To gain a deeper understanding of these critical issues, we turned to Alex and Andrew Geesbreght, founders of PRAX Leadership.

What’s their take on a series of contemporary leadership challenges, and what can you do to save the day? Let’s delve into it.

1. Conflict resolution: finding the root cause

One of the most significant obstacles organizations face when dealing with difficult conversations and conflict resolution is identifying and addressing the root cause of the issue. 

Alex Geesbreght emphasizes this point, stating, “The most productive way to resolve a conflict is for all parties to first find and agree upon the root cause of the conflict, itself. Likewise, the most effective way to prevent these conflicts from happening in the first place is to understand what causes them.”

He further elaborates on the importance of seeing conflicts as symptoms of underlying issues.

“Unfortunately, conflict is often seen and described as the issue itself. 

“These truths, which are often hidden and uncomfortable for organizations to search for, are the most common obstacles that organizations face when dealing with difficult conversations and conflict resolution.”

Alex illustrates this concept with an example of a conflict between a lazy supervisor and a hard-working subordinate. He describes how the tension and lack of effective communication manifest as symptoms, such as the employee feeling like she “can’t talk to her boss” and the supervisor feeling like the employee doesn’t “respect his authority.”

However, he points out that these are merely distractions from the real issue: the employee’s competence threatening the insecure supervisor.

“The reality is that the employee’s go-get-’em attitude and competence is a threat and mirror into the insecure supervisor. Until these hard truths are examined and corrected (the right people in the right places), symptomatic, unresolvable problems will persist.” 

He emphasizes that until the actual root of an issue is discovered and resolved, conflict will continue to arise.

2. Emotional intelligence: the key to effective leadership

Emotional intelligence is a crucial factor in effective leadership and employee performance. Alex Geesbreght underscores its significance. 

“Not to be glib, but emotional intelligence is kind of everything – at least everything that isn’t self-evident. At a CPA firm, someone can either add or not. Technical skills are rarely the basis of contention, miscommunication, and conflict. 

“Whether internal or external to a business, all interactions involve some degree of a relationship between or among people. It is often not what we say or do that others take issue with, but rather how and the motivations behind the same.”

Alex highlights the impact of emotional intelligence on employee retention and promotion, citing, “89% of promotable leaders who leave their jobs do so because of either their loss of faith in the direction of the company (culture) or the soft-skill deficits of those ‘above’ them. In both cases, the problem is a human one – one that would improve with a higher level of emotional intelligence.”

To foster the development of emotional intelligence within an organization, Alex suggests starting at the top, with leaders setting a clear expectation of honest, candid, and kind communication. 

He introduces the concept of “professional love,” explaining, “Kind does not mean soft. I refer to it as the practice of professional love, and it can, over time, be infectious within an organization, much as personal love is within a family structure. 

“I refer to it as the practice of professional love, and it can, over time, be infectious within an organization.”

Alex Geesbreght

“With those you personally love, you care for them enough to risk offending them in the short term. However, because of the relationship, they know that you are motivated out of what is truly best for them – not out of some need you have to make them feel badly.”

Alex believes that when a workforce operates in an environment that promotes constructive, firm, and well-motivated communication, the health of the organization improves drastically. 

3. Establishing a culture of accountability

Holding employees accountable for their performance and actions is a common leadership challenge that organizations face. 

However, Andrew Geesbreght argues that the issue often lies with leadership, specifically in terms of organizational design and performance measurement. 

“Leaders don’t control employees, but since this is often the ‘goal’ leaders become frustrated and blame employees for accountability.”

“Leaders don’t control employees, but since this is often the ‘goal’ leaders become frustrated and blame employees for accountability.”

Andrew Geesbreght

Andrew highlights common mistakes in organizational design, such as having too many direct reports and poor role definition. 

He explains, “A few common mistakes in organizational design are too many direct reports and poor role definition. Addressing just these two areas fixes a large percentage of the problems companies experience in performance. 

“People require attention from their boss and if a leader has 17 direct reports there just isn’t enough time to give quality resources to the people doing the work.”

He also emphasizes the importance of giving individuals an “ownership” lens rather than just a set of activities, 

“This means an individual understands what they are responsible for instead of just a set of activities. This type of design promotes engagement and mastery and far better performance. It’s the difference between doing the dishes and keeping a clean kitchen. The first is something I do and the other is the outcome I am wanting.”

Andrew believes that effective performance initiatives must begin with organizational design; otherwise, practices will ultimately suffer. He believes it is the responsibility of leadership to assess this before addressing an employee’s accountability.

4. Critical leadership skills for navigating change

As the business landscape continues to evolve, leaders need to develop critical skills to navigate change and drive organizational success to avoid leadership challenges. 

Andrew Geesbreght states that technical abilities rarely drive leadership performance.

“Rarely have I seen a person’s technical abilities drive leadership performance. For instance, If you run a large healthcare organization, your abilities as a physician aren’t likely to be the reason the organization thrives. 

“Sports has experienced this phenomenon over and over, as the best players rarely make the best coaches or even general managers.”

“The best players rarely make the best coaches or even general managers.“

Andrew Geesbreght

Instead, Andrew puts the emphasis on the importance of soft skills, such as emotional intelligence, creative thinking, and transformational leadership. 

“Research has confirmed this notion as well, noting that a person’s soft skill deficits are the primary reason an individual fails to advance in an organization.”

Andrew stresses the significance of self-leadership, stating, “PRAX believes these skills must begin at the self leadership level, meaning in order for a person to be effective leading others, they must be able to lead themselves. 

“Although this concept is largely accepted in principle, I see this reality dismissed in practice because truly working on yourself requires humility, effort, and an ability to take responsibility for performance before blaming others – all of which are not natural.”

He asserts that as business evolves and becomes increasingly reliant on technology, leading people through high-level self-leadership principles will become a key differentiator between average and top performers.

5. Supporting employee development and growth

Supporting employee development is crucial for fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth within an organization. 

Andrew Geesbreght stresses the crucial nature of giving attention to employees.

 “This may seem quite obvious, but you might be surprised how often this is news to leaders. Here is how you know you are paying attention to them. First, you are spending money to help them develop them. 

While it is normal to feel constrained by budget limitations when it comes to employee development, one should not claim that employee growth is highly important if the spending does not reflect this priority. 

He suggests that corporate spending, much like personal spending, reflects what is truly valued: “We spend our corporate dollars (just like our personal dollars) on things we value, period.”

Additionally, he underscores the importance of both formal and informal interactions with staff, explaining that this means “time together on a project and time together when performance isn’t the focus.” 

According to Andrew, fostering a sense of connection involves engaging in activities together both “when it matters and when it doesn’t.”

Moreover, he stresses the necessity of regularly evaluating the effectiveness of employee development programs.

He notes that when organizations demand quantifiable results for these programs, he often responds by suggesting the use of the same methods they use to evaluate their internal programs, which typically leads to “silence.”

Andrew acknowledges that employee development is not a core competence of most organizations, and it’s easy to neglect updating efforts in this area. 

He explains, “Over time, organizations get new leaders, new decisions are made, and a mix of legacy programs converge into a patchworked employee development system that doesn’t track budgets or effectiveness. 

“The new HR leader doesn’t like what the last guy implemented, but the organization committed to a 5 year deal so they just have to live with it. Or ‘we used to do staff meetings and regular rounding, but it got too cumbersome’. 

“These scenarios are very common because employee development is NOT a core competence of most organizations. Which is absolutely normal.”

“Employee development is NOT a core competence of most organizations. Which is absolutely normal.”

Andrew Geesbreght

He concludes that large organizations typically maintain a combination of internal programs aimed at supporting growth, along with external vendors who supplement these efforts. 

Andrew stresses the importance of continually updating these initiatives, noting that while it may be easy to neglect, it is necessary. He believes that remaining vigilant with employee development systems is crucial to preventing waste in an area that significantly impacts culture and engagement.

The valuable insights and strategies shared by Alex and Andrew Geesbreght provide a roadmap for navigating the complex challenges faced by leaders in today’s dynamic business landscape. 

As leaders, it’s crucial to reflect on our own practices and take proactive steps to implement these strategies within our organizations. 

By fostering a culture of continuous learning, growth, and accountability, we can effectively navigate the challenges ahead and achieve sustainable success.

The post Your roadmap to deal with leadership challenges appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Our fully remote team, scattered across Canada, provides Canadians with accurate, honest, and helpful information about credit cards, spending money, and saving money.

As an organization that’s seen significant growth over the past few years, WeyMedia has experienced its fair share of recruitment headaches. We finally turned to Workable in August of 2021 as a solution to the hiring challenges we’ve faced and we’ve never looked back. 

Our hiring efforts have increased considerably over the past six months, and this wouldn’t be possible without the cohesion and simplicity that Workable provides.

Collaboration is key

Our company is organized into five teams—content, growth, development, marketing, and administration—that work very closely together. Each has a narrow focus but requires regular input from one or more of the other teams, creating a well-oiled, cohesive team out of the smaller groups. 

This kind of seamless integration of people means that members of various teams communicate regularly and form both professional and personal relationships as a result. 

Because of these interdepartmental working relationships, a new employee may be hired to work on a specific team but will still work closely with members of other teams. 

Hiring is a collective effort

Therefore, it’s important to consider the needs of related teams during the hiring process avoiding recruitment headaches.

To help with this, WeyMedia involves multiple team members in the interview process. It’s not just the hiring manager—other team members also participate in the interview panel.  

Things can get confusing when ambitious growth goals combine with a large hiring committee. 

WeyMedia has a fairly complex hiring process that involves multiple interviews, personality assessments, skills tests, reference checks, and more. 

WeyMedia’s HR toolkit

Workable has made it exponentially easier for every person on the hiring project to check who the candidates are, where they are in the process, what the results of their assessments were, and more. 

We’ve integrated our Gmail account with Workable, too, which creates a seamless line of communications. We can reply from within the Workable platform or directly from our shared inbox, and all correspondence is recorded.

The current WeyMedia team has reached 22 employees, but we intend to fill at least 10 more positions within the next 6 months. 

This an ambitious goal but we have full confidence that it will be reached, thanks in large part to the efficiency of Workable. 

Hiring challenges

Initially, application links could be found on the WeyMedia website and resumes were sent directly to the admin’s email account. 

This caused significant backlogs and made it tricky to find and sift through the applications. 

There was often confusion among staff members as to which stage a candidate was in and who still required a reply. Now that we use Workable, we receive applications directly in the platform and can easily move candidates from one stage to the next.

As our small but mighty recruitment team manages multiple roles at once, having everything in one place within Workable’s organized platform makes juggling these roles and candidates much easier. 

In fact, the numerous stages in Workable have been customized to our unique vetting process. 

Considering our bold goals for growth over the next few months, this kind of convenience and simplicity is necessary characteristics for a hiring platform.

Our hiring process is perhaps lengthier than some candidates are used to, but our thoroughness ensures that we hire the best possible candidate for the position avoiding recruitment headaches. 

Workable helps ensure that we choose someone with the skills we need, who can quickly make a notable impact, and who will enhance our workplace culture.

The post WeyMedia: insights on mitigating recruitment headaches appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

However, the latest reports indicate a shift in what employees value the most. Let’s discover it together.

The growing demand for pay transparency

The conversation around pay transparency is not new, but its importance and the demand for it among employees have surged to unprecedented levels. 

A report by Visier paints a telling picture: 79% of surveyed employees express a desire for some form of pay transparency, with a notable 32% seeking total transparency where all employee salaries are publicized. 

This growing trend is not isolated to a specific demographic; it spans across generations, with GenZ employees at the forefront, advocating for a transparent approach to compensation as a means to build trust and foster a fair workplace environment.

This demand for transparency is deeply intertwined with the notion of equity and fairness within the workplace. Employees believe that open discussions around pay can lead to more equitable compensation practices, effectively addressing disparities and biases that have long plagued salary negotiations. 

Moreover, the willingness of 68% of employees to switch employers for greater transparency—without an accompanying increase in compensation—signals a profound shift in workplace values. 

However, this demand for transparency represents more than just a desire for open disclosure of salaries; it reflects a deeper quest for respect and acknowledgment in the workplace. 

The implications of this shift are far-reaching for employers. In an era where talent retention is as crucial as talent acquisition, the ability to offer transparency becomes a competitive advantage. 

It’s a clear message to current and potential employees that an organization is committed to fairness, equity, and open communication. However, as the data will reveal, pay transparency, while highly valued, is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent. 

The emerging workforce priorities suggest a broader definition of what constitutes a desirable employer, with benefits and perks increasingly taking center stage.

Related: A chat about salary transparency: the shift towards open discussion

The shift towards benefits over pay raises

A pivotal shift is underway in the landscape of employee compensation preferences. According to a survey conducted by Glassdoor and cited by HRD America, an overwhelming 80% of employees would choose additional benefits over a pay raise. 

This staggering figure highlights a crucial trend: while salaries are important, the value placed on non-monetary compensation is growing significantly. 

This shift underscores the evolving definition of what it means to be adequately compensated in today’s workforce.

The changing preferences can be partly attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has reshaped many aspects of the workplace, including benefits offerings. 

Insights from Robert Half reveal that organizations have been prompted to revise their benefits, with a notable pivot towards health coverage and work-life balance enhancements. 

This adjustment reflects a broader understanding that, beyond the paycheck, employees are seeking support in navigating the complexities of modern life. 

Health insurance, flexible work schedules, and mental wellness initiatives have emerged as top priorities for employees, signaling a shift towards a holistic view of compensation that prioritizes quality of life.

This reevaluation of benefits versus salary increases is not merely a response to global crises but a reflection of deeper societal changes. 

Employees are seeking benefits that address their specific life circumstances, such as child care support, elder care assistance, and mental health services. 

These benefits, often seen as perks, play a significant role in an individual’s decision to join or stay with an employer, highlighting the competitive edge that a comprehensive benefits package can provide.

Comprehensive benefits as a competitive edge

The strategic importance of offering a comprehensive benefits package cannot be overstated. 

Data from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in its Employee Benefits Survey illustrates how organizations are adapting their offerings in response to global challenges and evolving employee expectations. 

The inclusion of new, diverse benefits reflects an awareness of the need to support employees not just financially but in their overall well-being and life satisfaction.

Moreover, the PwC Employee Financial Wellness Survey sheds light on the rising financial stress among employees, exacerbated by inflation and economic uncertainty. 

An astonishing 60% of full-time employees report being stressed about their finances, with this concern spanning across income levels. This financial stress not only affects their personal lives but also their productivity and engagement at work. 

By offering resources such as financial wellness programs and coaching, employers can play a pivotal role in alleviating this stress, thereby enhancing employee satisfaction and retention.

The Aon Benefits and Trends Survey further emphasizes the changing landscape of employee expectations, particularly regarding their work experience and well-being. 

With 93% of companies acknowledging these evolving expectations and 95% recognizing their responsibility towards employee health and well-being, it’s clear that the bar has been raised. 

Yet, 67% of employers feel they are falling short in supporting financial well-being and pensions through effective communication, pointing to an area ripe for improvement.

The emphasis on benefits over salary and the role of comprehensive benefits packages as a competitive edge highlights a critical shift in workplace dynamics. 

Avoid quiet quitting with pay transparency and benefits

The State of the Global Marketplace report by Gallup provides a window into the broad spectrum of employee preferences, which extend far beyond base salary considerations. 

With 28% of feedback related to pay and benefits, employees are vocalizing their need for fair compensation, but they are equally emphatic about the importance of benefits like transport cost vouchers, access to quality childcare, and health and wellness support.

The report also ties these preferences back to the larger picture of employee engagement and retention. 

In an era marked by phenomena like “quiet quitting,” where disengagement manifests in minimal effort, the suggestions for workplace improvements often revolve around better engagement practices, culture enhancements, and, significantly, improvements in pay and benefits.

The value of benefits and perks cannot be understated. They offer a sense of security, demonstrate an employer’s investment in their employees’ health and happiness, and foster a positive workplace culture that values individual needs.

The effectiveness of these benefits, however, hinges on communication. Employees must be made aware of the benefits available to them and understand their value. This understanding fosters appreciation and loyalty, making employees more likely to stay with an employer who they feel genuinely cares for their well-being.

Strategic recommendations for employers and HR professionals

As the landscape of employee expectations continues to evolve, employers must adapt their strategies to remain competitive. Here are several recommendations:

Continually assess and adapt benefits offerings: Stay abreast of changing employee needs and industry trends to ensure that your benefits package remains relevant and competitive.

Enhance transparency and communication: Clearly communicate the full scope and value of the benefits package offered to employees. Consider regular information sessions and accessible resources that help employees make the most of their benefits.

Focus on holistic well-being: Expand the concept of benefits beyond traditional offerings to include initiatives that support mental health, financial wellness, and work-life balance.

Solicit employee feedback: Engage employees in discussions about benefits and compensation to ensure their needs and preferences are being met. This can also highlight areas for improvement that may not have been previously considered.

Embrace flexibility: Flexible work arrangements are highly valued by today’s workforce. Incorporate flexibility into your benefits package, whether through remote work options, flexible hours, or compressed workweeks.

