate. An RPO partner has the resources to search far and wide for the right person for the job, creating a large pool of candidates to choose from. Finding the right candidate requires navigating sourcing options, conducting the proper assessments, interviews and understanding the job market. Additionally, most RPO’s have access to a constant stream of candidates, not just when you have a position available. Many top-level candidates would not be accessible to in-house hiring managers. When recruiters are only focused on talent acquisition, they have the time to spend with the candidate to ensure they are the best fit. Recruiters also tend to increase the candidate experience as their focus is directed at the candidate. Furthermore, outsourced recruiters are skilled at finding passive candidates that might not even know they are looking for a new opportunity.

recruitment-process-outsourcing-candidate

COMPANY BRANDING

A great RPO partner will thoroughly research your company brand and compare it to your hiring competition. This is vital in today’s market, as a company’s reputation is a key factor for candidates. Your RPO partner will be an extension of your brand and create a better and consistent candidate experience. The additional exposure can have a positive impact on attracting employees and clients.

COMPLIANCE 

Local recruitment laws and regulations vary between states and regional areas. A poorly structured recruitment process can expose a company to liability and diminish the ability to attract top talent. Securing an RPO partner will prevent companies from engaging in non-compliant recruitment practices. 

HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENTS

Keep in mind that outsourcing your recruiting does not mean outsourcing your Human Resources Department. In fact, outsourcing your recruiting process will allow your Human Resource Department to focus on their critical onboarding tasks, internal issues, benefit management and significantly improve their efficiency and productivity. 

recruitment-process-outsourcing-human-resources

In this ‘war for talent,’ companies must tighten their recruiting strategy, which may mean outsourcing. Before partnering with a Recruiting Process Outsourcing company, companies should meet with and interview the team to ensure a good fit. 

recruitment-process-outsourcing-hire

Find your next great hire! Call us at 502-409-4821 or email us at [email protected]. Follow us on social media!

CONTACT

https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/recruitment-process-outsourcing-rpo-market

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Incipio Workforce Solutions is a strategic partner in helping businesses thrive through recruiting, HR solutions, direct hire recruiting, employer branding, team building, and more! Since 2015, Incipio has been on a mission to transform the way companies attract, engage, and delight their team members. Our professional services break down the challenges you face and create manageable goals, obtainable standards, and process improvements to reorganize, revitalize, and redefine what was into what is possible. Comprised of expertise in HR, Recruiting, Employer Branding, and Service, Incipio gives companies the tools they need to successfully manage their employee experience from interview to retirement. For more information on how we can help you and your business, call us at 502-409-4821 or email us at [email protected].

Incipio Works 2021: A Year in Review

There are many phrases and highlights that people will remember about 2021. For those in the business of people, some that stick out are; remote working, employer branding, an employee’s market, proactive recruiting, employee experience, space, and, of course, The Great Resignation. 

At Incipio, 2021 was a year full of transformative partnerships, notable growth for our clients’ businesses, an increase in the need for our business, embracing innovation, learning, and recalibration. 

We love what we do. Providing our clients with innovative, strategic, customized, and highly effective workforce solutions is our jam and, 2021 provided us with ample opportunity to do just that for many new and existing clients. 2021 was an unprecedented year on all accounts, but some unique challenges existed for the American workforce. The pandemic flipped many industries upside down, requiring them to think outside the box while also attempting to meet their client’s needs, retain employees, sustain and grow their business.  

It indeed was an honor to partner with our clients to implement custom HR solutions that provided them the opportunity to navigate through this unprecedented time. Creating customized strategic plans for each client to help ensure their success, breaking down the challenges that each partner faced, designing manageable goals, obtainable standards, and process improvements, and redefining what was into what is possible are just a few of the initiatives we focused on in 2021. We are the talent finders, problem solvers, connection builders, and do-gooders, but don’t take our word for it. 

Here is what our clients had to say about working with us in 2021:

Remote Working

A trend that is not going away anytime soon. According to smallbiztrends.com, at least 32% of employees worldwide will be working remotely at the end of 2021. Up from 17% in 2019. Remote work is persisting and trending permanently. According to Gallup, nine out of ten remote workers would like to maintain remote work to some degree in the future. Gallup also found that overall, 54% of employees who work remotely would like to work split their time at home and office, creating a hybrid arrangement.

