Cost/Benefit and The Candidate Experience

incipioworkstg on June 26, 2020

Do you remember the last time you were a candidate for a job? How did it feel? Were you frustrated? Did the process drag on without the prospective employer giving you regular updates? If you didn’t get the job, do you still have a positive impression of the company?

The answers to all of these questions are dependent on what we call “the candidate experience.” As we talked about last month in our blogs, your recruiting process is a direct reflection of your employer brand. Prospective employees today know a great deal about your company long before they come in for a face-to-face interview. Combine that knowledge with how applicants are treated during the employment process, and it can have a lasting positive – or negative – impact on your ability to hire and retain top talent.

Before a job is even posted, it’ important to determine exactly what is needed in a new hire. Set up clear expectations and a communication process so candidates remain interested and engaged. Studies show the biggest letdown for most candidates is a lack of communication.

Once you’ve brought the candidate in the door you have to work to keep them there. Make sure you have a program of professional development in place to ensure your company’s culture helps the new hire grow and continues to feel challenged. The cost of a new hire walking out the door unhappy is enormous.

In talent acquisition, perhaps the most crucial step you can take is developing a positive candidate experience. Not only will the applicants you hire feel even more welcomed by your organization, but also the candidates you don’t hire will still respect you. As a result, they will be more likely to refer other job seekers who may be a great fit for your organizations. That in turn leads to your company seen as a great place to work and makes your hiring process efficient and successful. The best idea is to treat prospective employees as customers. Because if they aren’t customers today, they could be in the future!

Your Company Culture, Share It.

incipioworkstg on May 28, 2020

Your Company Culture Matters-Share It!

When many millennials (individuals born between 1981 and 1996) were growing up, it was common for their baby boomer parents to encourage them to find a steady job – perhaps one with a pension plan and a defined pay scale. My own baby-boomer father has worked for the same company for 38 years. However, ask human resources professionals today and they’ll tell you that dynamic has certainly changed.

If your company wants to do a better job of hiring and retaining millennials, it’s important to understand what motivates them and what doesn’t. Research shows while millennials are looking for a salary and benefits package to pay off college debt, they are more drawn to a company’s culture. They look for growth opportunities, great managers and jobs that match their talents and interests. Organizations that award creativity, find ways to engage and develop workers are highly valued.

Millennials want to believe they’re contributing to a company that is making a positive impact in the world. For example, they take seriously an organization’s commitment to charity and social causes. They also value a collaborative office environment that increasingly blends work life with their outside-of-work interests and values. When organizations can provide these attributes, and promote them in their branding, they will attract millennials – and perhaps just as importantly – keep their millennial employees from pursuing the next best thing elsewhere.

Your Employer Brand is Already Out There

An organization’s branding may make it seem like the company is a great place to work. But is it? With just a bit of research, it’s easy for job applicants to find out. A quick search of the internet and social media sites gives applicants a first-hand look at a company’s culture. Moreover, sites like LinkedIn can easily let potential applicants find out if they know anyone working at the company to get the “real” story. The bottom line? Companies can’t fake it. As is often said, you have to “walk the walk” if you’re going to “talk the talk.”

Recruitment: Are You Proactive or Reactive?

incipioworkstg on April 8, 2020

Ashley Overberg- Incipio Workforce Solutions

I always say recruiting is about being “proactive” and not “reactive.”

It’s the worst-case scenario if you have to be reactive to staff shortages. Even if someone gives you a two-week notice, you’re often caught in a time crunch. You’re scrambling asking them to train someone for their position. If not, that job might be open for a long time.

One way to get ahead of the hiring crunch is to examine recruiting trends at your company. Is there a certain time of year your staffing requirements have to ramp up? Perhaps in the past, you have lost people around the holidays. Knowing the history of hiring needs will help you avoid staffing problems in the future.

Identify trends, create a strategy before you need it.

Once you’ve identified some trends, you should develop a strategy and then a marketing plan. Begin by making sure there is an open line of communication between the executive team and human resources. It’s all about being honest. Is there a problem with turnover? If so, what strategies and solutions do we have in place? What’s been going on in the past month? The past year? What needs do you foresee? Even when things are running smoothly, it’s important to have that check-in to ensure there are no surprises. If any issues are identified, it pays to address them early before you find yourself short-staffed, which will affect your bottom line.

Employee Referral Programs

Assuming you’ve created a company culture where your current employees are motivated, engaged and proud of where they work, an employee referral program can be helpful. Setting up some criteria around that program is important, however. For example, a new hire has to stay for a certain amount of time for the referring employee to get a bonus.

It’s also important to look at the demographics of your hires. Benefits evolve over time. Make sure your benefits package is designed to draw in both a boomer and a millennial. What can you provide that might be unique and set you apart from a competitor? With millennials for example, can you offer student loan assistance or a loan repayment plan? That’s important to young people coming out of school with large amounts of debt. When was the last time you looked at your 401(k) benefit? Is the company match sufficient to attract a worker proactive about being prepared for retirement?