Employers who recognize and adapt to these evolving preferences will not only enhance their competitive edge in the talent market but also foster a workforce that is engaged, satisfied, and loyal.

HR professionals, what will be your next move?

The post People aren’t so interested in pay transparency; they only need this appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Labor market dynamics and employer-employee power shift

The dynamics of the labor market are undergoing a significant transformation, influenced in part by the cooling labor market. As reported by ABC News, some of Australia’s largest employers are leveraging performance bonuses to entice staff back to the office, indicating a shift in the balance of power towards employers.

This trend is mirrored globally, with companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon mandating office attendance for at least three days a week and tying compliance to performance reviews.

The decline in employment numbers, such as the 65,100 drop in Australia in December as reported by Investing, suggests a cooling labor market that could further empower employers in the work-from-home equation.

For HR professionals, this shift necessitates a strategic approach to employee engagement and retention. It’s crucial to balance the enforcement of RTO policies with the maintenance of a positive work culture and employee satisfaction.

This balancing act involves not only crafting policies that reflect the company’s operational needs but also addressing employee preferences for flexibility and autonomy.

More on return-to-office strategy:

WebMD’s RTO video: it’s mega cringe, but reflects today’s reality

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How can AI support your RTO efforts? Check our strategy

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Dell’s remote work ultimatum: is it the right decision?

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Remote turned to hybrid and that works

Hybrid work, a concept that marries remote and in-office work, has swiftly transitioned from a temporary measure to a mainstay in corporate strategy.

The hybrid work ‘agreement’, if we can call it that, seems to be the middle ground, as Workable predicted in a report back in 2022.

However, Resumebuilder report highlights that an overwhelming majority, approximately nine in ten companies with office space, are set to have employees return to the office by the end of 2024. 51% of them have already achieved that at the moment. 

Yet, this return is far from a straightforward revival of pre-pandemic norms. This shift is not merely a top-down directive but reflects a broader consensus on work preferences. 

A survey by Bankrate, involving over 2,000 adults in the U.S., reveals that around 68% of full-time workers are in favor of a hybrid schedule, which allows for at least one remote workday per week. 

This model strikes a harmonious balance, merging the collaborative benefits of office presence with the flexibility and autonomy afforded by remote work. 

For HR practitioners, this trend underscores a clear mandate: the workplace of the future must be adaptable, catering to both the individual preferences of employees and the overarching goals of the organization. 

It suggests a move towards creating environments that not only enhance productivity and engagement but also prioritize employee well-being.

Regional variations in office recovery

The journey back to the office is far from uniform, with significant disparities in recovery rates across regions. 

Insights from Placer.ai’s December 2023 Office Index shed light on these variations. New York City, for instance, showcased a promising year-over-four-year visit gap of just 19.2% in December 2023, a testament to its robust recovery. 

In stark contrast, San Francisco reported a visit gap of 53.1%, underscoring the challenges some regions face in rebounding to pre-pandemic office visitation levels.

These discrepancies underscore the impact of localized factors — from the composition of industries and public health directives to the sentiments of the workforce — on the implementation and success of RTO strategies. 

For HR leaders, this emphasizes the need for policies that are not only flexible but also attuned to the specific contexts and needs of their workforce. 

Tailoring RTO approaches to accommodate these regional dynamics can significantly enhance an organization’s ability to navigate the complexities of a post-pandemic recovery, ensuring that strategies are both effective and empathetic to employee concerns.

Employer strategies for encouraging office returns

From performance bonuses to the integration of office attendance into performance evaluations, employers are adopting more structured approaches to manage hybrid work models. 

CNBC reports that nearly 30% of companies have stated they would consider termination for employees who resist compliance with in-office requirements, highlighting the tension between operational needs and employee preferences for flexibility.

Remember the video of WebMD? Check more about it here.

As you can see, there are right ways and wrong ways to encourage RTO. For HR professionals, devising these policies is a balancing act. It involves aligning organizational objectives with employee well-being and preferences, ensuring that the workplace remains a space of productivity and collaboration – without compromising on the flexibility that has become a hallmark of the modern work environment.

Productivity and engagement concerns

The debate over the impact of remote work on productivity and engagement remains unresolved, with data presenting a mixed picture. Yahoo Finance highlights that employee productivity in the U.S. saw fluctuations, with a notable increase in 2020 and 2021, followed by a dip and then a rise again in 2023. These variations suggest that the effectiveness of remote versus in-office work is contingent on several factors, including job nature, company culture, and individual preferences.

The transition to hybrid work models has further complicated this debate. While some argue that remote work enhances productivity by reducing commute times and allowing for a more flexible work-life balance, others contend that it can diminish team cohesion and impede spontaneous collaboration.

For HR departments, navigating these concerns requires a nuanced understanding of the factors that drive productivity and engagement within their specific organizational context.

Implementing regular feedback mechanisms, fostering a culture of trust, and providing the tools and resources necessary for effective remote and in-office work are essential strategies in this regard.

How big companies deal with RTO

Different organizations have taken varied approaches to the post-pandemic work environment, ranging from strict office-first strategies to more flexible hybrid models. Here’s how some of the world’s leading companies are adapting:

Office-first strategy

Goldman Sachs: Under the leadership of CEO David Solomon, Goldman Sachs has taken a firm stance on the importance of in-person work, particularly for its collaborative and apprenticeship-driven culture. 

In March 2022, Solomon mandated a return to the office five days a week for all employees. He has been vocal about his belief that remote working does not align with the company’s ethos of innovation and collaboration, emphasizing the need for an office-first approach to maintain the firm’s dynamic work environment.

Hybrid approach

Adobe: In June 2021, Adobe announced a shift towards a hybrid work model, allowing employees to divide their time between home and the office. Chief People Officer Gloria Chen highlighted the model’s flexibility, designed to support significant in-person and virtual collaboration. 

This approach aims to balance the benefits of physical presence with the convenience of remote work, ensuring that employees gather for critical moments and maintain productivity and creativity.

Airbnb: CEO Brian Chesky’s announcement in May 2022 marked a significant departure from traditional work models, allowing employees to work from anywhere in the world without affecting their salary. 

This policy enables staff to relocate from high-cost areas to more affordable locations, a stark contrast to companies that adjust salaries based on geographic cost-of-living differences. Airbnb’s approach reflects a commitment to flexibility and employee well-being, acknowledging the diverse needs and preferences of its workforce.

Amazon: Initially, Amazon introduced a hybrid work model permitting employees to work remotely two days a week. 

However, in a pivot in February 2023, CEO Andy Jassy announced a new expectation for employees to be present at Amazon’s headquarters at least three days a week. 

This adjustment aims to enhance communication, collaboration, and innovation by fostering more consistent in-person interactions among team members.

Apple: Apple’s approach to hybrid work, announced by CEO Tim Cook in June 2021, requires employees to be in the office three days a week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday). 

Despite facing some resistance and calls for greater flexibility from its workforce, Apple has upheld this policy. The company believes that this model best supports its goals for in-person collaboration, which is seen as essential for creativity and team cohesion.

Challenges and opportunities for HR in the hybrid era

The transition to hybrid work models presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities for HR professionals. 

As the architects of the workplace’s future, HR has a pivotal role in crafting policies that support both organizational objectives and employee well-being. 

This involves not only navigating the logistical complexities of hybrid work arrangements but also addressing the cultural shifts that accompany this transition.

One of the primary challenges is maintaining a cohesive company culture in a dispersed work environment. HR must innovate to create shared experiences and foster a sense of belonging among remote and in-office employees alike. 

This might involve leveraging technology to facilitate virtual team-building activities or reimagining office spaces to encourage collaboration when employees are on-site.

Another significant challenge is ensuring equity and fairness in opportunities and evaluations for remote and in-office employees. HR must develop clear guidelines and metrics for performance assessment that recognize the contributions of all employees, regardless of their physical work location.

On the opportunity side, the hybrid model offers HR the chance to redesign work in a way that prioritizes employee flexibility, autonomy, and work-life balance. This can lead to increased job satisfaction, reduced turnover, and a more attractive employer brand.

The post Dell’s remote work ultimatum: is it the right decision? appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

This growth wasn’t just about numbers, it was about continuously pushing the boundaries of creativity and technology. However, with growth comes the challenge of scaling our team effectively. 

The talent attraction challenge

Joining CTW in the midst of a boom was a wake-up call to the need for a structured hiring process. The transition from managing a few titles per year to handling an ambitious pipeline required a rapid scale-up in talent across various roles. 

The lack of structured hiring practices was a significant hurdle, leading to uncertainty and slow decision-making. As the company aimed for the stars, it was clear we needed a solid foundation from which to launch our talent acquisition efforts.

Adopting a strategic talent acquisition process

When I joined CTW, the recruitment process was intuitive but unsystematic, a reflection of our startup roots but inadequate for our expanding needs. 

1. Approaching the definition of talent in a new way

To address this, I proposed a holistic talent definition framework, emphasizing motivation, behavioral competencies, skill competencies, and cognitive abilities. 

This wasn’t just about identifying the right skills but also about understanding how a candidate’s motivation and cognitive style would fit within the fast-paced, innovative culture of CTW.

2. Implementing structured interviews

We transformed our interview process, incorporating structured techniques to assess candidates against these new, comprehensive criteria. 

Instead of generic interviews, we implemented scenario-based questions and practical tasks that provided insight into how candidates solved problems, adapted to new information, and worked within a team. 

This approach allowed us to gauge not just what they could do, but how they thought, collaborated, and could potentially innovate within their roles.

3. Making the right decisions, faster

Additionally, we recognized the importance of speed and agility in decision-making. 

We streamlined our approval process, enabling team leaders to make quicker, more autonomous hiring decisions aligned with the defined competencies. 

This shift significantly reduced our time-to-hire, a crucial factor in a competitive talent market.

4. Training our hiring managers

To ensure consistency and fairness, we also introduced regular calibration sessions where hiring managers could align on what excellence looked like for different roles. 

This practice helped in maintaining a high standard across the board and fostered a shared understanding of what success looked like at CTW.

This change in recruitment was not just about filling positions more efficiently; it was about building the foundation of a workforce that could carry CTW’s vision forward. 

It was a shift from a reactive hiring approach to a strategic talent acquisition process, one that aligned closely with our long-term goals and cultural values.

Engaging with tech and student communities

After establishing a completely new approach in our hiring process, we needed to enhance our initiatives to attract new talent from the tech and student communities. 

In our quest for talent, we recognized the importance of proactive engagement with the communities where potential candidates thrived. 

Our strategy was multifaceted, reaching out through various platforms tailored to different segments, from WeChat for Chinese-speaking candidates to LinkedIn for a global audience. 

We established a regular presence at webinars, offline meetups, and organized office tours to showcase our culture. 

These initiatives were not just about filling current vacancies but about building a pipeline of future talent by embedding ourselves in the ecosystems of potential hires.

Nurturing early-career talent

CTW has dedicated substantial efforts to nurturing early-career individuals, particularly those with a technical focus. 

We’ve established strong relationships with universities and educational institutions. This isn’t about one-off career fairs, it’s about sustained interaction through seminars, workshops, and guest lectures where we don’t just talk about CTW but engage in broader discussions about the tech industry, emerging trends, and real-world applications. 

We position ourselves as a source of knowledge and inspiration, not just potential employers.

In these sessions, I personally take time to focus on the nuances of tech roles and the job market, sharing insights that are valuable regardless of whether students choose to apply to CTW.

This approach has helped us build trust and rapport with the early-career community, positioning CTW as a company that truly cares about their development.

Our referral program is particularly innovative. It’s not just about incentivizing our employees to recommend potential candidates; it’s about creating a community of advocates for CTW.

We offer substantial rewards for successful placements, but it’s more than that – it’s about acknowledging the value of a strong internal network and the quality of hires it can bring. 

We’ve found that early-career individuals are more likely to trust and be attracted to companies recommended by their peers or mentors.

Moreover, I’ve made it a point to keep in touch with many individuals I’ve met, from interns to young professionals. 

These relationships often provide continuous feedback and insights, not just about CTW’s perception in the market but also about evolving expectations and desires of young talent. 

This has been invaluable in shaping not just our recruitment strategies but our broader company policies and culture.

Internally, we’ve fostered a culture where young talent is encouraged to take initiative and drive change. We don’t just provide a job; we offer a path to growth, learning, and impact. 

By involving them in significant projects and providing clear paths for advancement, we ensure that early-career professionals feel valued and invested in our mutual success.

Adopting cutting-edge technology in recruitment

Adopting Workable as our Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) tool was a game-changer. 

This platform allowed us to streamline our entire recruitment process, from sourcing to offering. 

The integrated job boards brought a diverse array of candidates, while features like scheduler and communication tracking ensured that every stakeholder was informed and engaged throughout the hiring process. 

The ability to analyze candidate motivation, salary expectations, and interview feedback in one place significantly reduced our lead time for making offers. 

Moreover, Workable’s reporting and analytics capabilities provided us with valuable insights, helping us continually refine our strategies and improve outcomes.

Measuring success and continuous improvement

The impact of our recruitment strategy was measurable and significant. We saw a dynamic increase in the number and quality of candidates, a reduction in time-to-hire, and a boost in team satisfaction with the recruitment process. 

Our efforts paid off, with CTW outperforming external recruiters and becoming a recognized name among potential candidates. 

However, we didn’t stop there. We established a feedback loop, regularly reviewing our processes, and incorporating insights from candidates, new hires, and hiring managers. 

This culture of continuous improvement ensures that our recruitment strategies evolve in line with our growth and the changing dynamics of the job market.

Our commitment is to stay ahead, continuously seeking out and nurturing the brightest minds. 

Nobu Sato is an HR professional and recruitment expert in Japan. With over 10 years of experience in HR and project management, he has worked with multiple corporations across different industries and regions. In addition to the game industry, he also have experience in internet, logistics, and robotics. He is proud to lead the CTW Talent Acquisition team, which was a finalist for The Best Talent Acquisition Team in Japan 2022.

The post CTW: Attracting talent through tech and student communities appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

In this blog post, I’ll share the journey of how I spearheaded a remarkable 685% growth in LYTT’s LinkedIn followers over the course of three years.

The secret? A strategic combination of personal updates, curated company content, and the powerful automation tools provided by Workable.

Building a foundation: personal updates

The journey began by recognizing the power of personal connection on LinkedIn. Instead of solely relying on corporate updates, I decided to infuse a personal touch into the content strategy.

Regular personal updates allowed me to humanize LYTT’s brand, making it relatable and approachable. By sharing my professional insights, industry experiences, and even behind-the-scenes glimpses of the LYTT team, I established a genuine connection with the audience.

Showcasing company culture: LYTT’s content

Consistent and relevant content is the backbone of any successful social media strategy. At LYTT, we recognized the importance of showcasing our company culture and values. Regularly posting content that highlighted our team’s achievements, workplace events, and industry expertise not only kept our current followers engaged but also attracted new ones.

This approach positioned LYTT as an industry thought leader and a desirable workplace, enticing professionals to become a part of our growing LinkedIn community.

Harnessing Workable’s automated emails

Workable’s suite of automated email tools became a game-changer in our pursuit of LinkedIn growth. After successfully attracting potential candidates through our job listings on Workable, we implemented automated email campaigns encouraging them to connect with LYTT on LinkedIn.

These personalized emails not only facilitated easy navigation to our LinkedIn page but also conveyed the value of staying updated on industry trends and career opportunities.

The seamless integration between Workable and LinkedIn streamlined our outreach efforts and maximized the chances of converting potential hires into engaged followers.

The results: A 685% growth in 3 years

The combined impact of personal updates, curated content, and Workable’s automated email campaigns resulted in an astounding 685% growth in LYTT’s LinkedIn followers over a span of three years.

Beyond the numerical success, this growth translated into tangible benefits for LYTT, including an expanded talent pool, increased brand awareness, and enhanced credibility in the industry.

Key takeaways

1. Personalization pays off

Humanizing your brand through personal updates fosters a deeper connection with your audience.

2. Content is king

Consistent and relevant content showcases your company culture, positioning your brand as a leader in the industry.

3. Automation amplifies results

Leveraging tools like Workable’s automated emails can significantly enhance your outreach efforts, turning potential hires into active followers.

Strategy leads to prominence

In conclusion, the journey of growing LYTT’s LinkedIn followers by 685% was a testament to the power of a well-rounded social media strategy.

By combining personalization, compelling content, and the efficiency of automation tools, we not only increased our follower count but also solidified LYTT’s position as a prominent player in the talent acquisition landscape.

Sam Merron is LYTT’s Talent Acquisition Manager. He has a proven track record of success managing end-to-end talent acquisition processes, fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and executing impactful HR projects, with 15 years experience in international hiring, project management, and building strong employer brands.

LYTT is a technology company transforming customer decision making by providing software to turn contextual sensing data into real-time insights, driving increased asset performance. LYTT’s new Industrial AI Platform is designed to help businesses in the energy and utilities sectors generate smarter insights, accelerate operational value, and monetize sensor data.

The post LYTT: A sevenfold increase in LinkedIn followers over 3 years appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

PR disasters aren’t just a PR or a marketing problem, they are a company problem. They are delicate and time-sensitive situations that need to be dealt with quickly, and your team member’s contribution to their mitigation and resolution is a reflection on your company as a whole.