Employer Branding

Creating a solid brand for your organization is not just a buzz phrase. More employees seek to work in an environment that mirrors their personal brand and values. Strong employer branding can not only assist in recruiting but retention as well. Defining that brand, remaining true to it, and using it in recruiting and marketing can increase your candidate and client funnel. 

Employee Experience

An employee’s experience starts when they begin researching your company: your website, social media presence, employer brand, company reviews, and initial contact. The interview process doesn’t necessarily need to be seamless, but it must make the candidate feel valued, whether they are extended an offer or not. Long, drawn-out interview processes can create an extremely stressful environment. Developing a methodical approach to ensure a positive experience is integral to creating an exceptional experience. Having a tight onboarding process is also key to retention and employee experience. Something Incipio has a vast amount of experience.

The Great Resignation

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that 4 million Americans quit their jobs in July of 2021. According to Harvard Business Review, resignation rates are the highest among mid-career employees. Although this is a national issue, every company dealing with a high turnover rate must quantify the problem at their organization. Understanding the root cause is vital. Working with a company like Incipio to explore metrics and underlying tones such as compensation, career progression, company brand, employee experience, benefits, and employee perks can assist in making sure your company develops a program that neutralizes any specific issues. 

Proactive Recruiting

There are two ways we can meet the needs of our clients when it comes to recruiting. Proactive and reactive. We are a fan of the Scouts model of “Be Prepared” and, when possible, like to meet their needs in more of a proactive approach than a reactive approach. Hunting and curating employees for roles that are not yet available allows our clients to pick the ideal candidate ahead of the demand. Reactive recruiters work on finding talent for jobs that are needed immediately. Proactive recruiting removes the pressure to fill the spot, allowing for proper vetting, due diligence, and finding the right piece to your team puzzle, saving you time and money in both the short and long term. It also allows for a better recruiting and onboarding process for the candidates, which is critical in today’s market.

Space

The job market is constantly changing, and 2021 saw a massive push in the space industry. Companies and organizations like NASA, The Space Force, Space X, Virgin Galactic, and others are taking the industry by storm, and we are putting them on our bucket list for 2022. 

Here is an Incipio 2021 Snapshot:

The number of team members we hired for our clients.

The number of miles we traveled for our clients.

The number of recruiting hours spent filling requisitions for our clients.

Click here for more information on who we are and how we can help you grow your business, or check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn

Incipio Workforce Solutions is a strategic partner in helping businesses thrive through recruiting, HR solutions, direct hire recruiting, employer branding, team building, and more!  Since 2015, Incipio has been on a mission to transform the way companies attract, engage, and delight their team members. Our professional services break down the challenges you face and create manageable goals, obtainable standards, and process improvements to reorganize, revitalize, and redefine what was into what is possible. Comprised of expertise in HR, Recruiting, Employer Branding, and Service, Incipio gives companies the tools they need to successfully manage their employee experience from interview to retirement. For more information on how we can help you and your business, call us at 502-409-4821 or email us at [email protected]

How To Create Company Culture

It is the little things, done consistently, that earn employers a reputation for being employee-centric. It is those little things that provide a sneak peek into the culture that a company is establishing for themselves and their team. Whether you’re a small business or a large organization hearing the words company culture can sometimes seem daunting, but that does not necessarily need to be the case. 

Company culture is a term that has increasingly come to the forefront when discussing employment, recruiting, retention, and human resources. Company culture defines the environment in which employees work and highlights a company’s values, expectations, and behaviors. For some organizations, a company’s culture may have been deliberately cultivated or could also be the result of the accumulation of decisions that have been made over time by company leaders. Either way, the importance of company culture is becoming more and more relevant. 

Some may ask why is company culture so important? There are a number of reasons why but for starters, it can lead to higher productivity, elevated level of employee engagement, boost in employee morale, increased innovation and creativity, and of course lower turnover to list a few.

In a survey conducted by Glassdoor, it was found that over half of job applicants indicated that company culture is more important than salary when looking at job satisfaction. The same survey also found that over 77% of adults in the United States, UK, France & Germany would consider a company’s culture before applying for a job. 

Although there is no right or wrong when sitting down to evaluate your current company culture or begin to establish one, there are several areas that you will want to look at. 

