Article Contributed by Danielle Goldaper
In today’s recruiting market employers are finding it a challenge to attract and retain adequate talent. The tight labor market has challenged employers to find creative ways to keep the employees they already have and to attract qualified applicants. Employers who are only focusing on recruiting new talent are already behind in the talent wars. Simply said – they’re still losing talent that has to be replaced – there’s no way to catch up.
The minimum in this environment is competitive pay and benefits. After making sure that your pay and benefits are competitive, your company must stand out in any way that you can. Consider the impact of these kinds of employee benefits:
- more vacation/PTO than historical averages
- a better culture where employees are encouraged to be themselves and challenge the “golden cows” that might be chasing off top talent
- increased employee learning and development
- more autonomy
Get creative! Ask yourself what would happen if you offered some flexibility where there hadn’t been in the past. We are no longer living in a time where every employee and position in your organization has to march to the same drumbeat, so long as each member of the team is productively contributing to the same successful song. Think about what flexibility might mean to your employees and then ask them! Ever thought about a nap/meditation room for your employees? There might just be something that your employees tell you when asked that could be the secret sauce on the sandwich for your organization!
Recruiters need to be salespeople now! That means that recruiting must use marketing tactics to wow future employees. Your company must present itself in the job market as an employer of choice, with a good reputation, exceptional benefits, and an engaging culture.
Stop bailing out the sinking ship, and start showing your present employees all the great benefits that come along with being employed by your organization. Without reminders, it’s easy for employees to think about that paycheck that they bring home as the only motivation to be on your staff. Start communicating with your team about the Total Rewards that come along with their employment.
What does showing employees their Total Rewards look like?
If you subsidize the cost of food in your employee cafeteria (or with gift cards for remote workers) – remind your employees WHY you do it.
HOW TO SAY IT | “You keep our business running – we want to keep you fueled up!”
If your company has great training opportunities, let employees know what results they might be able to expect as they continue to learn additional skills.
HOW TO SAY IT | “You’re talented and we know that investing in your skills will only make you more valuable to our team while giving you the confidence to drive results with autonomy!”
If you have a ping pong table and ice cream machine in the breakroom – let your team know WHY you think it’s so important for them to enjoy these features of your work environment.
HOW TO SAY IT | “You spend a lot of time working together and that’s not always easy. We offer a place to play and laugh together for a portion of your day so that you can clear your minds and find new ways to trust each other socially.”
Start incorporating company-wide communications on a regular basis (maybe quarterly or even monthly if you have the capacity for that cadence of communication) to remind your present staff about the ways that your organization is creating a culture that appreciates the work that they do! If you really want to up your game, you can include a social campaign on LinkedIn (or other appropriate platforms for your industry) to show off these benefits to the next generation of applicants who are always on the lookout for a work culture that matches their personal priorities!