HR teams play an important part here, in making sure that the fallout caused by PR crises is kept to a minimum. HR teams bridge the communication between leadership and the rest of the team when the ship is going through troubled waters.

When the headlines start getting nasty and people on TikTok start pointing fingers, HR teams help people not to panic, while the

PR team helps the company to save face and address any wrong-doing, real or perceived.

When things go south, ChatGPT can be a real asset for HR professionals who are scrambling to make sure their team stays calm and doesn’t freak out.

With it, HR teams can help relay important and time-sensitive information to the people who need it, analyze what teams need what support, distribute resources, and provide empathetic responses during times of uncertainty and stress.

This guide will offer tips and advice on how HR teams can use ChatGPT for crisis management, with examples and prompts.

The role of HR in crisis management

As the HR team, it is your job to help make sure that your organization is prepared for times of trouble. When things are turbulent, it is up to you and the rest of your HR team to make sure communication remains open, that core business processes and departments remain operational, and that things slowly but surely return to normal.

Read more: Crisis management in the workplace: the role of HR

Here are some of the responsibilities you and your teammates in HR will face when the company faces a crisis.

1. Planning and preparedness

One of your most important duties is the creation of a Crisis Management Plan (CMP). This plan outlines the protocols and procedures for different worst-case scenarios, including data breaches and natural disasters.

2. Communication

You and your HR team serve as the link between leadership and the rest of the organization. You help people stay calm, and clear-headed, and work as a cohesive team so that things keep headed in the right direction, even when things get messy.

3. Employee wellbeing

It’s on you to make sure your team is still functioning, physically and mentally, during times of upheaval and uncertainty.

4. Legal and ethical compliance

While the rest of the company is working to ensure the business is still running, it’ll be up to you to make sure all the right actions happen swiftly to avoid being the target of lawsuits and irreparable brand damage.

5. Business continuity

Lastly, and most importantly of all, your most important function while the business is facing a crisis is to make sure that the business continues to run smoothly.

That can include onboarding new hires, reassigning roles and responsibilities, redistributing resources where necessary, and downsizing when it’s needed.

Use cases for ChatGPT in crisis management

When you’re the HR point person or the leader of an HR team and the company is facing a crisis situation, you must put out many fires and do it fast.

A lot of things need to happen, quickly. Memos need to go out. Press releases need to be sent to reporters. The legal team needs to approve everything to make sure your company isn’t slapped with a lawsuit.

Using ChatGPT to help you resolve the crisis is so helpful because ChatGPT is so adaptable. ChatGPT can be anything or anyone you want it to be, and it can switch between roles, personas, and tasks at a moment’s notice.

You will have to change hats often during the crisis. ChatGPT can do that as fast as you can.

1. Rapid response and information dissemination

Whistleblower lawsuits and workplace safety controversies happen often enough in the corporate world, and they can add up quickly. The penalties for violating Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines can cost your company $15,625 per workplace safety offense.

How do you avoid those lawsuits and fines? Make sure everyone who works at your company knows what the rules are.

Communication is critically important in situations like this, even more than usual. Companies that accepted responsibility for the situation, made a plan and stuck to it, stayed active on social media, and above all kept a dialogue going often come out of crises looking better than if they shut down communication and did nothing.

ChatGPT can be used to help pull data from your internal safety documentation and then help make your external communications.

Example prompt: ChatGPT, summarize the latest safety guidelines for employees

ChatGPT tip: Give ChatGPT the relevant sections from your employee workbook, then ask it to summarize that information for you to include in your team emails.

2. Emotional support

When a crisis happens, people’s jobs are on the line. People are stressed out. They’re anxious. They’re fearful. They’re apprehensive.

As the HR professional at your company, you’re in the best spot to ease nerves and reassure people about the situation.

ChatGPT can help be your health and wellness expert. You can train it to help provide your team with mindfulness resources that can give them needed emotional support. That way, they can ease their frayed nerves and keep their minds clear, so they focus on the difficult and necessary tasks ahead.

Example prompt: My company is facing a data privacy breach crisis. I’m worried about how it’ll affect my job. How can I cope with the stress?

ChatGPT tip: If you notice that your team has been stressed out and fearful about the status of their jobs, ChatGPT can help you come up with stress-management techniques you can then send out in a company-wide email or newsletter.

3. Resource allocation

When the company goes through a crisis, optimal resource allocation is key to resolving it as quickly as possible. You need to identify what departments are best placed to remedy the situation and what they need to do – as quickly as possible.

What ChatGPT does well is sort through large amounts of information and data, anticipate likely outcomes and scenarios, and help you see things from different angles you couldn’t otherwise.

One of the big personnel crises in recent memory was the WeWork scandal that led to CEO Adam Neumann stepping down after overvaluing the company.

Having the CEO leave during a crisis can send your whole team scrambling. Here’s something you can try with ChatGPT so that doesn’t happen to you.

Example prompt: {{Explain the situation and the crisis}}. What teams and departments need immediate assistance?

ChatGPT tip: Give ChatGPT a 1-2 sentence description of the situation you’re dealing with. Then, ChatGPT can help you assess what departments are going to need the most support while the crisis is ongoing.

Example prompt: Now, please generate a resource allocation report for those teams.

ChatGPT tip: Once you have a bead on what departments need help, have ChatGPT direct you to what resources they’re going to need, and work out how to give it to them.

Use ChatGPT for crisis management to save your bacon

Using ChatGPT to help you with your crisis management can help you resolve the situation faster, cleaner, and with less reputational damage. ChatGPT is adaptable and quick, which is what makes it effective for managing a crisis when time is of the essence.

The post ChatGPT for crisis management: a tool to overcome problems appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Since the board of OpenAI fired CEO Sam Altman last week – and even with his reinstatement as top boss – it’s been one news story after another. First, the standard, “CEO fired articles,” and now we saw information like this:

https://twitter.com/GRDecter/status/1726965375974203629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

I don’t pretend to have unique insight into the backroom decisions of OpenAI, ChatGPT, or Microsoft. But what I do know is people. And as a people leader, I would have advised the board to think through the people side of things.

Let’s assume that the OpenAI board was correct and that Altman shouldn’t be the CEO. This was open for debate – clearly, many people think it was a bad decision, and as it happens, it was reversed just days later with Altman reinstated as CEO.

Regardless of the outcome, there are important lessons to be learned here regarding a decision that’s bound to reverberate through the ecosystem as we’ve seen with OpenAI. Whatever happened behind the scenes at OpenAI, it’s clear that it was not the right move in the end.

So, I would advise your company to think through these things before making moves like this one.

Popularity means a lot

For instance, when 745 of 770 employees threaten to quit over a decision you make, that’s a huge problem. Did the board even know just how popular Atlman was with the employees?

This isn’t to say that you should make decisions based on popularity. Popular does not always mean good. In fact, it can often mean terrible.

But, before you terminate someone at the top, you should have a good idea of how the employees will react. An employee survey would have been a good idea before a change of this magnitude.

Have clear reasons for termination

Why did the board terminate Altman? The OpenAI board tapped Emmett Shear to replace Altman – and Shear then explained on X:

“Before I took the job, I checked on the reasoning behind the change. The board did *not* remove Sam over any specific disagreement on safety, their reasoning was completely different from that. I’m not crazy enough to take this job without board support for commercializing our awesome models.”

Okay, so we know it wasn’t because of the board’s concern that Altman was willing to allow AI to destroy humanity. But that’s a good thing – so what was the reason?

CBS News reports the reasons as follows:

“OpenAI said Friday that Altman was pushed out after a review found he was ‘not consistently candid in his communications’ with the board of directors, which had lost confidence in his ability to lead OpenAI.

“However, one Wall Street research firm said it believes that tensions arose over Altman’s push to develop more advanced products.”

So, there is a lack of communication and a disagreement on products, but not because of Skynet concerns!

So, what is the actual reason?

It’s entirely possible that the board has an excellent reason for the termination they are not publicizing, but it’s unclear, and the employees aren’t buying it as a valid reason.

There is no claim of impropriety, and Microsoft offered Altman a job even before the tweets on the topic stopped trending, so clearly, many people are not concerned about Altman’s character or skills.

If you don’t have a solid reason, it’s time to step back from any termination. I often tell managers and HR to be prepared to have their decisions go viral and to be very careful, but going viral is actually pretty rare for most businesses.

But OpenAI? They knew (or should have known) that this would be hashed out in great detail online. You may never be able to explain it to internet mobs, but OpenAI’s employees clearly weren’t buying it.

In tech, all you really have is your employees

Yes, OpenAI has distinct products, including ChatGPT, but it’s not like a factory where you have machines with distinct value. If all the people who threatened to quit actually quit, will ChatGPT shut down? How long will it take to get going?

And while it’s a difficult market out there, many of them already have job offers from Marc Benioff.

Salesforce will match any OpenAI researcher who has tendered their resignation full cash & equity OTE to immediately join our Salesforce Einstein Trusted AI research team under Silvio Savarese. Send me your cv directly to ceo@salesforce.com. Einstein is the most successful… pic.twitter.com/1RXoc9ekeo

— Marc Benioff (@Benioff) November 20, 2023

If Altman hadn’t been reinstated, and consequently if these people had walked, Shear would have had one heck of a time replacing them. And he would have had to offer people big raises to stay – since Salesforce is offering to match current compensation.

Even the return of Altman to the fold won’t necessarily reverse the damage. Some (many?) employees could still be looking at the exit doors.

How should they have handled it?

Let’s assume that termination was the right path to begin with. Would it have been at all possible to terminate Altman without an employee revolt?

Perhaps. The best bet (and maybe they tried this) is to give him an exceptionally good golden parachute that included, in exchange, a resignation because he wanted to spend more time with his family, travel the world, or build a time machine.

But the whys don’t matter so much here; what matters would be that Altman would be the one leaving voluntarily rather than what came across as an abrupt and rude executive dismissal.

Would this have been possible? If Altman knew his own popularity, he would have had them over the proverbial barrel. And that’s something you should also consider – is the problem you’re going to (or hoping to) solve with such a high-profile termination going to cause even more significant pain down the road?

A new CEO may have happily communicated with the Board more effectively – but what can they say if they have no employees to report on?

You probably won’t have a termination anywhere near this dramatic, but there are many more things to consider when terminating an executive. Proceed with caution.

Executive dismissal: guidelines to follow

Your company probably isn’t as newsworthy as OpenAI, but you don’t want to have a disaster on your hands even if it doesn’t hit the news.

So keep these things in mind before carrying out a decision like the one seen at OpenAI:

• Know your people. If necessary, do a survey.
• If you can’t explain why you’re terminating a leader, reconsider your decision.
• Remember that without your people, you have no business.
• Consider the long-term impacts of any major decision – and weigh them out.

Thinking through these things can help prevent disaster, which is what you’re intending to do in the first place. If it’s worth it to you to replace a leader, then taking these steps will be worth your time.

The post Executive dismissal at OpenAI: many lessons for businesses appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

However, it can also be a daunting task, especially if you are new to event sponsorship and participation. In this blog post, we will walk you through some key steps to successfully participate in and sponsor a technology event.

1. Identify the right event

The first step is to identify the right technology events for your company. When selecting an event, consider the target audience, location, and theme of the event, and ensure it aligns with your company’s goals and values.

Look for events that attract the right demographic and provide opportunities to showcase your products or services.

At Workable, we stay up to date with upcoming events by researching new events, joining relevant communities, and keeping in touch with event organizers.

2. Determine your budget

Once you’ve identified the right event, determine your budget. Consider how much you’re willing to spend on sponsorship, booth space, marketing materials, travel expenses, booth attractions, giveaways, and other associated costs.

Keep in mind that events can be costly, so allocate your budget wisely. At our last two tech events, Workable branded hats, blue light glasses, pencil cases and camera protectors were really popular giveaways as they are useful in a person’s everyday life and that were cost-effective.

3. Choose your level of participation

Most events offer a range of sponsorship and participation levels. Therefore, it’s crucial to select a level that matches your budget and offers the best return on investment. The options often include booth spaces, sponsorships, and networking events. Carefully consider which choices will maximize your visibility and help you achieve your goals.

Having a technology professional from your company speak at the event can effectively showcase your innovative projects, thus attracting potential job candidates. For example, candidates for Workable job positions often mention the presentation by our VPs of Engineering at Voxxed Days Athens in 2022:

This impactful speech has prompted many to apply to our company or respond positively to our LinkedIn InMails.

4. Plan your marketing materials

Before the event, plan your marketing materials, including banners, flyers, brochures, and business cards. Ensure that your materials are visually appealing and informative, and that they convey your company’s message and brand.

If you plan to offer demos or giveaways, prepare them in advance. A great tip is to include open positions in your QR codes on your banner so that potential candidates can easily access and learn more about your company’s job opportunities.

5. Engage with attendees

During the event, engage with attendees and make connections. Ensure your booth is adequately staffed, and your team is knowledgeable and friendly. Having a good number of technology professionals at the event, including hiring managers, can help potential candidates learn more about your company’s culture and job opportunities.

At Workable, our engineers and hiring managers have better knowledge of our products and technologies than anyone else, making them great candidates to engage with attendees. Offer demos, giveaways, or other incentives to draw people in, attend networking events and sessions, and be open to meeting new people and making connections.

6. Follow up with leads

After the event, follow up with leads by sending personalized messages to thank attendees for stopping by your booth or attending your session. Follow up on any promising leads, schedule meetings or demos as appropriate.

The cost of participating in an event can be compared to hiring a recruitment agency to find one technology professional. Agencies usually charge a 15-20% fee of the gross annual salary of the new hire.

So, if an event leads to a single new hire, it’s well worth the investment, and any additional hires translate into profit. It’s important to remember that the effectiveness of an event can be measured by new hires even one or two years down the line.

Tech events are a brand builder

Participating in and sponsoring technology events can be an excellent way to increase your company’s visibility and connect with industry professionals.

By identifying the right event, determining your budget, choosing the right level of participation, planning your marketing materials, engaging with attendees, and following up with leads, you can make the most of your event experience and maximize your return on investment.

The post Tech events: how to sponsor them – and how to participate appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

AI marketing for recruitment is evolving rapidly, and it is essential to stay up-to-date with these changes.

Recently, we had the opportunity to watch a very insightful interview organized by Hung Lee, the Curator at Recruiting Brainfood, with guests such as Steven Rothberg, the Founder of College Recruiter among others. They discussed how Google’s AI search is transforming recruitment marketing.

Recruitment marketing has gone through some major changes lately, which means that there are some new challenges and opportunities for all you HR professionals and small business owners out there.

We decided to elaborate more on this and help you out with the most recent updates.

Recruitment marketing hits a new level

There has been a lot happening in recruitment marketing lately, wouldn’t you agree?

The significant increase in the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, the central role of employer branding, the automation of communication processes, the emphasis on sharing candidate experiences, the implementation of personalization techniques, and the growing utilization of video for engaging and interactive content are some of the trends that we can see happening now. You may know all these features if you use an HRIS.

While all of these things are grabbing our attention, we are constantly being in front of new developments that take recruiting marketing to new levels. This is what makes working in HR so exciting today.

Actually, these trends indicate a shift towards more efficient and targeted approaches in attracting and retaining top talent, as well as adapting to the changing dynamics of the job market.

But, how google AI is changing the way we work? Let’s find out.

Related: 11 recruitment time-saving tips for the overburdened recruiter

Google AI search for recruitment marketing

The rise and development of numerous LLM tools in the market is forcing companies to be aware of their next steps as it will have a significant impact on their way of working.

ChatGPT is changing the way we search online by introducing a conversational way of gaining information just by asking.

Google AI may have arrived late, but it will attempt to expand this conversational type of searching to new levels.

That being said, in terms of recruiting, this may mean that Google AI promises to assist you with more visibility if you optimize your job ads with relevant keywords and attract talents for your pool.

Google’s generative experience aims to enhance the user experience by providing comprehensive information directly in search results, eliminating the need for navigation across multiple websites.

If we want our company and job briefs to be displayed in Google AI search results, we must redefine our recruitment marketing strategy.

And it all begins with your employer branding. Let’s see why.

Employer branding & AI Marketing

In order to achieve better results, we must redefine our recruitment marketing strategy. And it all begins with your employer branding. Let’s see why. Employer branding.

Imagine a potential candidate searching for your role and company.

Conversational AI tools may gather information about the company, reviews, and publications available online, and provide outcomes.

We need to produce content and build an identity that showcases what we want to display about ourselves to the world when these search engines gather critical information about us.

By saying that, we don’t mean to manipulate the procedure, just to pay attention to your work and your brand’s value.

“It’s a tremendous way of getting your brand known to people who might be in your future talent pipeline, but they’re not actively looking for jobs right now”, states Steven Rothberg, College Recruiter in the aforementioned interview.

“It’s a tremendous way of getting your brand known to people who might be in your future talent pipeline, but they’re not actively looking for jobs right now”, states Steven Rothberg.

“If people don’t know the industry sector, they’re just gonna pick out the top brands and they’re gonna say this is the best ones” adds Hung Lee, Curator at Recruiting Brainfood, to the discussion.