Purpose: an organization’s purpose is bigger than the product or services that it provides. A company’s purpose is the backbone of the company, outlining who they are and why they exist. It is important that the purpose is in line with an organization’s values and goals. Glassdoor’s survey indicates that nearly nine in ten adults believe that it is important to have a clear mission and purpose. Their report also noted that 77% of adults believe employers are becoming more purpose-driven with regard to recruiting and retaining talent. Thus confirming that this employee-centric world is becoming more mainstream.

Leadership: According to Young, Fabulous & Self Employed Magazine (YFS), 47% of employees want access to leadership. Employees want to be a part of a team that trusts them to work independently and not be micromanaged. Employees also crave someone that can guide and mentor them in their careers. Encouraging and building workplace relationships with team members is seen as gold. In addition, employees want to feel heard. Providing opportunities for employees to share and receive feedback outside of employee evaluations is vital to creating a welcoming team environment. Creating opportunities for lower-level employees to interact with upper management during the workday as well as in social situations is highly encouraged.

Appreciation: Employees look for their efforts to be recognized, whether through upward mobility or simple exchanges between their department or team. Employees want to feel valued for not just their hard work, but the overall package that they bring to the table. Gratitude and encouragement go a long way in any situation, but it is something that can elevate your team to imaginable heights. Offering simple amenities like dress-down Fridays and social events can go a long way to show your team how you appreciate them. Creating programs for employee recognition are also ways to show appreciation. Celebrating milestones, birthdays, company anniversaries, or surpassing company goals. Highlighting a team member on your social media or company newsletter costs nothing but will make that employee feel important and special, creating a positive work environment and can in fact be seen in your bottom line numbers.

Wellbeing: It is essential that your employees feel that your organization places a priority on work-life balance, providing flexibility with hours, remote working options, and establishing healthy relationships between co-workers. For some company’s it may mean to include health and wellness benefits to their team. Investing in employee wellbeing will lead to increased employee engagement and a lower retention rate. YSF found that 77% of employees say health and wellness programs positively impact the work culture. Simple things like allowing dogs at the office, allowing employees to listen to music, and offering opportunities to break bread together can increase employee engagement and productivity. Some employers are also providing benefits such as on-property fitness centers, virtual yoga classes, company-sponsored book clubs, and special interest clubs or activities like cooking, physical activities, healthy living, and more. 

Opportunity: Opportunity can mean different things to different people. Understanding this is important as one person may be motivated by compensation, another may be motivated by the opportunity to work remotely, and another by the upward mobility of an organization that promotes from within. Each employee brings something unique to your team and their wants and desires for their career are just as unique.  Really getting to know your employees on a personal level and sitting down to assess their career aspirations, and noting what their short and long-term goals are is essential to designing a path for them at your organization. Sharing the company’s short and long-term goals is also a part of this equation. It shows your employees that you are thinking about them long-term. Follow-through is vital in all of these areas in order for them to be effective. 

Success: How is success defined in your organization? Are you a results-driven organization that is highly competitive or are you a more customer service-based organization that allows for a more laid-back feel? Neither is better than the other, but it can dictate the types of candidates that will seek employment with you. It can also help determine which employees will thrive and which will seek out other opportunities. Is your organization one that promotes innovation and creativity with an open door policy? Are you consistent with how you define success? Are the rules the same for administrative employees and sales employees? Communicating how your company defines success is important from the interview process through to long-term employees.

The bottom line, company culture is key to the success of any company. Employees are more likely to enjoy their work when their needs and values are consistent with their employers. When employees are happy with their place of employment they tend to be more productive and motivated to not only meet the goals of the company but to exceed them. Maybe it is time to reevaluate your company culture by drilling down on the above areas. This will not only have a positive effect on your current team but will assist with recruiting future candidates. 

Incipio can assist you with creating a work culture that revolves around recognition, appreciation, synergy amongst team members, a balance of equality and fairness while looking at all of the above and how it relates to your organization. 

