Businesses have one thing in common: you want the best employees. It makes a lot of sense because the right employee can transform a business. After all, they do all the donkey work to help you move forward and succeed. So, by the same theory, a bad employee can do a lot of damage.
The problem that you will face is the amount of competition for candidates. Almost every business in your industry has the same recruitment tactic, so it’s hard to stand out from the crowd. But, stand out from the crowd you must if you are serious about hiring the best.
See, the tactic that works best is making the candidates come to you instead of the other way around. Then, you have the leverage over your competition. It is simple and beautiful at the same time, but it isn’t a piece of cake. Before they flock to you, they need assurances that you are the best fit. And, to do that, you have to offer them what no else is offering. Either that or you have to offer more.
Take a look at what it takes to make a candidate notice you from the rest.
Money
There is no point beating around the bush: employees want to make a lot of money. There is nothing wrong with it because it is human nature to want to provide, and potential employees are human. Other businesses will tell you that they don’t believe in high wages because it has negative effects, but they lie. If they could, they would the highest wages possible but they just can’t afford to as they have a budget. And, that is where you problem lies too. You only have a certain amount of money to spend and you can’t afford to go over budget. What you have to decide is whether you can find the money elsewhere.
It takes a lot of time and effort sifting through reams of data, yet it tends to work out in the end. The more money you make available, the more candidates will take notice.
Bonuses
Sometimes, the money isn’t there in terms of wages. That isn’t a problem though as long as you get creative. A great way to get creative is to offer your employees a competitive bonus scheme. Bonuses make up for lost wages and also act as a way to increase productivity. What’s that I hear you say? Where is the money going to come from? Well, the good thing about bonuses is that they can come out of your revenue. So, as long as you set them as targets that they have to hit, they won’t cost you a penny in real terms. Actually, you will stand to make money. A good bonus is one that seems like a lot of money, but don’t go overboard because bonuses are an annual thing.
Strong Benefits
Money is a big deal, and rightly so because it makes the world spin. Still, it isn’t the only thing that candidates will consider when they view the job role. Of course they want a good salary, but they also want added benefits. Benefits are just as important in terms of retention because they can be hard to find elsewhere.
Take health care as an example. Some businesses offer health insurance inclusive with the job, and that makes people take notice. Okay, you might be able to get healthcare for cheap or for free, but the private sector offers a better service. If health care isn’t your thing, think about what makes people tick. For example, lots of people have a long commute to work, but it wouldn’t be as long if they had a car. Your business, therefore, might consider offering the right candidate a company car. Take a look at the people you want and think about their extracurricular needs.
Recruitment SEO
A recruitment agency is probably one of the best ways to attract the right talent. After all, all you have to do is hire the right agency and they will have them knocking down your door. Well, they will in theory. Just like recruitment, recruitment agencies have a lot of competition in their industry. So, to pick the right one, you have to look for indicators that they can get the job done. This is where SEO comes into play.
Recruitment SEO is where an agency hires a firm like Recruitment Traffic to push the company. If the firm in charge of SEO does a good job, your agency will attract more candidates and more potential for quality. Nowadays, agencies have to use everything at their disposal to stand out, so ask them about their strategy before you make a decision. The other option is a headhunting firm. Headhunters seek out people in position to offer them a better one. It is an effective tactic as long as the role is more lucrative and you can afford the price.
Competitive Work
The job role should always focus on the work as well as the financial benefits. After all, the candidates have to do the job so they should enjoy it, right? Well, that is what the employees think anyway. For most people, working a job that they can’t stand just for the money is soul destroying.
The ideal job is one that provides a good work ethic with money and benefits. But, if you don’t have the work to go with the money, you won’t attract the right people. In fact, some of the best talent will swap a well paid job for a slightly lesser one if they enjoy it more. Your job, then, is to spread the word that you can offer the biggest challenges in the industry.
The final thing to keep in mind is the hiring process. It is in your interests and theirs to keep the process as short as possible. Once you have the right person, you need to secure their services as quickly as possible. Otherwise, someone else might turn their head. Or, they might get frustrated with having to wait for the deal to go through. Regardless, you don’t want to let them slip through your hands.
Do the above and the best talent will come to you instead of you to them.
This post really opened my eyes to new perspectives. Thanks for such an informative and well-written article.