From a different perspective, Neil Patel, SEO expert, comments about the Google AI Search: “You can and probably will lose some traffic from this. But at the same time, it will create a better experience for people using Google, which will cause Google’s overall traffic and usage to go up, which should help you continue to get a lot of traffic from Google and potentially even more”.

It becomes clear that keeping up with the latest developments in marketing during the era of generative AI will effectively aid your recruitment efforts.

Adapting recruitment marketing strategies

As the landscape continues to evolve, marketers and recruiters need to adjust their strategies accordingly. It’s essential to optimize content, such as job postings, career pages, and employer value propositions (EVPs), to make sure they’re visible and engaging in search results.

Using images and videos can also help grab users’ attention in the era of generative AI.

The introduction of Google’s generative search experience creates uncertainty for companies in terms of how to adapt their recruitment marketing strategies.

To differentiate themselves and provide a unique user experience, companies may need to

• Invest in interactive content on their career pages. This could include calculators, career mappers, psychometric tests, or other engaging tools that can only be consumed on the website
• Create career pages that will play a crucial role in the validation process for candidates. Instead of being a primary discovery platform, career pages will serve as a place for candidates to verify information about a company and assess whether it aligns with their needs and preferences
• Incorporate conversational elements, such as chatbots, on their career pages to facilitate interactions with candidates. This will allow candidates to ask questions and receive personalized responses, enhancing their engagement with the company’s brand

In order to provide relevant information to both candidates and search engines, companies should focus on creating rich content, including:

• videos
• audios
• blog posts
• employer value propositions (EVPs)

This content will be crucial in shaping the conversational experience and ensuring accurate information is presented by generative AI systems.

The more value you invest in your brand, your copies, and your user or candidate experience, the more AI search tools will extract information from your company to the audience.

But it’s time for a disclaimer now.

The blur line of AI search profit

It appears that there is another game-changing development on the horizon, and this time it’s all about profit. The new era of search engines is keeping their income generation methods under wraps for the time being.

Once we gain a clear understanding of how they will generate revenue, it will mark a new chapter in the world of recruitment marketing.

The balance between organic search and paid search in the AI era will play a significant role in shaping people’s perceptions of the information.

Additionally, the budget of an AI ad campaign will decisively determine how recruitment marketing and digital marketing, in general, will take place.

The importance of human expertise

While AI-driven recruitment strategies offer numerous benefits, human expertise and recruitment agencies would continue to play a crucial role in the recruitment process.
These entities possess valuable information and intuition that AI cannot replicate. Smaller companies may need to leverage networking, offline marketing, and specialized service providers to compete for candidates, while larger companies with more resources can invest in AI-driven recruitment strategies.

Remember that all of these AI tools are making our workflow more efficient by providing automations that save time for us to focus on more important tasks.

Perhaps now we can concentrate more on our efforts to produce more value for our clients and our company, and view all these changes as an opportunity to do so in a more digitized way.

Hopefully, all these efforts will pay off in the long run of AI search.

The post AI is changing recruitment marketing – your next move appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Recruitment involves a broad range of skills, tasks, and specialties — it requires efficiency, data assessment, and organization but is also largely dependent on human instinct, experience, and understanding. Using AI for recruitment is the ideal scenario where a technological tool simplifies and enhances the work and expertise of hiring managers.

Integrating AI recruiting tools into your hiring process can automate tedious tasks, reduce the likelihood of human error, and help you make hiring decisions quickly and with greater confidence.

The benefits of artificial intelligence in recruiting

Implementing artificial intelligence in recruiting can optimize your talent acquisition strategy and streamline the workflows associated with hiring and onboarding. Attracting, identifying, and securing top talent involves many moving pieces — different people, tons of paperwork, back and forth communication, a lot of scheduling, and stacks of information to sift through.

Adding recruitment AI tools to the process has benefits that go far beyond cutting down the workload though, such as:

• Reduced time-to-hire: Hiring can be disruptive and expensive. Shortening the cycle without compromising the quality of candidates is in everyone’s best interest.
• Improved candidate experience: A clear, streamlined process that keeps applicants and stakeholders informed along the way shows candidates that you value their time and effort.
  Less bias in hiring: Data-driven insights can help reduce or eliminate unconscious hiring biases, creating a fair and consistent process for each candidate.
• Improved performance: Outsourcing repetitive or data-heavy tasks to recruiting AI tools frees up hiring teams to focus their time and talent on aspects of the process that require a human touch.
• Cost Savings: By automating repetitive tasks, AI can help reduce the need for manual labor and minimize hiring costs associated with the recruitment process.
• Scalability: AI-powered tools can handle large volumes of applicants efficiently, making it easier for companies to scale their recruitment efforts as needed.
  Identifying Passive Candidates: AI tools can search through various online platforms to identify passive candidates who may not have applied directly but possess the required skills and experience.
• Continuous Improvement: AI systems can learn from past interactions and outcomes, allowing them to continuously improve their performance and accuracy over time.
• Personalization: AI can tailor the candidate experience by providing personalized content and recommendations based on a candidate’s background and interests.
• Employee Retention: AI can analyze employee data to identify patterns that indicate potential retention issues, helping organizations take proactive measures to improve employee satisfaction and reduce turnover.
• Increased collaboration: A lot of applicant tracking systems incorporate AI for recruiting; having one central repository for information makes it easy for stakeholders to stay informed and offer opinions.
• Accurate analytics: Data analysis and reporting offered by AI recruiting tools facilitate HR compliance and add quantifiable metrics to the decision-making process.

The most obvious benefits, increased accuracy and efficiency, are valuable day in and day out to hiring teams and candidates alike, but AI has a lot to offer when it comes to attracting and identifying top talent.

How does AI in recruiting work?

The benefits of AI for recruitment sell themselves, but it may still be hard to imagine how AI tools could be integrated into a hiring workflow. The most convenient way to add AI to your recruitment strategy is by implementing an AI-based applicant tracking system (ATS).

Here are some of the features and functionalities that many offer:

Resume Screening: AI-powered systems can automatically screen and analyze resumes, identifying relevant skills, qualifications, and experience. This helps recruiters sift through a large number of applications more quickly, saving time and effort.

• Candidate Sourcing: AI tools can scour various online platforms, job boards, and social media networks to find potential candidates based on specific criteria and keywords, helping to identify passive candidates who may not have applied directly.
• Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: AI-driven chatbots can engage with candidates, answer their questions about the company and job roles, and even conduct preliminary interviews. This provides a more interactive and responsive experience for applicants and helps gather initial information about them.
• Candidate Matching: AI algorithms can compare candidate profiles with the requirements of a job to assess the suitability of applicants. This can help in shortlisting candidates who are the best fit for the position.
• Video Interview Analysis: AI-powered video interview platforms can analyze candidate responses, facial expressions, and tone of voice to assess various traits, such as communication skills and emotional intelligence. This data can help in evaluating candidates more objectively.
• Predictive Analytics: AI can analyze historical data on successful and unsuccessful hires to identify patterns and characteristics that lead to successful outcomes. This information can be used to predict candidate success and make better hiring decisions.
• Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives: AI can be used to identify and minimize unconscious biases in job descriptions, resume screening, and candidate evaluation, thus promoting diversity and inclusion in the hiring process.
• Employee Retention: AI can be used to analyze employee data and identify patterns that may indicate potential retention issues. This helps companies proactively address employee needs and reduce turnover.
• Onboarding and Training: AI-driven systems can provide personalized onboarding and training plans for new hires based on their skills and knowledge gaps, helping them ramp up more quickly and effectively.

Related: Boost your employer branding & retention using AI

The landscape of AI recruiting tools is continuously evolving. When considering AI recruiting tools, it’s important for organizations to assess their specific needs and choose tools that align with their recruitment objectives and values.

Identify existing pain points in your recruitment workflow and research AI recruitment tools that can help you mitigate bottlenecks or obstacles so that you can make hiring decisions efficiently and effectively.

Talent acquisition is essential to the success and longevity of your business. You’re not only hiring for an open role — you’re hiring a piece of the puzzle that makes your organization whole.

A new hire can affect everything from day-to-day performance to overall company culture; enhancing hiring decisions with the help of artificial intelligence is an investment that can pay off for years to come.

The post How to use AI for recruitment appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

First things first, let us take a moment to elaborate on what employer branding actually is. Employer branding is all about how people see a company’s values and work environment. It includes everything the company does, whether on purpose or not, to promote its unique identity as an employer to current and potential employees.

Employer branding has become a critical factor in attracting and retaining top talent. According to a survey conducted by LinkedIn, 77% of candidates say that the reputation of a company is important while 80% of HR leaders think that an employer brand has an impact on their recruiting.

However, the evolving nature of work and the increasing expectations of candidates and employees pose unique challenges to effective branding.

This is where the power of AI tools in HR comes into play.

By harnessing the capabilities of generative AI algorithms, you can transform your company’s branding efforts and create a lasting impact to your employees and to the world.

But how does it happen? Let’s go further to understand better the value that AI automations put in your company.

AI in the HR environment

As an HR professional, you already know the magical benefits that AI can offer. AI tools have shortened the time to ramp, alleviating concerns about the screening process, candidate communication, and tracking. This allows you to focus on more creative tasks while leaving automation to handle the mundane tasks.

At the same time, AI can push forward your efforts for better company branding.

Generative AI can be leveraged to enhance various aspects of branding, from employer branding to internal communication. By tapping into the potential of generative AI, you can elevate your company’s brand identity and establish a compelling narrative that resonates with your audience.

Therefore, the result is that effective branding has a positive impact on potential candidates, as well as on the external world and the power of word-of-mouth. Does this sound like marketing to you?

Marketing obviously has a huge payoff – for example, Avatar: The Way of Water was able to make until now $2.320 billion at the box office on an estimated $200M marketing budget. Of course, you don’t have that much money in your recruitment budget, which means you will need to utilize tools like AI to boost your brand.

Allow us to elaborate.

How AI can be used to boost employer branding

Good branding reflects positively on others. The image a company projects to the public can be reshaped using AI tools. A company that uses automation and keeps up with the latest technological developments to handle repetitive processes, while leaving room to utilize people in more creative processes, appears larger in the eyes of others. This creates a positive perception of your business in the public opinion.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports that 88% of companies worldwide were already using AI in their HR practices, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. This technology is particularly helpful for talent recruitment and selection, and can also enhance employer branding to attract new talent.

Are you still wondering how these concepts could be applied to your company? Let’s take a look at an example.

AI cheat sheet for better employer branding

Imagine a three-year-old company in a crowded startup market which had sought to revamp its branding and establish a strong reputation after the latest developments in AI. They begin experimenting with these tools to transform their approach.

By leveraging generative AI algorithms, this company has developed personalized and captivating employer branding messages. These messages communicate the organization’s mission, vision, and values, express a commitment to employee growth and development, highlight the culture and work environment, share success stories and employee testimonials, and indicate the company’s impact more clearly in the community.

The company utilized AI to create engaging and informative internal communications that fostered a sense of unity among employees.

At the same time, the organization utilized generative AI to create personalized job postings that would catch the attention of potential candidates. By analyzing large amounts of data, generative AI algorithms produced compelling narratives that would resonate with their intended talent pools. This approach enabled them to customize their employer branding messages for various demographics and increased the chances of attracting suitable candidates.

Moreover, the HR department introduced a new referral system to attract more talent with the help of satisfied employees within the company.

As a result, this company witnessed a surge in qualified applicants, an enhanced candidate experience, and improved employee engagement.

Their innovative use of AI tools propelled their brand reputation, positioning them as a forward-thinking and desirable employer in the industry.

Adopting such tools can help your business in two ways. Firstly, it positions your company as one that people want to work for. Secondly, it establishes a reputation as a company with the very best people working for it.

Intensify candidate attraction with AI

In today’s candidate-driven market, providing an exceptional candidate experience is paramount. Research shows that candidates who have a positive experience are more likely to accept job offers, refer others, and even become customers.

More specifically, in a recent survey, 49% of job seekers confirmed that they have rejected a job offer due to an unfavorable experience with the prospective employer. The way that HR professionals handle communications between candidates can boost or harm your brand reputation.

AI tools can transform the whole process of hiring by paying attention to creating a good rapport with those who apply for a vacancy in your organization. The outcome of achieving that can be very beneficial to your company.

Jacob Rios, Co-Founder and CEO of JobSage said: “You don’t have to spend much time on the internet to learn that most online reviews tend to skew negative, so it’s great to see such a high percentage of candidates also sharing their positive experiences.”

“You don’t have to spend much time on the internet to learn that most online reviews tend to skew negative, so it’s great to see such a high percentage of candidates also sharing their positive experiences.”

“It is so helpful and empowering to future candidates,” Jacob continues. “We’ve spoken to many jobseekers in our line of work and most simply want to learn the truth, both the good and the bad.”

Through generative AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants, candidates can receive personalized responses to their inquiries, obtain relevant information about the company and position, and even receive guidance throughout the application process.

This level of personalized engagement not only enhances the candidate experience but also showcases your company’s commitment to providing a seamless and tailored journey.

AI algorithms can analyze your company’s values, mission, and culture to generate internal communications that resonate with employees. From employee newsletters to internal social media posts, generative AI can help you craft compelling content that captures attention and drives engagement.

The 30-60-90 day onboarding framework and AI copilot by Workable are all examples of how AI tools can increase brand reputation and retention rates.

Employer branding equals reputation

As an HR expert, you should consider brand reputation and employer branding as one. Their parameters overlap, and together they create a whole that affects both the internal and external environment of the company. AI tools can assist you throughout this process, but human intervention will always be decisive when it comes to branding.

A business is driven to progress through its people. Therefore, welcome your people, help them become a part of your culture, provide feedback to those who were declined, and keep your eyes on the positive outcome.

The post Boost your employer branding & retention using AI appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Which bears the question: how do businesses recognize Juneteenth in a way that shows substantive support both now and in the future? And more importantly – it’s not just for the actual holiday itelf. Consider this a primer on how to ensure a truly inclusive working environment throughout the year and to recognize the day going forward.

Let’s start from the beginning:

What is Juneteenth?

A portmanteau of the words “June” and “Nineteenth”, Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce the abolishment of slavery in the state under President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Also called Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day and Emancipation Day, Juneteenth is regularly celebrated across the United States but until Biden’s announcement was only a paid holiday in eight states including Massachusetts, New York, and Washington.

Five ways for employers to offer substantive support

While it’s important for employers to recognize this federal holiday, it’s also critical to strike the right tone considering the day’s historical significance and gravitas. Striking the right balance between celebratory and serious is essential.

With that in mind, here are five ways for employers to effectively show their support:

1. Offer paid time off

While employers aren’t obligated to offer time off — or holiday premium pay if staff work on federal holidays — this is the gold standard of support. If this isn’t logistically possible given the short time between the presidential announcement and the holiday itself, consider adding an extra day’s paid leave to staff accounts for them to use later this year, and subsequently recognizing Juneteenth as a paid holiday every year thereafter.

This is the approach taken by Workable. According to a recent email from CEO Nikos Moraitakis to US-based employees, “Workable will honor Juneteenth in 2021 by adding 1 bonus day to employee time-off balances. Going forward, Juneteenth will be observed following the federal holiday calendar.”

2. Create corporate events

Another way to show support for Juneteenth is by creating corporate events. These could include in-person information sessions or digital webcasts featuring guest speakers and experts who can help explain the history of Juneteenth, why it matters and how it relates to other U.S. holidays such as the Fourth of July. Here, your best bet is creating a healthy mix of fun events that celebrate the impact of Juneteenth while also paying respect to its more painful legacy.

3. Invest in worthy causes

Investment in causes such as fundraisers, charity drives or memorial races can also highlight the impact of Juneteenth and help corporate team-building efforts. If your company takes this approach, two components are critical: Finding the right cause and ensuring staff buy-in.

Before spending on any support effort, do your research so you understand the backstory of the event, are confident in where donations are going, and are clear about the expectations. Once you find the right cause, encourage staff participation by making it a full-day event during the regular work week that’s focused on both social recognition and socializing, rather than asking staff to show up on their own time.

4. Connect with black-owned businesses

Money talks. And with a host of black-owned businesses operating in every state and city across the United States, companies can show their support for Juneteenth by supporting black businesses owners that are instrumental in their communities.

While it doesn’t matter what product or service your company chooses to support, it does matter that this is an ongoing relationship — if you’re only supporting these businesses in June, expect some backlash.

5. Share staff stories

You can also recognize the federal holiday by highlighting the stories of your own employees and what Juneteenth means to them. Sharing these stories (with permission) across both internal networks and external social media accounts can serve to showcase your support — but must be done with caution. While posting on social media is quick, easy and offers substantive reach, this approach will appear self-serving unless it’s paired with more substantive support efforts.

Ready to show your support for Juneteenth? Just remember the three Rs — relevant, responsible and respectful — and you’re on the right track to highlight this federal holiday.

The post Juneteenth: 5 ways employers can recognize the holiday appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Here is what you can do to foster a truly inclusive workforce in your organization.