Incipio Workforce Solutions is a strategic partner in helping businesses thrive through recruiting, HR solutions, direct hire recruiting, employer branding, team building, and more!  Since 2015, Incipio has been on a mission to transform the way companies attract, engage, and delight their team members. Our professional services break down the challenges you face and create manageable goals, obtainable standards, and process improvements to reorganize, revitalize, and redefine what was into what is possible. Comprised of expertise in HR, Recruiting, Employer Branding, and Service, Incipio gives companies the tools they need to successfully manage their employee experience from interview to retirement. For more information on how we can help you and your business, call us at 502-409-4821 or email us at [email protected]

Strategies for Recruiting Top Talent

There is an abundance of strategies and tactics that organizations can use when recruiting and retaining talent for their team. The combination of tactics and strategies that will best suit an organization can depend on factors such as recruitment tools, geographical location, industry, position you are hiring for, promotion opportunity, employee engagement, and company culture. Successful recruiting of talent and employee retention in today’s market not only requires an understanding of this but also demands that organizations be innovative, introspective, communicative, and flexible.

Although data is not everything, data is essential in understanding the recruiting process and developing a recruiting strategy plan in any sized organization. Utilizing specific data and tactics in your recruiting strategy is not only smart business but can make the process significantly more manageable, more efficient, and cost-effective. Whether you are using job boards, job aggregators, stand-alone applicant tracking systems (ATS) like UnicusPar, candidate relationship management software (CRM), or working with industry leaders such as Incipio, it is imperative that your recruiting process include tracking certain recruiting and retention metrics. Some critical metrics that companies need to consider are application completion rate, qualified candidate rate, cost of hire, time to hire, acceptance rate, quality of hire, employee engagement, and employee retention. As with any area within an organization, you can not manage what you don’t measure. The recruiting and employee retention process is no different. Workforce solution leaders such as Incipio use a company’s specific data to design and create solutions that support a business in the areas of hiring, retention, and company branding.

Incipio Workforce Solutions - Recruiting

What does the data tell us of the current workforce? According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace, only 15% of employees were engaged in the workplace. According to Gallup, “engaged employees are those who are involved in, enthusiastic about, and committed to their work and workplace.” What that means is that many employees would seriously consider changing jobs for a better opportunity. Opportunities referring to compensation, benefits, company culture, career path, work-life balance, to list a few.

Evaluating recruiting and retention processes requires introspection. Management teams and Human Resource Departments must pull back the curtain to find areas that the organization is excelling at and which areas may require revamping. Outsourcing this process can sometimes be the most effective course of action. Working with organizations like Incipio, allows companies to breakthrough change barriers and discover fresh, unbiased perspectives. Utilizing data, expertise, and experience when developing recruiting and retention strategies creates better teams and better results for any organization.

The role of human resources has evolved exponentially over the last few years. There is so much more to human resources than benefits, payroll, terminations, and exit interviews. A company’s Human Resources Department plays a crucial role in developing a company’s strategy for recruiting, retention, and employee engagement. Evaluating if your Human Resources Department is a part of your business strategy or just an afterthought is key when looking at recruiting and retention within an organization. In fact, the role of human resources is critical to the financial success of every organization.

As discussed above, recruiting top talent can be very complex, but it also requires precision. Hiring the right candidates can propel a company to meet or surpass its goals. Still, it can also be a financial shortfall when you take recruiting time, training time, job posting, and other expenses into account if you’re not retaining employees. Whether an organization chooses to have an in-house Human Resources Department or partners with a workforce solution company like Incipio, human resources plays an integral part in the success of any organization.

The terms company culture and employer branding have evolved from just being marketing buzzwords to essential elements of an organization’s strategy. Human resources is a critical player in creating an organization’s brand or culture both within and outside of any organization. They are indeed the bridge between the organization and the employees and/or candidates. A strong company brand that is communicated not only within an organization but also externally is crucial to how a business stands out among its current employees and how they can capture the attention of top talent. Consistency is vital with employer branding as reputation can sometimes carry more weight than compensation. CareerBuilder reports that 67% of candidates would essentially accept lower pay if the company they were interested in working for had very positive reviews. This statistic drives home the point that communicating your employer brand or company culture should not only occur internally but externally. Communicate your employer brand or company culture on your website, social media platforms, and hiring portals. Share your company’s awards, core values, employee success stories, employee community involvement, and partnerships with philanthropies. Tell your company’s story and show candidates how they can become a part of that story. Most people gravitate towards being a part of something great. Utilize images, videos, employee and industry partner testimonials to show your candidates what it would be like to be a part of your organization.

Recruiting and employee retention is essential for any organization and now more than ever, companies must accept that what has worked in the past may not work now or in the future. Organizations must remain diligent in measuring recruiting and retention metrics, keeping up to date with hiring trends, communicating with current employees, staying open-minded, and remembering that this is what will make them stand out in a sea of companies vying for talent.

