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RECRUITMENT
48
We recently conducted research that
suggests over 40% of businesses are
looking to increase staff numbers in
the coming year, with the number
one focus being on attracting top
talent. Competition for recruiting the
best talent is, therefore, at a peak.
Today’s employees are looking for more
than just a job. They want a career, yes, but
they also want an employer that can offer
them a good package whilst also looking
after their needs. If you can tap into the
psychological contract and offer both the
right culture and a great place to work,
then you’ll be putting yourself ahead of the
competition.
How do you do that? Well, whatever
the size of your organisation, there are
things that you can do. Here are the key
elements to pay attention to:
n
Your recruitment process is the
fundamental starting place:
It isn’t just
a question of you searching for candidates;
the recruitment process gives candidates
the opportunity to gauge whether yours
is the right company for them. Make sure
your interviewers give a good account and
impression of the business and answer
questions appropriately.
n
Train your managers in
interviewing skills:
There is an art to
asking the right questions and digging
deeper for appropriate examples of
experience. Get it wrong and you will
recruit people who can tell a good story. Be
too bullish and you run the risk of putting
the best candidates off, as they may not
want to work in an environment that they
perceive to be aggressive.
n
Ensure your processes for
induction are smooth:
They should
allow new recruits to get a good
understanding of the business so they can
work appropriately and represent your
brand to the fullest.
n
The culture you adopt is
fundamental:
No one likes working in a
dictatorship. Have the right people strategy
in place and key policies that make clear
how people are to be treated. Make sure
they are implemented effectively.
n
Work-life balance is the number
one motivator for employees:
Look at
the expectations you have as a business.
If there are peak times for workload, then
make sure you provide appropriate support.
n
Communication:
If you have
people working in the field, as well as in
offices, ensure you have communication
mechanisms in place to keep all people
informed.
n
Develop your leaders:
The leader-
subordinate relationship has been proven
in research to be one of the biggest causes
of pressure and stress. Develop your
leaders so they know how to engage with
staff in the right way.
n
One size does not fit all:
People have
different behavioural styles and different
preferences for how they work. Being able
Janice Haddon, Managing Director of Morgan Redwood and Thrive in Life 360,
has over 25 years’ experience in strategic HR and management consultancy.
Here, she outlines how to ensure your business attracts the top talent.
Are you
attracting the best?
to adapt to that is a key leadership quality
that will enable your managers to get the
best out of their teams.
n
Provide a clear vision for what
the company, department and team
are looking to achieve:
Without that,
employees are left floundering in the dark
with no clear purpose. We all like to know
where we are heading and what our role
is, and this needs to be communicated
clearly. Clarity has the added benefit of
making conversations easier when people
are not performing to expectations.
n
Provide support and development:
People perform to the best of their ability
when they are engaged, are clear about
their role and are confident they have the
right skill set to deliver. Provide support
and development to get employees
up to speed and help them to flourish
with continued encouragement and
acknowledgement of successes. If people
are dipping down in certain areas, help
them understand how to improve. The
purpose of Performance Improvement
Plans within disciplinary procedures is
fundamentally to help people improve –
they are not simply an exit strategy.
n
Make targets clear:
If you are
providing bonuses for achievement, make
the targets clear so people know what they
have to do. The important thing is to design
a reward strategy that has a benefit for the
whole organisation. Be careful not to pitch
one person or team against another.
Conclusion
In summary, get your culture right, have
strong leadership, implement a slick
recruitment process and put in place
appropriate people strategies with the
right level of employee engagement and
wellbeing.
If you get it right, your employees will
be your company’s best ambassadors.
They will genuinely be able to say that
your business is a great place to work,
enhancing your reputation and making it
more likely that top talent at every level
will want to come and work for you.
Get it wrong and you will be on a
rollercoaster of plugging gaps with a high
turnover rate and low performance.
If you are
providing
bonuses for
achievement,
make the
targets clear
so people
know what
they have
to do.
