Talent Attraction: Lots of Great Talent Available, Are You Ready?

incipioworkstg on June 19, 2020

It’s 2020 and Everything Has Changed

No one would argue the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been dramatic. Our world has been reshaped in ways we can’t have imagined. However, as difficult at these current times are, there are opportunities for forward-thinking companies. Businesses should be preparing now for post-crisis recovery and growth.

Time to Scoop Up Great Talent

One important opportunity is that the pool of available talent has expanded. Far-sighted business leaders should stay calm and understand that many talented people are suddenly available. If you’re a strong business, well-capitalized with a solid growth plan, now is the time to scoop up top talent. It’s just like the stock market. When the market is down and you have cash – that’s the time to buy.

YOU NEED A PLAN. 30 Day. 60 Day. 90 Day

Pay can be important, but research shows what truly motivates workers is a high level of belonging and purpose. You want a candidate to say, “This is where I want to work.” Candidates will join an organization because they can see a company has a plan in place. That requires the right plan for the current situation. Your five-year plan may not work right now. You need to have a 30-day plan – with your workforce being a major component. You also need to have a 60-day and a 90-day plan – all based on where your revenues are today and where they might look in two or three months. Do you need to hire more people? Do you need to reorganize your current staff? These times demand flexibility.

RETENTION IS KEY

Once you get the right people in the door, you have to keep them. The cost of turnover is enormous. People today want to grow. They want professional development. They want to be valued – to know their opinions are being heard. They want to be an important part of an effective team.

LEAD WITH YOUR HEART

Perhaps in your organization, there isn’t a defined career ladder for a particular job. But you can still develop those employees professionally and help them become better at what they do. If you look at successful businesses, they’ve worked on this piece. They have an effective and engaging employee culture. They have learned to lead with their heart. They are invested in their people and as a result, have employees who are loyal. Businesses that haven’t learned will be the companies that struggle.

Employer Branding: Absolutely Essential

incipioworkstg on May 15, 2020

Lisa Bottorff

Essential, Engaging, Effective.

A company that is not working on employer branding is frankly missing the boat. With the abundance of social media avenues available today, promoting your employer brand has never been easier. Prospective applicants want to know your company is a good place to work. That your organization is fair. That you embrace diversity. That you treat employees like family. If all of this comes across in your brand, your organization becomes a place where people want to work. It is the most effective type of marketing available to you!

Developing an effective employer brand certainly starts at the top. Make sure human resources has a seat at the management table. Examine your policies and procedures and most importantly, your Mission, Vision and Values statement. Ask yourself, is the message communicated throughout your entire organization so employees on the front lines embrace it just like your management team?

Employees need to know how important their jobs are. Why that little piece they are putting on a wheel is vital – and what can happen if something happens to that wheel because they didn’t take the care required. Organizations with the most effective cultures make sure employees understand how their part of the puzzle fits in the overall picture.

How Do You Look?

You can’t hide these days. A quick Google search will turn up almost everything about your company from financial statements, employee satisfaction to pay and benefits. Your employer brand communicates it all to your community and your potential workforce. If you can get your employees bragging about how great your organization is then you’ve got it made. You won’t need to do a lot of marketing to find top talent if you’ve become a great place to work and you have everyone talking about it.

Get The Right People for Your Business-Perfect the First Time.

incipioworkstg on April 28, 2020

More Than Staffing.

No Headhunters Here

At Incipio, we look at recruiting from a couple of perspectives. We’re not a staffing company and we’re not a traditional “headhunting” firm. We specialize in helping companies with two types of recruiting: Direct Hire and Recruiting Process Outsource or RPO.

In Direct Hiring, for an organization looking to hire a new CEO for example, Incipio will help you determine an exact skill set and culture match. Then we target candidates who have just what you’re looking for – usually from your industry. We go after them, rather than hoping a candidate will stumble upon your job opening. We do all the pre-screening and interviewing and deliver you a candidate that is a perfect fit.

Dedicaticated Recruiters, What???

In Recruiting Process Outsource, we become your dedicated recruiter. If your organization needs to hire ten people for example, we can work with an HR department or work directly with supervisors/hiring managers. We become your “recruiting department” and do everything from A to Z. We help determine the exact skill set required. Then we get that job posted to all the job channels like Indeed or Glassdoor – all the places your opportunity will be seen by potential applicants.

We handle all the contacts from emails to phone calls. Then we conduct preliminary interviews by phone or video and deliver great quality applicants. All within state and federal compliance guidelines. If clients want to do additional interviews, we’ll set those up and even handle the background checks, drug tests and the offer letter. Then importantly, we stay with those hires for another 30 days to make sure both the client and the applicants are happy.

A Very Different Process.

The process works for companies looking to hire all different numbers of people from ten to 500 a year. We collaborate with companies on a short or long-term basis and function seamlessly as their in-house recruiting department. We can also go into an organization and create the entire process. We will help hire a recruiter, train and teach that person about onboarding, training and professional development and then we’ll leave after setting them up for success.