Learn More about hiring, recruiting, employer branding, and more!

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Incipio Workforce Solutions is a strategic partner in helping businesses thrive through recruiting, HR solutions, direct hire recruiting, employer branding, team building and more!  Since 2015, Incipio has been on a mission to transform the way companies attract, engage, and delight their team members. Our professional services break down the challenges you face and create manageable goals, obtainable standards, and process improvements to reorganize, revitalize, and redefine what WAS into WHAT IS possible. Comprised of expertise in HR, Recruiting, Employer Branding, and Service, Incipio gives companies the tools they need to successfully manage their employee experience from interview to retirement. For more information on how we can help you and your business, call us at 502-409-4821 or email us at [email protected]

Retention Strategy for Restaurants and Hospitality Employees

Although it has always been a significant concern, there has been a consistent rise in turnover rates for restaurant employees over the past few years. Findings from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that over 6% of employees in the hospitality sector leave monthly while the yearly turnover rate is 73.8%. The figures by themselves are a cause for alarm, but the impact of the turnover on the hospitality industry is even more significant.

On average, restaurants and other businesses in the hospitality industry lose $5,864 on every employee turnover. If you have 500 employees, with the current average turnover rate in the industry, you can lose upwards of $2 million annually. This is a vast amount of money that you could channel towards more meaningful initiatives such as upgrades and marketing.

While it is a problem that has plagued this industry for a long time, it is only getting worse given the current unemployment rate. If you consider all factors, it is easy to understand why employee retention for restaurants and companies in the hospitality sector is challenging. It is for this reason that we have developed this retention strategy for restaurant and hospitality employees.

Incentivize Long-term Employment Using Benefits

Employee benefits remain a significant factor in retaining your current employees and attracting new talent regardless of your industry. Healthcare and retirement benefits are vital.

Retirement Benefits

Most employees make the decision to work with a company based on the retirement benefits the company offers. Additionally, almost half of the employees decide whether to stay with their current employer after considering retirement benefits. Retirement benefits are a unique incentive to long-term employment. By utilizing the employer match combined with a unique schedule to provide incentives for employees, it is possible to get employees to stay with your company even during retirement. Employees want to know that a company is working towards providing a secure financial future before committing to their long-term futures.

It is clear that retirement benefits are an essential element, but most businesses in the hospitality industry do not offer solid retention benefits through retirement plans. There are lots of challenges such as the increased burden on the human resource department and low employee participation. One of the most common scenarios is a case where a highly compensated employee is usually limited in relation to the 401 (k) contributions as a result of failing the non-discrimination test and poor participation. Often, this culminates in increased turnover rates in relation to the highly valuable employees that can be hard to replace.

Healthcare Benefits

Healthcare benefits are another vital element in avoiding employee turnover. Before deciding to work with your company, almost 46% of employees consider the health care benefits package you offer. This is according to a Willis Towers Watson study, which also indicates that 55% of the employees view healthcare benefits as an important factor towards staying with their current employer.

This should not be surprising considering ever-growing medical costs. Although employees need to understand that their futures are covered, they also want to know that their present is well taken care of. Coming up with a solid healthcare plan remains one of the best ways to achieve this.

Integrate Technology

Embracing technology can help you reduce the turnover rate of your hospitality business in two ways.

Reduces Workload

Naturally, businesses in the hospitality industry feature a constantly busy environment. Employees often have to juggle between different tasks at the same time, which can have a significant impact on employee morale and productivity.

By integrating modern technology into your business practices, you allow some of the tasks to be delegated to automated systems while employees manage the essential tasks. With less work to do, it is easier to keep employees motivated, which contributes to employee retention.

Improves the Overall Work Environment

Effective integration of technology creates a highly efficient work environment. It takes less time to process tickets which contributes to customer satisfaction and streamlines BOH and FOH. It becomes easier to achieve lower employee turnover rates by creating an enjoyable working environment for employees in the hospitality sector.

Retaining Restaurant and Hospitality Employees

The high employee turnover rates continue to plague the hospitality and restaurant industries. Through poor employee retention, companies lose thousands of dollars on individual employee turnover every month. There is an urgent need for lasting solutions to mitigate the impact high employee turnovers have on the industry.