Making workplaces LGBTQ inclusive

Let’s start by looking at the numbers. A Human Rights Campaign survey found that:

• 46% of LGBTQ workers are closeted at work
• Half of non-LGBTQ employees reported there were no openly LGBTQ employees in their company
• 1 in 5 LGBTQ workers have been told or had coworkers imply that they should dress more feminine or masculine (compared with 1 in 24 non-LGBTQ workers)
• 54% of non-LGBTQ workers said that they would be very comfortable working with an LGBTQ coworker; of those who wouldn’t be very comfortable, a majority said it was because they “didn’t want to hear about their coworker’s sex life.”

LGBTQ employees are not comfortable everywhere they work, and there are some misperceptions out there. No one wants or needs to hear about their coworker’s sex life, which shouldn’t even be an issue on the table regardless of preference.

We share five tips on how to make your workplace more LGBTQ inclusive:

1. Speak with your pocketbook, not your rainbow logo

It’s easy to change a logo, put up a flag, or tweet about happy Pride Month. But LinkedIn took a step further and started paying the heads of their affinity groups $10,000 a year for the extra work. This demonstrates their desire to support all diversity groups, including LGBTQ groups.

Nothing says real support and inclusion like cash which recognizes the hard work these employee resource group leaders put in.

2. Be thoughtful about pronouns

This is a hot button issue at work, and you need to tread carefully. For example, look at the following exchange on Twitter:

Katrina Kibben: One of my Pride wishes this year is to ban the phrase “preferred pronouns.” They are not preferred. This isn’t steak or shrimp. It’s a human’s identity.

Dr. “Coach” Dawn Reid #ReidReady: I respect how you feel and I ask if you can consider preference is about a label choice. I.e., My son is non-binary. He has a pref of they/she/he depending on his affect. It’s his pref of a social label in the moment. Not who he is as a person.

Katrina Kibben: Every experience is different. I respect it. For me? My first thought is that your child may be code-switching for their safety (I do it too), not changing pronouns.

Dr. “Coach” Dawn Reid #ReidReady: Agreed. It’s different for each person. Code switching is another topic. We all do that for communication clarity. The original term/use is from linguistics. And that’s not it for them. It’s his preference. We are talking about this now.

In other words, there is no way to get it right. An October 2020 survey by Tallo found that 88% of Gen Z candidates think it’s important for recruiters to ask them their pronouns. But many Baby Boomers and Gen Xers find it offensive to ask their pronouns. This leaves you to guess, but there are some things you can do.

Listen to what people want to do. Respect and use their pronouns. (But it’s not reasonable for an employee to expect everyone to follow regular pronoun changes.) Allow people (but don’t require) to list their pronouns on email signatures and other work-related things.

3. Don’t make assumptions

Does someone look gay? Is that person trans? Whisper, whisper, whisper. This type of thing makes for a very unwelcoming environment for everyone.

Instead, make sure your staff understands employees treat every other employee and client equally across the board. Everyone gets respect. If you allow people to bring personal items to decorate their cubicles, then everyone gets to bring a family picture – regardless of what their family looks like.

Make sure you schedule and provide promotions and perks based on performance and seniority, not the perception that so-and-so needs a bump in pay because his wife just had a baby. If an employee announces the impending birth of a baby, don’t speculate about just how that baby was conceived or carried. Instead, just say, “Congratulations! Let me get you the FMLA paperwork!”

4. Remove bias from your recruiting process.

EPM Scientific gave five tips for reducing bias in hiring. These are:

• Anonymizing resumes in the review process
• Encouraging validated pre-employment testing
• Pre-employment testing, such as work samples, predict job success.
• Encouraging a diverse interview panel and hiring committee
• Challenging bias in recruitment and hiring decisions

All these things help you ensure you hire the person who is best for the job regardless of their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, or national origin. Letting candidates know you do through these processes helps them feel like they have a chance based on their skills.

5. Educate your leadership on the benefits of diversity

You can only increase LGBTQ candidates when you have a welcoming environment. But, to make a welcoming environment, senior leadership needs to be on board. Presenting the business case for making workplaces LGBTQ inclusive will help.

People who have to hide their identities at work experience more stress. Higher stress results in more days off and an increase in medical costs. It’s saving you money to have a welcoming environment.

Consulting giant McKinsey reported in May 2020 that companies with diverse leadership have higher financial returns than those that don’t. While they looked only at gender and race, it stands to reason that bringing in people with different sexual orientations would bring additional viewpoints that would help the company reach different audiences and support all employees.

Finally – candidates, especially Millennials and Gen Z, want to work for inclusive organizations and leaders. They’ve made that clear. So make sure you let them know what your company is doing to ensure everyone feels comfortable.

The critical point of all this is that everyone deserves a job based on their knowledge, skills, and abilities. Everything else should be irrelevant. This means ensuring that everyone is welcome in your company. A simple concept that goes far.

The post 5 tips on making workplaces LGBTQ inclusive appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Let’s look at the 17 main takeaways from these employers:

1. Treat your employees as people

There’s plenty of cynicism about your colleagues being your so-called “family”, but for many of the employers we heard from, that approach is the right one. The difference being: asking employees to be part of the “family” is the wrong way around.

Rather, it’s about you, the employer, treating them as you would treat your own family. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship that calls for respect and support in both directions. That same spirit applies in the workplace.

Tom Monson of Minnesota-based Monson Lawn & Landscaping says exactly that. “In 2022, I learned that making your employees feel like family can help keep them around.”

Tim Connon, the founder of ParamountQuote Insurance Advisors in Chattanooga, Tennessee, found that supporting his employees through the tough moments was his biggest accomplishment from 2022.

“I did this by having them write out affirmations and keeping those affirmations at their desk to reference throughout the day while they dial leads,” Tim says. “This led to their mindsets completely changing and they were able to eliminate common frustrations from their work days.”

Mutually assured success

For Jim Trevors, the Head of Operations at online tire review site We Review Tires, the biggest lesson was that treating his employees as equals rather than subjects can have great results.

“In 2022, my biggest challenge with managing my team was having the confidence to know that I could have that authority,” Jim confesses. “I try to practice humility and not be too full of myself, and I was worried that I would come off as being too aggressive with my leadership or that the team wouldn’t like me. However, I’ve learned the balance, and I have a great team because of it.”

Founder Rinal Patel of Philadelphia-based real estate agency Suburb Realtor also considered the ability to improve engagement through supporting employee happiness to be his biggest accomplishment as a business owner and leader.

“It’s just as the ancient proverb would say, you can force the horse to the stream, but never to drink. Having employees who are happy to participate and are committed to contributing to the growth of the company, has increased the level of our productive efficiency as a company, this has been one of my primary concerns as a leader.”

Be kind

Tom found that being kind to his people in his landscaping company paid huge dividends.

“Times were tight for a lot of the year but I’ve been good to my employees over the years and this year they repaid me by working harder than I’ve ever seen them work for me,” he says. “Even when I expressed to them that if things kept going the way they were going, holiday bonuses might be quite a bit lighter this year, they never wavered.”

For Tom, this reaped rewards for both employer and employee.

“We didn’t have a single employee leave for greener pastures and with inflation starting to cool over the last few months, I’m happy to say I was able to once again reward my employees with the bonuses they deserved.”

2. Survive, not thrive

There are times for growth, and there are times where you just focus on pure survival. Josh Wright says that was the advice he’d have given himself in his capacity as CEO of cellphone service company CellPhoneDeal for surviving 2022.

“With rapid inflation, my customers saw their dollars going less and less far. Couple that with the continued chip shortages through much of the year and prices on technology continued to increase,” explains Josh, who works out of Atlanta, Georgia.

He adds that, in 2022, even the cheapest options were becoming more expensive and more and more customers were staying with what they already had rather than upgrading to a new phone.

“I had hoped that 2022 would be the year where I hired on a few new hands and expanded what we offered into laptops and tablets, but it became pretty clear early on in the year that simply staying at the size we started would be a victory in and of itself.”

3. Be ready for the worst

Hope for the best and prepare for the worst, as the adage goes. Jim could have penned that himself in running his tire review company.

“If I could meet with myself and my team back in December 2021, I would say that they should be prepared because things will be rocky at first, but everything will turn out just fine. Just have some patience and grace.”

Shawn Richards, who organizes expeditions for the guide service Ultimate Kilimanjaro, would also tell himself the same thing in preparing for 2022.

“I’d tell myself to have more faith. A lot of the challenges and preparations were a result of uncertainty, so telling myself to just believe in my gut would have helped a lot.”

Executive Kimberley Tyler-Smith of Resume Worded, an AI-powered career tech platform, echoes this sentiment. For her, persistence is the key.

“If I could meet with myself back in December 2021, I would tell myself that it’s okay if things don’t go exactly as planned – just keep trying until things do go according to plan!”

4. Be agile as a business …

Drawing out business plans for the upcoming year is crucial, but anyone who has attended business school knows the importance of having three financial plans – the optimistic plan, the realistic plan, and the pessimistic plan. While this means being ready for what comes, as above, it also means that you need to be nimble in your work and be able to turn things quickly as needed.

Diell, who didn’t share his last name, highlighted the importance of agility at Ukraine-based video interview startup Playhunt.

“What happened in 2022 was an eye-opener on the importance of adaptation. Business won’t always go your way and follow your terms, so you need to always have a backup plan for possible risks and adapt to change,” says Diell, Playhunt’s CEO.

“That’s what I’m planning to put more focus on in 2023, so when things are about to happen, the business is ready for survival.”

Flex your hiring

VPN Helpers co-founder and CEO Ankit Bhardwaj highlighted the importance of adaptation as well, but in terms of hiring people.

“My single biggest challenge in terms of managing my workforce in 2022 was adapting to a highly fluctuating job market,” he says of running his online privacy resource site. “This included changing regulations and quickly pivoting to find the best way to create flexible yet reliable positions that could easily transition as needed.”

Ankit ultimately subscribes to that philosophy across the board.

“While planning can help us stay one step ahead of any issues, ultimately having contingency plans ready and having employees who are well-versed in multiple skill sets are some important factors for a successful 2023 workforce strategy.”

Bend, don’t break

Kimberley also highlighted the importance of being resilient in the face of challenge – and ultimately, that means teamwork.

“In 2022, the single biggest accomplishment in my ability to manage my workforce was the ability to push through a lot of challenges in order to get the job done. It’s important to remember that when you’re working with people who are not just your team members but also your colleagues,” she says.

“You need to be able to work together and communicate effectively. You also need to be able to anticipate potential problems and develop solutions while also being open to feedback from others.”

Ankit would give the same advice to himself a year earlier.

“If I were to meet with myself and members of my team back in December 2021, I would tell them to be prepared for anything when it comes to the workforce and hiring process – both internally and externally – because flexibility will be key,” he says.

“We should focus on creating an environment that allows for innovation so that we can continue learning as we go.“

Manchester, England-based entrepreneur Julian Goldie anticipates his biggest challenge in 2023 to be navigating the post-pandemic economy and its effects on his business and workers.

“I will need to be prepared for possible changes in consumer behavior and market conditions, and be ready to adapt and adjust my business strategy accordingly.”

Plan, but be quick

The war in Ukraine posed a huge financial challenge for Diell as much of his business was in that country. He had to make some tough calls when managing his company of 12 employees.

“A strategic decision was vital in order to save the business. I made the difficult decision to temporarily reduce our workforce in order to cut costs and maintain financial stability. In line with this, I invested the same saved money in online marketing in order to attract global markets and keep the balance sheet positive.”

That agile thinking led to a turnaround in Diell’s business.

“We started getting traction so our customer base grew, and when the profit margins started increasing, I was able to quickly and efficiently re-hire many of the employees who we had let go. So my biggest accomplishment was that I wasn’t only able to survive in a difficult situation but also thrive and re-hire our previous employees.”

Diell plans to invest in online exposure and has big plans for 2023.

“The biggest accomplishment I’m hoping for in 2023 is turning from a small-sized business to a medium one by getting more business and hiring new people to help with our vision.”

Ankit, meanwhile, plans to, well, plan ahead and be proactive.

“My single biggest challenge will most likely revolve around dealing with the ever-changing job market again – how do we anticipate potential changes or issues ahead of time? And if/when something does happen, how do we remain agile enough to pivot quickly?” he hypothesizes.

He’s also thinking about it from a group perspective.

“When talking about 2023 plans with members of my team right now, I’m mostly focusing on staying informed on current trends so that we can prepare ourselves better. We need to continuously evaluate where the labor market is going so that we’re ahead of the game when it comes time for making decisions regarding our future hiring needs.”

5. … and teach your people those agile skills as well

Being nimble and rolling with the punches is not only for business operational success – it also applies to worker success as well.

The humane approach

CEO & founder Joshua Rich of international location marketing strategy service Bullseye touched on the importance of human skills.

“One thing I would highly recommend to my employees and the rest of the staff If I could go back in time would be to pay emphasis on soft skills and stick true to their inherent values,” says Joshua, whose company has offices in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Guatemala.

“These are things that help teams remain cohesive and individuals to be resilient in the face of difficult economic climates.”

Just get it done

At Sojourning Scholar, founder Chuky Ofoegbu subscribes to the ‘done is better than perfect’ mentality, even if it doesn’t have the hoped-for result. Chuky’s company provides support and resources to international students in the United States.

“If I could give myself and my team advice in 2021, it would be not to be afraid to experiment and try new things instead of waiting for the perfect solution to materialize. I now understand the importance of failing fast instead of endlessly procrastinating.”

The flexibility of the working culture at Swiss-based cannabis and CBD producer Formula Swiss has mutual benefits, according to founder and CEO Robin Roy Krigslund-Hansen.

“In 2023, I want to make sure that the culture of our company stays balanced and flexible. That would be my biggest accomplishment so far in terms of managing our employees. I’d love to see them satisfied with how the company respects their personal preferences at work, so employee engagement and retention would be a lot higher than this year.”

6. Give your employees skin in the game

People are more motivated when they’re financially invested in the success of their employer. This means bonuses, rewards, incentives – anything that means when the company prospers, employees prosper with it.

United Medical Education CEO and founder Brian Clark highlighted a huge success from 2022 which was the addition of seven new employees despite inflation and decreased consumer activity at his Utah-based company.

How did Brian do that? By giving his existing team incentives.

“Out of those seven employees, five came from a new employee referral bonus program I implemented early in 2022. I am super proud of the employee referral initiative. I committed to paying out a large bonus for any hire through referral, no matter if it was a junior marketer or CFO,” Brian says.

Giving what he called an “active stake” in building the company culture ultimately led to greater team unity.

“We are mostly a remote company, so being able to involve my team in the hiring process went a long way for the grinding atmosphere we have at United Medical Education. We work hard for each other and for our mission to provide free and low-cost emergency medical information.”

Chuky utilized clear-cut KPIs in his engagement strategy.

“My biggest accomplishment was instituting performance management metrics that accurately assess employee productivity and potential. This has helped me identify and reward our high-performing employees in addition to giving them more responsibility.*

7. Reward loyalty

A part of the ‘skin in the game’ conversation is rewarding employees for sticking around and continuing to do a good job.

Netherlands-based Amy Bos, the co-founder and COO of psychic medium website Mediumchat Group, includes that incentive as part of her overall compensation package, which she considers her big win for 2022.

“Our biggest achievement has been creating a benefits menu that covers all the bases,” she says. “It’s points-based and our employees can select the benefits that suit them as long as they stay within their allocated points. Your points grow according to length of service and grade, which helps significantly with employee retention.”

Meanwhile, Rinal plans the same for his employees in 2023 at his real estate agency to highlight the importance of employee commitment.

“As one who is knowledgeable on the effect of incentives in the bid to incite employees’ commitment, I would improve the quality and percentage of bonuses.”

8. Give your employees a north star

Mission and vision statements are crucial to business – they help everyone pull their forces together into a common goal and singular objective.

Tyler Guffey learned that right away in 2022 as the CEO of internet resource site SycamoreNet. He recognized the need for change right away at the start of the year.

“This meant revisiting the organization’s core values, redefining the culture in such a way that employees can connect to the mission and goals,” he says. “We want a thriving team, one that will be independent, proactive and make decisions that don’t compromise the organization’s core values. When employees are better equipped to make decisions, what you have is a thriving team.”

Angus Chang subscribes to the same dictum at his e-commerce store Iupilon – with the additional importance of transparency.

“Make your employees a part of the big picture,” he says. “The best benefit a company can provide to their employees is the opportunity to make a difference through their work and show their skills. Clear and frequent communication about company happenings, individual and departmental direction and big-picture company direction makes all the difference in employee happiness.”

9. Open up the communication channels

On the topic of transparency – this means increased communications throughout the company.

Kimberley found this to be a big learning experience in her career tech company in 2022:

“The single biggest challenge that I had in managing my workforce was one of communication: keeping everyone on the same page, making sure they understood what their role was, and making sure that there were no misunderstandings about what needed to happen for us all to achieve success together as a team.”

Talk and listen

That’s the reality for CEO and co-founder Omer Usanmaz of mentorship software company Qooper as well.

“My current priority is to improve our internal communication so that we can become a more effective team. I have always been a firm believer of internal communication and I firmly believe it is the key to success.”

