If you have been having difficulty attracting and retaining great staff, isn’t it time to reflect on the reasons why? After all, if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’re going to keep getting what you have always got. How has that served you so far? 

 

The employee buying experience 

People looking for new employment go through a similar ‘buying experience’ as people looking to purchase your services or products. They look at your business through external eyes and decide whether they know, like and trust you enough to join your team. 

So what message do you project to the world about your business as an employer? 

Is your online footprint fun and engaging?

Are your core values highlighted, and do you use them to attract the right kind of people? 

Do you shout about your successes, or are there horror stories out there in the public domain about what it is like to work for you? 

It’s natural for prospective employees to ‘do some digging’ before they apply for a role or attend an interview. This means that they will be looking you up online and asking around to gauge your reputation as a business and as a leader. So what can you do to make sure they like what they find? 

 

Building your reputation as an employer of excellence 

Leverage your existing employees’ circles of influence. Ask them to share their experience of working with the business online – through blogs on your website, posts on social media, videos and networking. If they love working for you, they are likely to attract similar minded individuals who will love working for you too. 

Think about what prospective employees will want to know about you. Highlight your values, incentives and employee-based initiatives. If you are an employer who prioritises employee development, make sure that is clearly communicated.  

Remember, your online platforms are not just there to attract prospective customers, they are there to attract potential employees as well. 

If you believe that your business is a great place to work, shout about it. Think about your ‘shop window’ – what do people see when they look at you? What do you want to display at the forefront to entice people to come in and ask questions? 

 

Advertise your price 

You wouldn’t buy a product without first knowing its price, right?  

Similarly, people will be reluctant to apply for a job if they salary range is not visible. So advertise what you are willing to pay for the right level of experience, including bonuses or non-financial incentives that will appeal to the type of person you are trying to attract. 

 

Think ahead 

Plan your deselection process, interview process and onboarding process prior to going live with your job advert. 

The deselection process: 
  1. Write out the minimum experience and/or qualifications required for the role. If the applicant doesn’t meet them, deselect them from your interview list. 
  2. Ask applicants to go above and beyond to reach the next stage of your recruitment process. This will vary from employer to employer and role to role. It could be an additional task, such as recording a video that explains why they are right for the role, that means they need to do more than simply send you their CV. The people who truly want to work for you will put in the most effort to show you this. 
The interview process: 
  1. Plan ahead in terms of dates, room availability, and getting other members of your team involved in interviewing. 
  2. Decide if your interview process will be one stage or two, or more. 
  3. Think about what the interviewees need to take to the interview with them and communicate that ahead of time. 
  4. Prepare questions prior to the interview to maximise your time with the prospect, and encourage them to share their experience with you. 
The onboarding process: 
  1. When will the new employee start? 
  2. What can you do to prepare for their arrival? 
  3. Have everything ready for day one – desk, computer, tools, uniform… whatever they need to feel included from day one. 
  4. Write out a plan for their first 4-6-8 weeks of employment with you, so that they know what is expected of them and have the best start at achieving it. 
  5. Schedule regular reviews with their team and line manager to address any teething issues. 
  6. Find out early on what they want to get out of the role, so that you can plan for their personal development and provide them with a road map for achieving it with you. 

 

Ask for what you want 

Job adverts often focus on the job. That sounds like an obvious statement, but is it the right way to speak to prospective employees? 

Think about focusing your job advert on the type of individual you want to fill the job, not the job itself.  

For example, if you are recruiting someone for a sales role, write a job advert about the type of personality best suited to the role. It could be that you need someone outgoing with good listening skills who can quickly establish relationships and build trust with ease. Make your job advert relatable on a personal level, and personable people will apply! Hiring doesn’t have to been lonesome, check out this huge list of Workable Resources for some example interview questions: Ask Better Interview Questions, Hire Better Candidates | Workable

 

If you want to recruit great staff, start with a great recruitment process and use every platform and opportunity to communicate exactly who you want, when you want them, and why they should come and work for you!