Are you looking for a good fit or a warm body?

Once you have a candidate, obviously you begin by looking at their technical skills. Do they have the knowledge and skills to do that job effectively? Then you look at whether they might be a good “fit.” Behavioral questions can help you make that determination. For example, rather than asking someone, “Can you multitask?” Ask them to describe a time when they juggled six projects at the same time. Answers to similar open-ended questions will give you an idea of their skills and experiences are a good match for your open position.

It’s important to recognize not everyone is skilled at interviewing. Every manager needs training in this area. Without even knowing it, some people will ask questions that are illegal or ask questions that might imply favoritism. It’s important managers know what they can and can’t ask. A strong internal training program designed around hiring best practices will head off any issues and strengthen your ability to recruit quality employees.

Bulking Up Your Business: Talent Matters!

incipioworkstg on March 19, 2020

The Talent Challenge

Attracting, acquiring, and retaining talent is more challenging than ever before. To be successful, today’s tight labor market should encourage companies to adopt a strategy to develop existing talent. Aside from showing employees you appreciate their contributions, the investment in training and development helps retain employees by letting them know they have the opportunity to grow. Firing an employee in the hopes you’ll be able to hire a solution to your problem is much more of a gamble. As Incipio’s president and founder Molley Rickett likes to say, “If you really examine it, the talent walking out your door is usually not the same talent that is walking in your door.” The days of “plug and play” are in the past.

That’s not to say there isn’t a place for effective recruitment. There likely are some key roles within your company where you simply need to fill that position with outside talent. But thinking first about “bulking up” your talent within your company can be an effective strategy because in this job market it’s time to get creative.

HOW TO BEGIN

Look at your current workforce and examine whether people are in the right positions. After a review of their strengths you may discover you should rethink some roles. An employee may function best in a different position than that for which they were initially hired. For example, I’ve witnessed a human resources professional blossom and become a valued employee once they were given an opportunity in software development. Communication is key – as is support from leadership. Employees want leaders who care about their well-being. They want to work for leaders who recognize and appreciate them. Having an open and honest conversation is often the best place to start. Perhaps the performance review process makes it clear an employee isn’t meeting expectations. So now you work together to look at their talents from a different perspective. What are their strengths? What do they bring to the table that could help the company grow? If you play to their strengths you’ll develop an employee who is happier, more engaged and more effective for both themselves and the business.

Employee Retention – It’s Not Rocket Science!

incipioworkstg on January 26, 2020

Every human has a need for belonging, and I believe employees stay with a company when that company does a great job of creating an environment that makes them feel like part of the team and valued. As an employee, your work environment is so important and can make all the difference when it comes to finding your career, or your second home, as many call it. The key to good retention starts with this and when a company knocks it out of the park, I don’t think the 50 cents or more an hour makes a big difference.

Asking for feedback and allowing your employees to be heard is another huge aspect of retaining an organization’s most valuable asset; Its’s people. Not only listening to the team but taking what they hear and using it to make changes that are best for staff as a whole is so important. Leadership needs to constantly strive to have a growth mindset and listen, listen, listen! You should always lead with the team in mind, and in order to do so, that means truly taking what they have to say into consideration and showing them that their opinion really does matter!

To Retain You Must First Obtain

A big part of retention, that I’m sure is no mystery to you, is the importance of obtaining and retaining your best employees. Business owners should always have their top talent in mind, but that doesn’t mean neglecting the rest of your team. Depending on the size of your company, having continuous one-on-one meetings to offer encouragement, open conversation, and feedback is vital. Even if you have a larger company, ensuring that there is open communication at all levels is key. Honest conversation and encouraging open lines of communication establishes a level of trust and respect for, and from, everyone.

Of course, in order to retain these employees, you have to obtain them first. This process starts in the interview and ensuring you are asking the right questions that will help in selecting the right person for the job. Asking questions that will allow them to respond honestly and naturally is key. Steer clear of questions typical of an interview and aim more towards behavioral questions that let you see how they would react in particular situations that aren’t an answer you’ve heard from every other candidate. And of course, always remember that how your company presents itself in an interview is the first impression for that employee and could be the difference between whether or not they decide to even show up on their first day.

Making Connections Through Open Communication

No one ever said you have to be best friends with everyone you work with, and it’s not expected, but professionalism is. One of the things that have been a deciding factor for me staying with a particular company is having an associate at work that will engage with me in open and honest conversations. This doesn’t have to be the case for everyone but ensuring that there is an inviting and accepting environment for every single person in a business setting is absolutely necessary and it’s part of what makes coming to work every day worth it.

Employee retention isn’t rocket science. Show your employees that they are valued and that they matter by encouraging open and honest communication throughout your team. Doing this will make all the difference!