The recruiting process is important but we also work with companies beyond this phase to ensure their team stays and is engaged and motivated. Recruiting is just the first step. We tell our clients the process is a lot like Christmas. You tell us what you want and then we wrap it up, put a big red bow on it and deliver it to you!

Professional Development: Keeping it Strong

incipioworkstg on March 26, 2020

Are Your Professional Development Efforts Really Sticking?

Have you worked at a company where everyone was required to attend a two-hour team-building exercise? The company likely heard something about professional development and assumed this exercise would solve whatever issues it was having with employees. Everything seemed great. Employees seemed to “like each other” again. But the next day people went back to their jobs – got busy – and soon the benefit of the exercise was lost. That is “transactional” professional development. It simply gets employees “pumped up” for a few hours.

What needs to happen is “transformational” professional development. After assessments of the strengths of employees – and after you have identified what skills you need to develop – you put together a plan and a budget and begin targeted training and coaching. Then you combine that with actionable steps and expectations to hold people accountable.

If it’s not part of your strategic plan, that’s a problem. I’ve never seen a successful business that didn’t make employee personal growth a priority. Professional development at a previous employer made me who I am today. My growth occurred early in my career because that company was committed to developing their employees – helping them learn to be engaged, loyal and productive. It was seen as an important step that would lead to growth of the business.

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF IT’S SUCCESSFUL

Reducing turnover is one way to measure success. Companies always worry they’re going to invest in professional development and then an employee is going to walk out the door and go somewhere else. But what’s the alternative? For them to leave and complain about the company they worked for because they didn’t provide any training or coaching? Or for a company to provide professional development so if employees do leave they have positive things to say about what a great place it was to work? Plus, if you promote continued learning as part of your values during the recruiting process you’ll likely attract candidates who want opportunities to learn, grow and innovate – an important trait in today’s rapidly changing economy.

TIMES HAVE CHANGED

You can’t do business today the way you have always done it. People coming into the workforce today are in many cases an entirely different set of people. Some haven’t had parents at home to shape them into the people they need to be. Others have parents working so hard to make ends meet they simply aren’t around as often as our parents. In many cases business owners today are forced to become parents. They have to invest in developing people and teaching the soft skills important to be successful in a job – like why showing up on time is important. The most successful companies take pride in treating employees as family – respecting them and providing them with professional development to help them become people who are committed to lifelong learning.

Creating a Successful Network – It’s Easier Than You Think!

incipioworkstg on June 10, 2019

Take a minute to think about when your business was first getting started. I’m sure it was a difficult time and that finding sales and potential clients felt impossible at times, but the good news is, you’re not alone! We’ve all struggled to make sales and bring in clients at some point in our business, but the key to solving these issues isn’t some big mystery, in fact, it’s something we do on a daily basis: networking!

The value of the relationships you build during networking is key to sales and life. The relationships become so important because these people get to know you, your character, the work that you perform, etc. They become your business associate, strategic partner, referral source and your friend. The value that one person can bring to your business can be immeasurable, but in order to find that out you have to get your feet wet and get out there!

I love people. I am naturally curious, and I love to learn from and help those I meet, but not everyone is like that, and that’s ok! What I’ve found is there is always a connection if you keep asking questions. You may not get business from someone you meet at a networking event, but you’ve made a connection and who knows where that may lead. A friend recently called me the “business cupid” because of my passion for helping people connect, and that’s the key; you don’t always have to be the best at what you’re doing, it’s your passion that people recognize.

Just Be Yourself!

A lot of people like to think of networking as an event, but that is very far from the reality of networking; opportunities are all around us! I have met and connected with people in every kind of industry, every kind of job from all over. My network has been created from business, personal, community involvement, church, my kids’ activities, business associations, and so much more. I’m always networking! Even if you are not a super outgoing person there’s always chances to build relationships even when you least expect it. Just be yourself because that is the most important aspect when it comes to building new networking connections.

Networking doesn’t have to be intimidating, in fact, don’t even think of it as networking. Think of it as just meeting someone new, asking questions, building a relationship. Don’t go in trying to sell a product or service. Just listen to the one you are meeting and let it go from there. Always follow up after a connection with a personal note, and make sure the person you meet remembers you. An important piece of advice I would give from my many years in sales is to work on your one minute story to brand yourself. That is what sets you apart from everyone else, and in a room full of hundreds of people that unique story is what will make you memorable.

Networking Doesn’t Have to be Intimidating

Early in my career I was intimidated by people of a higher status or position than me. However, what I’ve noticed is that often times they are there doing the same as you; looking for ways to grow and better their business. I have gotten over this challenge of intimidation by just continuing to meet people I don’t know by saying “Hi”, introducing myself, asking questions, and LISTENING! Don’t always just sit there waiting for an opportunity to speak. Really listen to what the other person is saying because it shows that you are there for more than just personal benefit.

Always remember that your network is your friend! You’ve got to continue to work it. Meet new people to add to your network. The friends that you make in your network are your biggest referral source. But make sure it goes both ways – you must continue to help those in your network by referring them and showing them that you are a reliable connection.