The struggle to find and keep top talent has never been greater. Maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage requires winning the talent war beyond hiring procedures, employee retention, and talent acquisition. Here are some of the key lessons learned from that exceptional event for competing in a competitive job market.
Be familiar with and advertise your employee value proposition
Every company needs a distinct corporate identity, more specifically a value proposition or brand promise that explains what clients will receive from the relationship. When a value proposition is understood, customers become brand evangelists.
Similarly, companies require an employer brand—their employee value proposition—to compete and succeed in the complex job market of today.
Your employer brand focuses on the reasons why people want to work for you, whereas your company brand is more concerned with the goods and services (what your business delivers). Long-term employee attraction and retention are driven by the employer brand.
Selling is always involved; the only differences are the target audience, their needs, and how you interact with them.
Make your company’s recruitment messaging clearer
The pandemic altered how job seekers and employers recruit, and these effects will be felt for an exceptionally long time.
Employees learned during the pandemic that life is too short to spend time at a job that doesn’t satisfy them or meet their needs. As a result, numerous workers have the following.
- The order of their own priorities
- Pursued more lucrative pay and benefits, as well as more flexible work arrangements
- Changed their career or educational paths to follow a path that makes them happier
Recruiting now involves more than just the job. Candidates want more, including information about business and an understanding of the benefits of working for a particular organization.
Turn everyone into an employer
The expectation that only recruiters should participate in posting and sharing job opportunities, or searching for qualified candidates, has changed, even though recruiters are still ultimately responsible for finding and hiring new employees. That outdated way of thinking can be constrictive and cause your company to pass up excellent opportunities to market itself or connect with the candidate.
Consider everyone at your business as a representative and brand ambassador instead. The company’s history and values are accessible to everyone. Jobs can spread quickly because anyone can post or share them. Anyone can use their personal networks and online spaces to recommend a prospective employee.
You might consider doing this as part of a larger employee referral program.
When things are difficult, stay in touch and engaged
Even when your business is going through a tough time or a crisis, recruiting efforts should not stop. No matter what is happening, you should continue to build your employer brand by telling stories about your business, discussing your culture, mission, and values, and outlining the significance of each of these elements.
For instance, an impending economic downturn may necessitate tough decisions regarding hiring freezes or layoffs. How can an employer brand endure such a situation?
Your employer brand is more important now than ever. It serves as your compass and directs all your actions and communications.
Sell the business to prospective employees and candidates
You have two target audiences when promoting your employer brand and recruiting successfully: job seekers and current employees.
As it turns out, hiring is just the beginning of the recruiting process. The difference is that you now need to motivate employees to remain where they are.
The mere fact that someone has joined your business does not guarantee that you will keep them for the long run. You should keep speaking about these topics to keep them engaged.
- Why are they here?
- Why their work is important?
- What possibilities exist for them to advance their careers (and life outside of work)?
- What they appreciate about the business?