In Ukraine, Diell highlights communication as a huge key in business success – but that all changed in the shift to remote from 2020 onwards.

”So,” he says, “the challenge going into 2023 will without doubt be improving the communication between our team while working remotely.”

It goes both ways

Life Grows Green CEO Chad Price values the two-way street at his California-based hemp production company.

“Our meetings will be more feedback-oriented as we are searching for suggestions and insights from our employees,” he says. “We want to construct activities that are beneficial to everyone and our employees know what they are looking for. We also want to get an idea of everyone’s professional and personal goals, that way we can help our employees grow.”

Brandon Wilkes, the marketing manager at The Big Phone Store in England, also noted his own role in improving communications.

“First, I’ll need to get everyone on the same page in terms of what our goals are and what we need to do to achieve them. This will require some serious team-building and communication skills on my part,” Brandon says.

“Once we’re all on the same page, I’ll need to make sure everyone is working together efficiently and effectively. This will be a challenge, but I’m up for it.”

Know what your employees want

Lead attorney David Aylor of David Aylor Law Offices in South Carolina found that open communication and engagement led to his biggest triumph for 2022 in the face of the global talent crisis and the struggles of filling open positions – or “winning the talent war”, in his own words.

“We have responded by building a winning employer brand that reliably attracts high-caliber candidates. In addition, we have worked on improving every aspect of our employee experience, covering recruitment, onboarding, engagement, and retention,” David says.

“We have found success in recruitment by listening to what employees really want and making sure we are able to deliver.”

10. Trust your people and let them grow

Sometimes a business thrives on good management – other times, a company succeeds because they trust their best people to carry out the job.

Tyler found this to be the case in his Washington-based company. While he found he still needed team leaders to coordinate and guide employees, he wanted to teach that the whole process required a careful balance.

“The coaching process required high discipline because you don’t want to stand in their way and find yourself doing what you expect them to do. You are only providing support and guidance. Listening to them and asking them focused questions can help you know their thinking,” Tyler explains.

“I remained disciplined by not compromising myself to give them solutions to the problem on ground. I just permeate them through questioning and help them see.”

Tyler added that if leaders and managers find themselves giving the answers and solutions all the time, then employees lose their independence and opportunity to grow and learn.

“When employees are better equipped and prepared towards performing roles that sit beyond their normal tasks, the organizational culture is set in motion. So when new employees come in, we let our existing already-trained team leaders take them through the process of introducing them to our system of operation.”

Don’t micromanage

Susan Anderson, the lead editor of the e-commerce resource The Worthy Goods, admits that micromanagement is a flaw of hers and that it was a learning experience for 2022.

“If I could go back and have a meeting with my team members in December 2021, I’d ask them for more feedback. How did I interact with them? Did I help them grow professionally? Did I listen more or talk more? Did they feel that they were making progress?” she says.

“Micromanaging can sometimes get in the way of this dynamic. I would remember that my team members are intelligent and can figure things out.”

Failure is an option

Omer at Qooper finds that failure can be a great teacher.

“The single biggest accomplishment in managing my workforce was to give them the freedom to make decisions and accept responsibility for the outcomes of these decisions, even when these outcomes did not produce favorable results,” says Omer.

“The staff members might have had to struggle a bit in the beginning of their careers, but they learned to be more responsible, which resulted in a better work quality and productivity.”

11. Ask your team for help

Running a business and managing teams is hard work. WIth that, it’s crucial to be able to step back and ask for your team’s help.

Jim found that giving himself permission to ask for help was his biggest accomplishment for 2022 when managing his workforce at We Review Tires.

“It’s so easy to get so deep into the business that you forget that you can reach out to others for advice and assistance,” Jim says. ”I can’t do everything, and I shouldn’t do everything. Everything came together when that finally clicked, and I got the help I needed.”

Tyler takes a similar approach as CEO of his business.

“I have become more of a facilitator than involving myself in the day to day activities. We have team heads that monitor activities. And that has greatly reduced my workload as CEO,” Tyler says.

“We made sure our employees were kept active and involved. We delegate problems and not just tasks and trust them to come up with solutions. This is inclusiveness.”

12. Find your balance between in-person and remote

Workable’s 2022 survey report on the New World of Work found that most businesses were settling into a hybrid work model after oscillating between in-office and remote work settings since COVID-19 hit.

This was a learning experience for Shawn throughout 2022 when working at his expedition company.

“I think my biggest accomplishment was managing more remote and hybrid workers than before,” he says, adding that it was a struggle during the pandemic as much of the work relied on people being physically present.

“This year though, we managed to find a great balance that works out even better for us.”

Change can be stressful

Brian also called the shift from remote to hybrid his biggest challenge at United Medical Education in 2022.

“COVID was extremely difficult, and I think it made a lot of us sensitive to shifts in the workplace,” he says. “We needed to get back in the office part time for collaboration purposes, and it ended up being a challenge to get everyone motivated for another life adjustment in schedules and workplace life.”

Brian, whose company employs roughly 50 full-time employees, adds: “I am proud to say we didn’t lose anyone, but there were times where I thought we were going to be out several employees. For any small business leader, employee turnover sucks and is expensive.

“When you are dealing with an important work environment shift, the thought of having to replace people who are not on board is very stressful.”

Adaptation is key

Ankit also highlighted the struggles of adjusting to new environments – in his own case, moving some operations to a digital plane at VPN Helpers.

“In 2022, my single biggest accomplishment in terms of managing my workforce and especially, adding to or subtracting from my workforce was the successful integration of a virtual workforce into our business model,” he says.

“It took a lot of hard work and perseverance to adjust our traditional methods and learn new tools, but we ultimately achieved success by leveraging technology and new ideas.”

Amy has accepted this new world of work as the norm going forward.

“If I could travel back to December 2021, I’d tell myself and my team that remote work is here to stay and is no longer a benefit,” Amy says.

“My business was working remotely long before the pandemic and that had made us very attractive for top talent. Now it’s the norm we have to get creative to retain our appeal.”

Julian in Manchester highlighted the importance of adaptability to the remote work model.

“If I could go back and talk to myself in December 2021, I would tell myself to be prepared for the challenges of remote work and to be flexible and adaptable in managing my team. I would also advise myself to invest in the right tools and technologies to support remote work, such as virtual meeting platforms and collaboration software.”

Evolve your engagement

Anthony Martin, the founder and CEO of life insurance company Choice Mutual in Nevada, learned he had to get creative to overcome the challenges of operating as a remote-first company – especially in the lack of face-to-face interaction.

“Our biggest challenge was ensuring that remote workers felt valued and not overworked. Since we moved to a fully remote model, that challenge is knowing what our employees think when we can’t see them,” he says. “There’s no body language in emails or messages, and the tone can be difficult to read. Therefore it can be hard to tell if someone is dissatisfied with their work and if they want to stay at the company.”

Anthony’s company opened up communication throughout 2022 and now takes a proactive approach to employee engagement and morale, including more video meetings where colleagues can check in with each other regularly.

“We also ask for anonymous feedback; we feel that employees are more likely to be honest about their true feelings and have a better gauge of what changes we need to make. We want to see the signs of stress before they happen, even remotely, and make sure our employees don’t burn out,” he says.

“This has definitely improved employee morale and satisfaction.”

Sometimes you have to negotiate

Chad’s own big win for 2022 was the opposite – getting his team back into the physical workplace.

“I know this might seem a simple task, but it was difficult for some of my employees as they had changed their lifestyles to suit remote working. We had to have negotiations and allow more flexibility for it to work for both parties.”

As the director of Internet Advisor, Sean Nguyen expects that workplace flexibility will be the biggest challenge going into 2023 – especially in managing employee expectations in his company which employs 25 full-time workers in Los Angeles

“As a remote company, we’re already pretty flexible. But our employees are starting to want even more flexibility and that means that we’re going to need to make a number of changes to our business and various processes.”

The ‘balance’ in this case for Sean is finding a way to keep his people engaged while still maintaining the bottom line.

“We want to ensure that our employees appreciate the workplace, but we also want to create a workplace that inspires productivity and collaboration. That can be especially difficult if all of our employees are working at different points in time throughout each day,” he says.

“We’ve been testing a variety of different setups. Some are working quite well and our employees are communicating effectively, but others have fallen flat. This isn’t a decision that we’ll be able to make quickly and I don’t doubt that, after we implement the changes that we decide on, there will be even more challenges that we’ll need to deal with in order to keep our employees happy and productive.”

Sean’s still going to try and make it work in any case.

“I think more flexibility will be excellent for our workplace – especially since it’s clearly one of our top employee expectations. It’s just a matter of implementing it correctly.”

13. Expand your horizons

Sometimes solving problems and addressing challenges means taking a different approach with an open mind. This is also the case when it comes to building teams especially during a year where job quits were through the roof.

Jenna Carson, the director of HR at online music resource center Music Grotto, said as much about her own work in hiring strategy.

“In 2022, our single biggest accomplishment in managing our workforce came from expanding our recruiting efforts and successfully hiring and onboarding talented employees outside of our region of the United States.”

Jenna confessed that this solution created a new predicament.

“This brought with it the challenge of remotely onboarding employees who were capable and comfortable working primarily independently in time zones where the business day may not coincide with ours on the west coast of the U.S.,” she says from Portland.

“We had long considered expanding our recruitment efforts to outside our local area to increase the size and diversity of our hiring pool but had hesitated due to the added challenge of training and developing new staff and keeping them engaged.”

Talent is universal

Shawn at Ultimate Kilimanjaro also opened up his recruiting efforts to other locations.

“I often look for local talent, but the pandemic opened my eyes to all the skilled people around the world. Because of this, the majority of our hires this year worked remotely in other countries.”

Diell in Ukraine says that’s the advice he would have given himself in the past in the face of another crisis.

“If I could go back in time I would definitely tell my team members to start thinking about ways of entering new markets and practice taking some working shifts at home in a remote setting,” he says. “It was difficult to let go of employees and start adapting to working from home when the situation in Ukraine shifted dramatically for the worse.”

Growth strategy manager Eva Tian, who works at single-family rental investment company Mynd, found that the global job market posed new problems for her company.

“We were competing with companies from all over the world for the best and brightest workers. This made it difficult to attract and retain top talent, as employees had more options and were willing to switch jobs for better opportunities.”

She took a more agile attitude as a result.

“We had to constantly evaluate our recruitment and retention strategies and make adjustments to stay competitive. Overall, managing and adding to our workforce in 2022 was a constant challenge and required a proactive and flexible approach.”

Joshua Haley, the founder of relocation service Moving Astute, also struggled to fill positions in 2022, and reassessed his talent identification strategy as a result.

“My solution to this challenge was to look for candidates who were different than the ones that I had typically hired in the past,” Joshua says.

“This included expanding my search parameters and actively seeking out underrepresented populations such as women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and veterans. By doing this, I was able to find talented people who could bring fresh perspectives and different skill sets to my organization.”

DEI is important, especially, for Joshua.

“I would stress the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. This means actively recruiting candidates from underrepresented populations, creating an equitable work environment, and ensuring that everyone on our team feels included and valued.”

14. Establish a well-thought-out candidate evaluation process

The recruitment process is core to business success. This includes every step of the process.

David says as much in the advice he’d give to the 2021 version of himself, highlighting the importance of candidate experience when hiring for his legal service:

“Analyze the candidate’s journey,” he says. “The candidate journey, from job descriptions and applications to interviews and onboarding, is a crucial aspect of your employer brand. It is well worth the investment to look closely at the entire journey to ensure every interaction is accessible, fair, and inclusive.

“To attract the very best candidates, you must optimize your interactions with them at every stage of the recruiting process.”

See where their passion lies

The Great Resignation posed a huge challenge for Carla Diaz in terms of candidate evaluation at Broadband Search, a website that helps consumers choose their ideal internet provider.

“This made it harder for us to identify candidates who were looking for a more serious position in our industry instead of looking for something that would just pass the time. When we hire employees we want to make sure that they’re in it for the long run,” says Carla.

“We want people to start working for us who are truly interested and who value the act of trying to help people get connected. If that’s something that they’re truly passionate about, we know that they’ll probably be a good fit in our company.”

This was a major learning experience for Carla, whose company employs 21 full-time employees.

“Our hiring process is set up to help us identify this type of passion, but it was a lot more difficult to do so in 2022 and we had a few instances where people came in and left shortly after finding a different job that they were looking for the whole time. We’ve now refined the hiring process even further to help us better identify these types of candidates and it seems to be working well so far.”

Culture fit is fitting

Health and fitness entrepreneur Michael Perry anticipates that he’ll have to start recruiting people again once he recalls all his staff to his FitnessFixedGear.com office in Los Angeles.

“The strategy is still the same – to prioritize fit and culture. We’ve been working so well because we jive together. Everyone improved a lot because the work atmosphere was lively, cheerful, supportive, and positive.”

This, of course, means evaluating for those kinds of attitudes – even ahead of hard skills.

“The primary goal is to identify the traits and qualities you want to spread in your workplace. Then find key people who exude them. It doesn’t matter if they are less skilled; they will quickly learn all those. It’s much harder to ask people to change their attitude!”

Culture fit is very important to Logan Mallory, a VP at employee recognition software company Motivosity, which employs 65 people in Utah. He is even willing to wait – to the point that it became a problem of sorts in 2022.

“Our biggest challenge in terms of adding to our workforce *was maintaining company culture during periods of growth. It was important to us that when we were hiring, we were focusing on finding the right culture fit, rather than rushing to simply hire to fill a position,” he says.

“This meant that it took us a bit longer to fill a couple of open roles, but by taking the time to find the right person for a specific position, we were able to ensure that they’d succeed in that role and be able to fit in well with the rest of the team.”

Joshua also highlighted the importance of culture fit when looking at potential new employees for his relocation company – plus, hiring those who could bring value to his teams right away.

More so, onboarding was key to success for Joshua in 2022.

“I made sure that all of my new hires were fully onboarded and trained properly so that they could be productive from day one,” Joshua says. “By taking these measures, I was able to not only find great employees but also make sure that they were set up for success from the start. This helped me ensure that my team remained productive and efficient throughout 2022.”

15. Invest in your people

Businesses are not the only ones that need to shift and change and grow with the times. Employees need to too, and they also want to.

Amy recognizes the value of that in terms of employee engagement at Mediumchat.

“We’re having meetings with our team over the next month to discuss their personal training and growth plans. As a business we believe in nurturing our employees and helping them reach their career goals through tailored plans.”

Eva recognizes the importance of that not only for employee engagement at Mynd, but for staying competitive as a business as well.

“With the rise of artificial intelligence and automation, many traditional job roles were becoming obsolete, and it was crucial for my company to adapt and stay ahead of the curve by constantly updating our skill sets and offering training opportunities for our employees.”

L&D doesn’t have to be expensive

Robin found that training and development programs are key to retaining talent at his Swiss cannabis company – but the cost and resources for that became his biggest challenge in 2022.

He found a solution that worked.

“After several trials and errors, we decided to take a leap of faith and give our new employees a reasonable budget so they could take the right classes taught by the right people. With this step, we saw positive results and were planning to continue giving them opportunities for growth going forward.”

Chad is worried about tracking team productivity and boosting motivation throughout 2023 in his own cannabis company in California – and his hoped-for antidote to that is, of course, L&D.

“Sometimes tasks begin slipping through the cracks and motivation seems low, but that’s a challenge that we will overcome. Ideally, we’d like to add learning and development activities to our weekly regimen.”

Fran Haasch Law Group personal injury attorney Francoise M. Haasch in Florida acknowledges that 2022 was a year of uncertainty – but knowing what he could count on was a huge win for the year.

“It has been challenging to predict what is going to happen in the world and the economy. Against all odds, however, we were able to face this uncertainty and embrace all the challenges that came our way. While we couldn’t predict the state of the economy, we could focus on investing in ourselves, and I believe that is our greatest accomplishment.”

16. Incorporate technology

Digital transformation is, of course, one of the biggest – ahem – workplace transformations coming out of the pandemic. It was in fact one of the paradigm shifts that turned out to be true according to our 2022 New World of Work survey, with more than half of all businesses saying digitization of operations becoming a permanent strategy.

And this is continuing, for people like Ankit.

“In 2023, my single biggest accomplishment in terms of managing my workforce and especially, adding to or subtracting from it will likely involve implementing even more efficient processes that take advantage of available technology.”

David also considers DX a major shift in his attorney practice.

“Digitization is rapidly transforming the working landscape, and employees will be needing new skills and opportunities to develop their careers. A lack of training opportunities is fast becoming one of the main reasons people quit their jobs,” he says.

“As a forward-looking employer, we will be investing heavily in career growth and development in 2023 to ensure our employees stay engaged and continue to be productive.”

Play the numbers game

Aaron Davis, the CEO of Business Frame, says he’s completed the digital transformation of his Tennessee-based accounting firm – with data and analytics at its core.

“We even have AI working for us now. We’ve truly revolutionized the operations department. And now, it’s time to bring HR into the future. Finding things in the dark, looking for signs, and trusting your gut feeling are all obsolete,” he says.

“Everything should now be based on scientific principles. A data-driven business decision is more effective than anything else.”

