9 Effective Recruitment & Retention Strategies to Hire & Retain Talented Employees
It’s no surprise that recruiting and retaining employees has been a challenge in recent years. In fact, Forbes notes that “the last few years have seen some unprecedented challenges in the workplace and workforce.” Businesses are competing for the best and the brightest, and we’re here to help you discover new ways to recruit and retain your team for tomorrow.
Employees can help your business grow, reach lofty goals, and continue to seamlessly operate every day. Implementing recruitment strategies that provide an intriguing perception of your company and attract bright new talent helps your business continue to shine. Great talent is out there, and you’ll need to have unique ways of showing this talent that your company can offer them the work environment and room to grow they’re looking for.
By providing an accurate and exciting glimpse into your company’s operations and work culture, you can attract new employees who are excited to be a part of your business and weed out job candidates who simply aren’t the right fit for your business. There are a number of ways you can recruit new employees who will quickly become the star teammates you need for success.
Post On the Right Job Boards
Successful recruitment and retention requires that you post open positions on the right boards and that job descriptions are accurate and descriptive. Use language that paints the picture of your brand and company culture, while describing the exact duties of the specific position. The more details you provide, the easier it will be for potential job candidates to decide if the job is the right fit for them. Find niche job boards that relate to your industry so you can discover talent that has a passion for what your brand is doing.
Improve Your Employer Branding
You spend time developing and improving your company branding to reach new customers, but your branding as an employer is just as important. First, work on your company culture and make sure your current employees’ perceptions of your business are desirable. Then, begin to network and show off your employer brand to potential job candidates through your recruiting and retention programs.
Providing promotional products as you network is a great way to get potential teammates to remember your brand name. Handing out fun giveaways at job fairs or trade shows, like sunglasses, tote bags, or water bottles, can get your brand name in front of more people, both as a business and as a potential employer.
Upgrade Your Hiring Process
If you’re working hard to attract top talent to your company, you don’t want to deter them from the recruitment process by an outdated system or confusing hiring process. If you don't already have an advanced Applicant Tracking System (ATS), it’s time to invest in one so you can keep your job candidates sorted and moving through the application process seamlessly. If you can offer job candidates short hire-times and an organized interview process, they’re more likely to stick around throughout the recruitment procedure and accept your job offer in the end.
Explore College Career Fairs and Trade Shows
If you’re looking to get your company name in front of potential employees, consider college career fairs and trade shows. By using these events as part of your recruitment and retention strategy, you’ll have exposure to people already in your industry or those who are looking to get started in your field.
Set up a booth or table that’s warm and inviting for visitors, one that shows off your brand name. If you’ve ever attended a conference or job fair, you’ve probably seen company representatives standing behind a table with a table cover that has their logo on it so they can proudly represent the brand. Appoint current employees who know the company culture to speak on your company’s behalf at these events.
Consider Rehiring Past Employees
One of the most effective recruitment and retention strategies is to consider rehiring past employees. If you have former employees who left the company to pursue other career paths, they may be prime candidates to re-enter your workforce. These past employees already know your company culture and may not need as much training as someone starting fresh.
You should only consider this option with past employees who are trustworthy and hard workers who were an asset to your team. Talented employees who left on good terms and are willing to consider another position with your company are the only ones who should be targeted with this strategy.
Give Your Employees Perks
You may find it easier to recruit good talent and keep them on board if your company offers employee perks. Offering a unique and fun environment paired with popular perks and giveaways can make your workers feel more connected to your brand. Provide a relaxed work environment or referral bonuses and programs. You should also consider offering company apparel for employees and stressing the importance of a work/life balance.
Hire Passive Candidates
Passive job seekers are those who are employed with other companies but are open to attractive career opportunities. While they aren’t actively seeking employment, most passive candidates have positive employment records and are open to opportunities in which they can be inspired and grow within a company.
To target passive candidates as part of your recruitment and retention plan, you’ll need to seek them out in different ways than you would job candidates who are currently looking for employment. Look for these potential candidates where you know you can find them, such as at industry trade shows or in online groups that incorporate their specialties and skillsets.
Understand the Cost/Benefit of Hiring A New Employee
Before implementing new recruitment and retention strategies, it’s important to understand the costs of recruiting, training, and integrating a new employee into your company. Once you factor in the calculations on hiring a new worker, you should decide if it’s more cost-effective to train an existing employee to do the new job successfully. You should also consider whether or not you want to risk adding a new employee to the mix who could possibly disrupt company culture. A strong company culture can attract more star employees, which can lead to the growth of your business, so it’s important to protect your culture.
Have A Social Media Strategy
Even if you don’t use social media as a recruitment and retention strategy, you can still use it as a platform to display the characteristics of your company culture and brand. By showing the positive perks of employment at your company, you may attract passive candidates that weren’t even looking for new jobs. Those actively seeking employment are known to use social media as a tool to better understand potential employers, so a solid social media strategy is crucial.