Companies based in the hospitality and restaurant industries need to provide incentives geared towards getting employees to commit to a future with a company. Providing incentives such as retirement and healthcare benefits can have a positive impact on employee turnovers. Similarly, integrating technology into your business practices can also contribute. It reduces the amount of work the employees have to do and provides a comfortable working environment that contributes to employee satisfaction.

Recruiting 2021: New Challenges, New Opportunities

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the entire nation to its knees. Large businesses sent staff home, some to work (many with slashed salaries), and some without a job. Small businesses disappeared entirely. Those fortunate enough to have a job tried to adapt to the new “work-from-home” routine. And those newly laid off or furloughed attempted to figure out how to look for a new job during a pandemic.

The workplace culture — and the hiring/recruiting practices essential to populating that culture — arguably has been changed forever.

Whether you are looking for staff, or looking for a position, it will be challenging doing it alone in the emerging post-pandemic world.

  • For corporations, especially, it is essential to make Human Resources part of your business strategy, not just an afterthought.
  • Individuals, meanwhile, need to ensure their job searches — and the way they present themselves — is consistent with the skills and experience important to companies in the new workplace environment.

Here are some insights into the new reality.

The Macro Situation

  • A huge number (41%) of individuals who suffered a job loss have been unemployed for almost a year now, resulting in a crowded applicant market. The S. had approximately 23 million unemployed last April and the current number is still about 10 million.
  • According to Statista, 47% of companies discouraged remote work and required employees to show up in the office before COVID-19. However, the past year saw even the most rigid employers allow staff to work from home. Now, almost 44% of companies have shifted to full-time remote work.
  • According to Gallup, 59% of American employees who have been working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic would prefer continuing to work from home as much as possible, after public health restrictions are eased.

Employer Hiring Challenges

For employers, the go-forward challenges are significant.

  • Companies that previously laid off workers need to be concerned about lingering negative perceptions that may exist among employees/applicants.
  • Employers that shifted to an office-less framework need to determine a set of traits that remote employees should possess and add new stages to the hiring process, such as behavioral and aptitude tests.
  • Large unemployment numbers likely are causing a huge number of applicants — many unqualified — and employers can waste a lot of time simply reviewing and trying to determine qualified persons.
  • Candidates increasingly are concerned about their health and safety. Employers have to validate that they’re going beyond just staying compliant to reduce fears so that employees will feel safe returning to the office.
  • Employers will have to audit existing hiring processes, determine what had been working in the past, what hadn’t been working, and figure out how the new normal is going to change their recruitment strategies.
  • They also will have to adapt their sales pitches based on additional benefits that they may be offering. For instance, the commuter stipend is no longer useful so they may have to introduce better home office setups, childcare benefits, and other wellbeing benefits.

Employee Search Challenges

Individuals, meanwhile, have new concerns that didn’t exist prior to the pandemic.

  • Many have determined in the past year that remote work fits their personal and professional needs and are interested in continuing on that track. However, they also would be interested in not limiting the number of opportunities that are presented to them.
  • They are also afraid that the new normal no longer includes jobs that clearly fit their pre-pandemic talents. And they may have to learn new skills to pivot.
  • The glut of applicants can easily cause qualified applicants not to get noticed by prospective employers. With remote working becoming the norm, they may even have to face competition with a geographically diverse pool of candidates.
  • When returning to the workplace, individuals may face different health risks depending on the kind of work they do, where they do it, and their own health conditions.
  • They might feel apprehensive about working with a company that made hundreds of employees redundant in the past.

Moving Forward

Skilled and experienced recruiters provide an important solution for employers and job seekers. Identifying, recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding aren’t the only tasks a recruiter needs to provide in 2021. New skills needed include virtual interviewing and assessment, virtual background checks, virtual hiring, and also reshaping an employer’s identity. Most importantly, the right recruiter is focused and aligned with the employer’s goals.

At Incipio Workforce Solutions, we learned a great deal in 2020 and turned that experience into better systems, processes, and procedures to help our clients achieve their objectives. For example, many companies realized the six-month or yearly performance review no longer was effective. We’ve developed much better ways of setting goals and tracking effectiveness on both a personal and professional level.

Want to know more about Incipio? Get in touch with us right away to learn how we can help you achieve your goals.