And his advice for businesses? Capitalize on all this readily accessible information – and don’t forget the importance of being human in it all.

“Train HR teams in using people analytics and how to create a strategy based on the results: The more experience they gain, the better they become,” Aaron says.

“To help you even more, ensure that listening is prioritized: You can maximize the return on your people analytics investment in two ways: by being transparent in your communications and getting the entire business’s support for continuous listening.”

17. And finally: be kind to yourself

We’re in a wild world right now. We may be returning to a semblance of normal in some ways, but we’re also moving to a new kind of normal – whether that’s the “next” normal or the “never” normal, we’ll only know in hindsight.

In all of this, it’s important to be kind to yourself, celebrate the small wins, and pay attention to the positives.

Medical education entrepreneur Brian Clark says it best:

“Something my dad said to me once comes to my mind. I would tell them what he told me during a rough period in my life. This is just a season of your life, work is what you do, not who you are.

“That is tough to accept, especially when you are passionate about what you do, but knowing this would have taken a lot of stress out of the challenges and allowed for my joy in reflection of the accomplishments and the journey to get where we are today.”

The post Employers’ top wins and lessons of 2022 – and what they’re planning for 2023 appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Here are 15 of the best – or worst? – workplace horror stories:

1. When you must never, ever chicken out

A few years ago, I took a marketing position in a UK-based company. After a brief training, I realized that I had to carry a wooden sign in a supermarket every day, and stand there and promote various products. There was no specific time schedule; I could stay there as long as I wanted so long as I reached my sales goals.

At the end of the day, we would all gather at the company’s offices. Our manager would step in while the speakers played the song “Pretty Green Eyes” at maximum volume, and then the show would begin. We would ring a bell and have a cheery round of applause for everyone who reached their goals. But, what about those who had almost reached them? We would form a circle and that person would stand in the middle and act like a chicken – because apparently they chickened out instead of hitting their targets. Oh, and if anyone’s phone rang in the middle of this “show”, they’d immediately have to do 10 pushups.

– M.

Takeaway: While totally unconventional, this was a company’s misguided effort to evaluate and motivate employees. Even if it’s well-intentioned, there are better ways. When you want to assess employee performance, start with the goals that you’ve set. Make sure they’re challenging, but also realistic. And to motivate your staff, emphasize the positives and work together on areas of improvement. Causing fear – or even embarrassment or humiliation – will have the opposite effect.

2. When your colleagues are toxic – or think that you are

When I was working at an embassy, I had a colleague who was convinced I was a Russian spy. We sat across from each other, so I would often catch her looking at me from behind her laptop screen. She also wouldn’t let me touch the mail or go into specific areas of the embassy. She wouldn’t even accept food from me. In fact, when my mother sent me cupcakes for my name day, she demanded that they be X-rayed to see if there was anything inside.

Another time, a colleague asked me to make a copy of a visa applicant’s ID. When she saw me in the copy room, she yelled “I knew it!” and kept asking me where I found that ID and what I was doing with it. She was lucky that I saw the humor in all this – I even greeted her in Russian every morning.

– A.

Takeaway: You don’t necessarily want or need to create a “buddy” culture in the workplace, but you certainly don’t want to have a hostile environment. Employees should feel safe and happy at work. In fact, having friends at work boosts employee engagement, whereas toxic employees hurt morale and productivity. Keep an eye out for unprofessional behaviors and set up strict policies to prevent serious cases, e.g. harassment or violence, from occurring.

3. When the cool company culture turns out to be lukewarm

Years ago I worked for a tech company that loved to brag about how laid back and hip it was. We had the standard industry perks like snacks and drinks, and a pool table in the kitchen. The CEO, convinced that employees were wasting time enjoying these benefits, installed a hidden camera in the kitchen and began sending out company-wide emails calling out individual employees for “consuming more than their fair share” of snacks or drinks, or spending too much time at the pool table.

– R.

Takeaway: The company culture is not what you say you are; it’s what you actually are. You might promote yourself as the “best place to work” when in reality your workplace is toxic. Or, you might have installed a beverage machine and a ping pong table in the office because all the cool companies have them, but in reality your employees hardly use them as they’re always working overtime. If you want to truly build a positive employer brand, focus on what matters: meaningful employee benefits and fair reward systems.

4. When you just want to work legally

In my very first day job, I was hired as a PA to the CEO of a medical company. I had just completed my graduate degree in Communications and was thrilled to find a job in what I thought looked like a really decent company. I was also told that I would take on marketing tasks. I couldn’t wait to dive in! I started off working six hours per day for the minimum wage but that was OK, because I was going to be full time in a couple of months and get a raise. Or so I thought.

I never got a raise and I hardly did any marketing tasks. However, I did end up with a proper working bench, illegally boxing and shipping drugs to patients with long-term diseases. I found out later on that that company was actually laundering money for a big pharmaceutical.

– E.

Takeaway: While this particular company seemed to know exactly what they were doing, make sure that you’re not getting into legal trouble out of ignorance. Consult a lawyer or hire an HR professional with expertise in labor legislation to ensure that your employment contracts and your company policies comply with local laws.

5. When irrelevant tasks take up most of your time

I was working as an intern at a non-profit company where the operations and purpose were a bit shady. The owner, a former politician, usually sat in his office which had only a small glass window looking into the area where we were working.

At some point, he asked me to create a list of investor companies in the United Arab Emirates, find a few economic problems that Serbia was facing, and then call the Serbian embassy to arrange a meeting with their financial director. I did everything he asked, wondering what that was all about. When the financial director agreed to come and meet him, he told me his plan: I was supposed to listen in on his meeting, and each time he mentioned Serbia, I would hold cards with the economic issues I had found in front of his office window so he could appear knowledgeable to the director.

When he mentioned something I didn’t already have, I’d Google it on the spot, write it on a new card and hold it up like the others. He’d also tell the financial director that his company collaborated with all the Emirate investors in the list, in order to earn her trust. I left his “company” shortly after.

– A.

Takeaway: It’s fair to ask employees to create ad-hoc reports, prepare presentations and so on. But make sure they understand the purpose, particularly if these projects don’t seem immediately relevant to their regular tasks. It’s also important to follow up with them and let them know how their project was used, how it contributed to larger plans and what the next steps are – if any. Otherwise, employees might feel that their time gets wasted or, worse, that someone else gets credit for their work.

6. When the employer is playing hard to get

I got a call back from a company a couple of weeks after my application, saying that they really liked my resume and wanted to schedule an interview with me. I responded that I’d be glad to do so and asked when the best time would be for them to interview me, as I was unemployed at the time and was flexible. The lady replied with: “Oh wait, I don’t have the calendar in front of me so to see my availability, let me call you back in a sec”. I’m still waiting.

– E.

Takeaway: You’ve heard it before: candidate experience matters. The way you treat candidates gives them a hint about how you’ll treat them as employees. Changes in the middle of the hiring process can happen and, while they’re not ideal, don’t keep candidates in the dark about them. For example, if you decided that it’s not the right time to open this position, be honest and don’t put candidate on hold for no reason. Poor candidate experience leaves a bad taste in the mouth and that has a long-term effect on your employer brand.

7. When work looks like Big Brother and Survivor at the same time

I worked at a company where they had cameras, mics and speakers installed all over the place, even in the kitchen. If you spent two extra minutes at lunch, the wife of the business owner was screaming at you through the speakers. She would also get her manicures and pedicures in the office and, afterwards, ask employees to empty the bucket she used to soak her feet in.

– L.

Takeaway: Lack of appreciation and lack of trust toward your employees will only hurt your reputation and cost you great professionals. And while this example might sound extreme, there are several, more common, signs that employers mistrust their staff. Think of time-tracking tools, micromanagement and meetings behind closed doors. Even if your company is a career stepping stone for most employees (e.g. because you only offer entry-level roles), make sure that their time with you is not wasted and that they acquire useful skills without making them feel under the microscope when doing so.

8. When your boss is getting inappropriate

I was working as a call center agent. One day, my boss called me into his office to discuss my performance. He had noticed that some of my performance metrics were not up to expectations. But, instead of advising on how I could improve, he started making some comments like, “That’s a shame. You’re such a sweet girl.”

I thanked him for the feedback, saying I’d try to get better, and quickly left his office out of fear that things might get worse. I wasn’t sure whether I could share this incident with anyone, but luckily he was soon transferred to another department. Although his comments might have been well-intentioned, he definitely made me feel uncomfortable and didn’t give me any real feedback, so I was relieved that I didn’t have to work with him again.

– G.

Takeaway: Sexual harassment and all types of inappropriate behaviors are completely unacceptable. At work, it’s the HR department’s responsibility to ensure that employees feel and are safe. No matter how healthy your work environment looks, you need to implement anti-harassment policies and define how employees can speak up if they face or suspect harassment.

9. When the job title is slightly inaccurate

I took a job in student accommodation as a Service and Sales Advisor. On my first day, I was looking forward to seeing the office where we would welcome students, and getting comfortable at a desk. Instead, as soon as I arrived on campus, the manager pointed out a mattress to me. Unfortunately it was not for a power nap after lunch. I actually had to carry this mattress on my back, plus a few dozen more over the next few weeks, and deliver them to students’ rooms. I have to admit; this was not the kind of assistance that I’d thought I’d provide!

– T.

Takeaway: The first weeks at a new job – sometimes even the first few days – are critical. It doesn’t make sense to oversell a job just to “hook” good candidates. Sooner or later, they’ll find out what the exact role is and not only might they leave, but they’ll likely share this negative experience with others as well. If the position you’re offering is not the most attractive one, be honest about that and try to make up for the less exciting tasks with perks. You can also engage candidates by describing how their role can evolve in the future – taking care not to promise things you can’t deliver on.

10. When everyone’s making fun of the newbie

I was offered an administrative job at a real estate agency on a trial basis. During my two weeks there, I got zero training because the person doing the same job was reluctant to cooperate; the fact that the company decided to hire a second employee for that job meant that she would go from full-time to part-time employment, and for some reason she wanted to punish me for that.

Also, on a regular basis, one of the co-founders kept asking me to make him coffee and then the other co-founder would notice that I wasn’t at my desk, so she’d call my internal phone demanding I return to my workstation. As a result, I kept running from the kitchen to my desk and vice versa, something that I guess made me look like Charlie Chaplin. On top of that, my other colleagues would make prank phone calls on me multiple times per day. Oh, did I also mention that this probation period was unpaid?

– C.

Takeaway: The onboarding process can make or break your employer brand; you can help your new hires feel immediately at ease, or make them want to run away as fast as they can. Don’t be the latter. Get their workstation ready before they arrive at the office, help them out with the necessary HR paperwork and build a detailed training plan for their first week, month and beyond. Also, check in with them regularly to see if they need any further help. And if it wasn’t clear already, don’t turn them into your own personal entertainment.

11. When your new colleague gives you a headache

We hired a new project manager at the tech company where I used to work. From the very first day, he showed how talkative he is. But not in the friendly, “I want to meet my new colleagues” way that you may imagine. Quite the opposite. He would not stop talking – about things irrelevant to work – even when we were all obviously rolling our eyes with frustration. I remember one day where I could not bear listening to him anymore, so I left my desk and went to another room to focus on work. About an hour later, I returned to my desk and guess what? He was still talking about the same topic…

– S.

Takeaway: The debate never ends between those who prefer open spaces to those who’d rather the privacy of cubicles. There’s no wrong or right; both workspace designs have their pros and cons. It’s up to you, though, to make sure that your own work environment boosts productivity and eliminates distractions. Open plan offices can still be quiet as long as employees have separate rooms where they can have their meetings and common areas where they can have a break, grab a coffee or have lunch together.

12. When the employer wants you to go off script

A few years ago, I was going to edit people’s resumes and cover letters as a quick way to make some extra cash. At least that’s what I thought I’d be doing. It turned out that the company wanted me to fully write resumes and cover letters from scratch without ever even speaking to the person. This was very short-lived and felt totally unethical.

– J.

Takeaway: The obvious breach of ethics aside, being honest about the job should happen during the hiring process, not after the person is already hired. This is fair for the employee, and also helps you ensure that you choose the right person for the job. Otherwise, you risk hiring someone who doesn’t know how to do or doesn’t want to do this particular job. In some cases, things could change between the moment you offered the role and your new hire’s first day, e.g. due to organizational restructuring. If your new employee’s job duties are not exactly what you had discussed, make sure to explain what happened and provide proper guidance so that they don’t feel everything has changed.

13. When your CEO is way too distant

In a previous job, the CEO that we had was not the typical “leader”. He had zero involvement in almost all of the current projects. Even worse, he didn’t want us to tell him when things didn’t go well, because he said he was getting really stressed out. He preferred that teams would talk to the clients directly and fix the issues on their own.

When the CEO told my manager, who was one of the team leaders, that he didn’t know what’s going on in the team, my manager suggested he [the CEO] should speak more with the employees. The CEO thought that this was a good idea and asked my manager to remind him to talk to the employees once a month.

– S.

Takeaway: It’s one thing to value your team members’ skills and, rest assured, that they can handle things on their own, and another thing to be totally and even deliberately ignorant. Employees want to be trusted by their CEO (and their manager or team leader as well) but, at the same time, they expect some guidance and support. A good CEO needs to find a healthy balance between the two extremes of being the sole decision-maker and being an absentee boss.

14. When the breakup is not smooth

I was working at a private school and, right before summer break, I informed the owner that I didn’t want to renew my contract in September when school would be back in session. The owner was quite bitter seeing me leave, but I reassured her that I’d prepare detailed manuals for all my job duties and I’d clear up all school folders before my last day. And I did so. I also told her that she could contact me when the school opened again in case my replacement had any questions. I had no idea I would soon regret that.

In September, as I expected, the owner of the school indeed called me with some questions. I had already organized everything so well that the questions were unnecessary, but I kindly replied to let her know where she could find the files she was looking for. But then the phone calls became more and more frequent. She would call me every day for the tiniest detail and she would email me very long lists of questions she had. All of these were things that she could easily find on her own in just a few seconds just by looking at my notes or doing a simple search on the computer.

One day, I didn’t pick up the phone (because I was at my new job) and she sent me a blunt text message: “Why don’t you answer??” That’s when I realized I should probably stop being so kind.

– X.

Takeaway: Often, your biggest ambassadors – for your consumer and employer brand – are your former employees. Regardless of the reason why they left your company, don’t hold grudges. If you end your work relationship on good terms, the departing employee can refer some great candidates in the future, leave a positive review online or simply encourage others to apply for open roles at your company.

15. When meetings get awkward

I was working at a project with fellow developers, senior managers and team leaders. One day, we had a meeting, so we all gathered in a meeting room and logged in a video call because one of the developers is working remotely. To our surprise, the moment the remote developer joined the call, one of the senior managers walked out of the room without even saying a word.

We knew he disliked our remote coworker, but this was so awkward. Especially since we saw that he was pacing around outside of the meeting room, trying to listen in for the end of the video call. When the call was over, he re-entered the meeting as if nothing happened, leaving us all wonder how this project will go on.

– N.

Takeaway: Meetings are often dreaded by many, but they shouldn’t be a waste of time. It’s an opportunity for coworkers to sit together to discuss a project, make some decisions, build out plans, share updates or solve issues. Disagreements may arise, and that’s natural, but personal differences should not impact meetings and collaboration in general.

Don’t be in this list

As you’ve noticed, we didn’t disclose any of the companies, but don’t rest assured that these (along with many, many more) workplace horror stories will be buried in anonymity. When people talk to their friends and families and when they post reviews online, they most certainly name names. So, work your best to create a healthy and motivating work environment; not because you’re afraid of being called out, but so that your employees can thrive and be happy working with you.

Not getting enough sleepless nights, and interested in even more terrifying HR content? Read 15 job interview horror stories and a chronicle of the worst interview ever.

The post Workplace horror stories we wish were not real appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

On stage with Michelle was Workable’s CHRO Rob Long, who presented six unexpected findings from Workable’s Mental Health in the Workplace survey report for Michelle to address.

Here are the main takeaways from that discussion which was attended by hundreds:

1. Take a whole-organization approach

The first finding Rob presented was as above: 92.6% of our 1,303 survey respondents have or have had mental health challenges which impacted their work.

And on top of that, two out of every five say mental health is generally not discussed and they don’t want to be the first to bring it up.

Likewise, 35% don’t talk about mental health at work because of a fear of stigmatization and discrimination.

Clearly, there are blockers to open conversation about mental health at work.

How can a company change that?

“It is a whole organizational approach,” Michelle says. “It is a cultural change initiative.”

She admits it’s not easy. But it can be done.

“If we think about the roles that we can play and how we can remove [the mental health] stigma, a big part of that is starting to normalize the conversation around mental health and embedding that as part of the culture.”

“If we think about the roles that we can play and how we can remove [the mental health] stigma, a big part of that is starting to normalize the conversation around mental health and embedding that as part of the culture.”

First off, your company’s leaders need to be involved.

“They play a really key role in this and having them talk openly about their mental health journey, sharing stories, or even just making it really clear to the business around [how] that stance on mental health and wellbeing can make a massive change in terms of embedding and normalizing that as part of the culture.”

2. Assign a wellbeing champion

Rob then presented another finding from the survey: nearly two thirds (62.1%) said their employer is already prioritizing mental health, and another quarter (23.7%) will prioritize it going forward.

That’s a majority of employers, of course, but it’s just a first step. It behooves the question: now that mental health is prioritized, what’s next? What do employers do in terms of actionables?

Michelle’s answer is direct: start with having someone in charge beyond simply talking about it. This means tasking a person or group who can drive this initiative forward as part of their work – these can be termed as wellbeing champions or wellbeing gurus, for example.

“They really play a critical role in this as well in terms of launching those initiatives, keeping the conversation going,” says Michelle.People managers also have their role – since they’re the ones working directly with teams, they need to be adequately prepared to have conversations so that their direct reports feel comfortable in opening up.

“Anything we can do to enhance that psychological safety role is [going to] be really important there, to provide a very inclusive environment.”

“Anything we can do to enhance that psychological safety role is [going to] be really important there, to provide a very inclusive environment.”

The end goal, Michelle notes, is that mental health is viewed and discussed as on an equal plane with physical and dental health.

3. Be proactive, not reactive

A proactive approach is crucial as well. In that discussion, Rob shared his own experience in meeting with a counselor regularly, likening the experience to how some individuals hit the gym to maintain their physical health, and not only handle a physical problem when it actually happens.

“I go and see a counselor every other week, which I used to think was kind of something you did when you were ill,” he says. “But, actually, it’s just something to prepare yourself for when there are difficult times you can handle them better.”

This preemptive mindset is also something an organization can introduce into the overall culture. Instead of – or rather, in addition to – supporting employees when they’re in need of that support, your company can introduce regular 1-1s and check-ins, an open-door policy, mental wellness apps (i.e. Headspace, Calm), and other strategies.

The goal is to maintain your employees’ mental health – not simply come to their rescue when times are dire.

4. Look to the standard

One particular challenge rising from the mental health report is that while nine out of 10 respondents say it’s a priority in their company, that does mean one in 10 say it’s not a priority at all.

An additional third also say they’d like to do something but they aren’t sure where to start.

Put together, that effectively means 43% say their company isn’t tangibly doing anything in terms of mental health support.

After presenting these findings, Rob asked Michelle how HR professionals can drive progress in their company.

Michelle points to a standardized process for mental health at work as of June 2021: ISO 45003, titled “Occupational health and safety management – Psychological health and safety at work – Guidelines for managing psychosocial risks”. It offers a framework to protect mental health in the workplace and reduce psychological risk.

“It’s a good place to start to start to think about how [we can] look at our workplace and that inclusive environment and job roles and capacity and all these kinds of things to protect our employees, mental health and wellbeing at work,” says Michelle.

This has a double benefit: first, it serves as a roadmap for organizations stuck in the planning stages, and second, it’s a potential driver for those who need to see mental health incorporated into the company zeitgeist before they start prioritizing it.

5. Track everything

Tracking is crucial. “We can’t manage what we don’t measure,” says Michelle.

Tracking is, of course, about employee satisfaction surveys, but it can also be monitoring productivity levels.

Michelle herself also likes to keep a close eye on commentary in employer review sites such as Glassdoor. As she says, if even one employee refers to your culture as overworked, susceptible to burnout, or toxic, you need to pay attention.

“You have to take that on face value because that’s their perception of working there.”

Another related element of tracking is monitoring your company’s demographics so that your organization can understand the unique needs that may apply to one group but not to another – and ensuring that there’s something for everyone so that there’s a truly inclusive environment.

6. Don’t settle for ‘good intentions’

In regards to the most common mistake that employers can make and what they can do better, Michelle says it comes down to the way mental health is addressed one on one:

“Those of us that are trained in the language that we need to be using; these can be counterproductive. They can actually [be] detrimental, but we know that it doesn’t come from malice. It just comes from that misunderstanding,” says Michelle.

“We’re actually [at] that moment that people managers think that they are being empathetic.”

That’s where management training comes in; teaching well-meaning managers on how to have a proper discussion around mental health.

This again involves training leaders and educating people managers, and ultimately demonstrating that it’s part of the company culture to open up and discuss these sorts of things.

It’s also about maintaining a consistent process, and not everyone does that. Michelle has seen many companies launch the initiative of increased focus on mental health, but with staggered results in the long term.

“You know, it starts off with really great momentum, but you start to see those things drop off and it can be tough because those groups of employees tend to do that on top of their day job.“

“You know, it starts off with really great momentum, but you start to see those things drop off and it can be tough because those groups of employees tend to do that on top of their day job.“

In short: don’t simply let that initial statement of support speak for itself. Actions speak louder than words, and sustained actions speak even louder than that.

7. Be aware of differences in experience

While the conversation is becoming healthier all the time, not everyone feels equally great about it. A full third of those identifying as a minority say that the workplace mental health trend is actually getting worse, compared with 22.9% of those who don’t identify as a minority.

The first step, Michelle advises, is to ask those individuals what they mean by it getting “worse”. That doesn’t always mean asking them directly – it means carrying out anonymous surveys and anonymous focus groups.

The findings could range from that there’s more stigma attached to mental health, a less-than-satisfactory conversation with their manager, or discrimination based on gender, race or ethnicity.

And, Michelle adds, “we don’t know what else these individuals have dealt with.” We don’t know their life story or what they’ve personally experienced – which highlights the importance of recognizing one’s own biases and privileges before drawing conclusions on another’s journey or even prescribing policy in a misguided attempt at support.

8. Know the gender disparities as well

Similarly to the minority question, there’s a gender difference as well – more men than women don’t feel comfortable talking about mental health at work (29% of those identifying as male vs. 23.1% of those identifying as female).

Michelle, again, pointed to the stigma, coming from societal norms and identities around the male gender.

“We know in certain cultures and backgrounds, you don’t even talk about mental health because it’s seen as taboo or weakness,” Michelle says.

“We know from studies that men can rank lower in terms of life satisfaction because of things like financial burdens. We know that four out of five suicides will be by men… it’s just a really unfortunate step to see, but it’s not surprising in the fact that mirrors what we know.”

Likewise, those identifying as male are much more likely to utilize their company’s existing mental health services (49.5% vs. 38.5%), whereas females are more likely to procure support from outside of the company (33.5% vs. 24.3%). What does that indicate?

Michelle suggests that it comes from differing levels of knowledge or awareness across the genders. “We know again from literature and studies out there that those that identify as female […] have more knowledge about what support is out there for them.”

And so, they’re more likely to pursue that support that’s right for them rather than simply taking on the existing benefits that their company provides.

And, Michelle surmises, “Is it that those that are identifying as male here are heavily relying on what their employer gives them because […] that’s all they know and they don’t know what’s available to them outside of work?”

It may even go back to who designed the mental health services at a company. “Is it something to do with who shaped that wellbeing strategy?”

9. Do what’s right for you

Michelle, in conclusion, makes it clear that none of these things can drive a difference on their own. It needs to be a collective approach, a concerted strategy, and a consistent objective throughout.

And: much like people, organizations are different from one another. Taking the right approach can get you so far, but the right approach for your organization’s employees, which may be different from another organization, is key.

As Michelle says: “It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.”

Related:

• Workplace mental health: Support your employees through the deep dark winter – written two years ago, but still has many relevant takeaways
• INFOGRAPHIC: Mental Health across the ages
• Employer mental health policy template

The post RecFest 2022: Six unexpected findings on workplace mental health appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

What is an alternating four-day workweek?

The idea of a four-day workweek is nothing new, and it’s something some companies have been offering as an option – or even a required schedule – for years. In most cases, this means that the employee works 10-hour days instead of eight, so the standard 40-hour workweek is completed in just four days. That way, instead of two days off per week, the employee gets three.

An alternating four-day workweek is a little different. With this plan, the employee works five days one week, and four the next. The day off could be Friday to allow for a three-day weekend every other week, but that is up to the individual employee and employer. Those additional days off provide the employee with tremendous flexibility to take extra trips, engage in their favorite hobbies, or whatever else they’d like to do with their spare time.

Why an alternating four-day workweek?

When the pandemic hit, we had to transition our team from being in-office to being a fully remote workforce. It was really all hands on deck to help the company come through the pandemic unscathed, and our team hunkered down and helped us figure out how to make our day to day operations more effective as a remote workforce. This meant lots of retooling and new process development … and long hours.

Working remotely can make work-life balance challenging and increase risk of burnout. A recent survey discovered that 69% of remote workers are experiencing burnout symptoms and 59% of remote workers are taking less time off than normal. Another survey stated that burnout at work doubled from March 2020 to April 2020.

Our hypothesis was that implementing this new perk would help prevent burnout, increase employee job satisfaction, and make our team feel more rested and ultimately, more productive, at work.

Our main concerns

My primary concern was ensuring that our clients and customers still had the level of support that they have come to expect from us. At the same time, I didn’t want this effort to make it harder on our support team as a result of any client frustrations or support ticket backlog. It was important to me that we still had adequate coverage for all teams and for all departmental responsibilities.

My secondary concern was making sure that this new schedule wouldn’t prevent anyone from being able to do their job. I didn’t want this alternating schedule to create any unnecessary stress for employees that couldn’t get something done because a key stakeholder was out of the office. But, all of these concerns can be prevented with proper planning.

How it’s been going so far

We piloted this new program from April to June 2021, a full quarter. We then said we would ressas with leadership, and see if this is something we would want to implement for the long term. Once the pilot was nearing the end, we sent a survey around to our team to get their feedback on this new work schedule.

Here are a few key takeaways:

• 100% of employees said that they wanted us to continue offering this benefit
• 93% of employees have said their productivity has improved, while the other 7% said their productivity has been the same
• 85% of employees said they feel more rested and happier at work

Anecdotally speaking, we also had a few key learnings, including;

• It really enabled better habits when it came to time management and meeting scheduling. For example, everyone seems to be more thoughtful about scheduling meetings in general, so as to not waste time.
• Many of the team members use Fridays for “deep work” days, with no meetings or interruptions.
• This has been a great perk to mention to job candidates during the hiring process, and has been a deal breaker for some of our recent hires.

Four-day workweek tips for you

If this is a concept that you are considering for your team, here are a few things to consider and tips for implementation.

1. Try it as a pilot program first

I highly recommend you “try it on” by first implementing it as a pilot or trial program, with a specific start date and end date, to see how your team and customers adapt to this change. This gives you the flexibility of trying it out before having to fully commit. You may learn that it’s great and everything is fine to move forward with it long-term, or you may learn that you need to tweak a few things.

2. Make any special conditions very clear

Ensure everyone is aware of any special conditions or restrictions to this process to set the right expectations. For us, we didn’t require longer hours during the week of their Friday off, but other companies do. So, if there are special conditions, make them very clear from the start.

3. Make the schedule transparent and visible

Meet with your team leads and schedule out everyone’s Friday off in advance. Make sure it’s clear and visible in a shared calendar so everyone is aware of who is and who isn’t “in the office” on a given Friday. This also helps the team think in advance about any vacation days that may overlap or big events or meetings that need planning around.

4. Ensure your leaders lead by example

Leading by example is essential not only because leadership also needs time to recharge, but also because failing to follow through with the process can send mixed messages to employees and could cause anxiety on whether or not they should take the time off.

Matt Buchanan is the Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer at Service Direct, a technology company that offers local lead generation solutions for service businesses. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University. He has 15+ years of expertise in local lead generation, sales, search engine marketing, and building and executing growth strategies.

The post Implementing an alternating four-day workweek: how & why appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Employees want skills development, growth opportunities, and connection

The pandemic was an “awakening” for many people. Most welcomed remote work with open arms. Unsurprisingly, a majority of office employees would prefer remote work to continue in some form, with 68% preferring a hybrid remote working model, according to a Slack survey.

And nearly a third of workers in Workable’s Great Discontent survey put considerable value on remote work.

Integrating work and home a top benefit of working remotely in US

The idea that work could be done remotely was not the only thing employees realized and latched onto. Multiple surveys have revealed that the pandemic caused many people to rethink their career paths. Now, people see upskilling and career pathing as an even greater priority. In fact, BCG found that 50% of U.S. employees are happy to reskill for new roles.

We’ve seen this play out at our own organization. MentorcliQ recently hired a Client Partner from outside of our industry. During their interview process, the candidate proactively asked what resources were available to learn more about the HR space. After hiring, we paired them with an experienced Client Partner through our functional onboarding program who helped them come up to speed in a new space.

Employee needs now go beyond remote work and skills development, however. The pandemic has dramatically increased feelings of loneliness. Even as people demand more remote work and upskilling opportunities, they’re also seeking more options to connect with their colleagues.

Finding ways to foster those types of connections is critical, as loneliness at work increases the risk of turnover. And that’s not lost on employers, who say building connections is a major priority when onboarding new employees remotely.

Mentoring programs offer a solution for all of these challenges. They’re easily adaptable for 100% virtual work environments, in-person workplaces, or remote hybrid workplaces. Your company can also create multiple types of mentoring programs that serve different needs, such as functional skills training, onboarding, or interest-based group mentoring to help employees form deep and lasting connections with their colleagues.

Candidates want to see what you’re doing for DEI

Many companies have been slow to adopt diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. That’s a serious mistake. If you still think DEI is a fad, it’s time to change your thought process. Studies by McKinsey and many others have shown that, on average, companies that are more diverse have better financial performance than their non-diverse counterparts.

While that’s an important business case for DEI, diversity is also a priority for potential new hires, especially those from the Millennial and Gen Z generations. A 2020 Glassdoor survey found that 76% of employees use available diversity metrics to evaluate whether they even want to apply to a potential job. Putting your DEI cards on the table is a distinct advantage.

Consequently, that means if you have mentoring programs that focus on DEI, as well as data to back up the value of those programs, you should make that information available. That can include reverse mentoring programs, talent networks for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ employees, and employee resource groups (ERGs).

Importantly, don’t just say that you have these programs; be willing to give potential hires the freedom to speak to employees who utilize and benefit from these programs.

All good relationships are built on trust. Better quality candidates will be attracted to your company when they feel like you aren’t holding back information that’s critical to their decision to work for you. Show them how you’re using mentoring to increase and foster DEI and they’re more likely to find that your company aligns with their value

Replicate what’s already working to attract better candidates

Hiring managers often feel pressure to get innovative and creative to attract talent. Sometimes, however, the best thing you can do is to see what successful companies are doing and apply those strategies to your own organization.

Recently, MentorcliQ found that 84% of U.S. Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs. That number goes up to 100% among the top 50. The reason why so many of these companies offer mentoring programs is fairly straightforward: through trial and error, the most successful companies in the world discovered that mentoring works.

Consequently, during the economic upheaval of 2020, Fortune 500 companies with visible mentoring programs experienced year-over-year profit changes that were 53% better than Fortune 500 companies with no known mentoring programs.

What you’ll find is that most of these companies also proudly advertise their mentoring programs on their company websites, in job advertisements, and throughout the hiring process. They want potential applicants who research the company to see exactly what perks they offer, and they recognize that most applicants will be attracted to mentoring as one among many perks they look for.

Source: Hilton careers page

Mentoring is versatile; that’s why it works

If your company already has mentoring programs in place, consider leveraging those programs across your public-facing presence and prominently within your hiring process. Make it obvious that you offer mentoring programs so that it’s not a mystery, and ensure that potential applicants know what type of mentoring programs are available.

Don’t have mentoring programs at your organization? It’s never too late to start. Many companies use their existing ERGs as a launching pad for structured mentoring programs. Even starting with an onboarding mentoring program is an easy way to step into mentoring with a huge potential value-add to your organization, both in reducing turnover and attracting talent.

The great thing about mentoring programs is that they’re highly versatile. Understand what your potential applicants are looking for beyond just the salary. Then, speak to that by focusing on the perks that you offer, including how your mentoring programs support personal and career growth, connection, DEI, and/or overall well-being. That’s an investment with high value and return both for you and for your employees.

Lora Zotter is vice president of people operations at MentorcliQ, a mentoring software solution that helps organizations launch, support, and grow high-impact employee mentoring programs. Lora leads MentorcliQ’s global People Ops team with a focus on optimizing every aspect of the employee journey from hiring & onboarding to comp & benefits to internal mentoring & professional development, all while maintaining a fun, engaging, and inclusive culture.

The post Invest in your employees: It’s worth it for both you and them appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

My mind won’t stop freaking out. Day and night, the constant mental chatter and energy drain of trying to support my teams as the world continues to be tremulous and precarious has taken a toll. My mind is sizzling and is omnipresent. I know I am not alone.

It’s not easy – but there’s a better way

I also know that our nervous system is ridiculously under-developed for the tasks at hand. We have essentially brought a fruit roll-up to a knife fight. The world needs us to be responsive, adaptive, nimble while also being compassionate, kind and productive.

While there will always be those who seem to be able to rise to the challenge of adversity and uncertain times, this is not the norm. Most people are reeling from years of micro and macro traumas, all while trying to hold the course of business as usual.

This is not business as usual. We are in a stress season that has lasted longer than anyone could have predicted yet we persist. Because that is what we do.

Stress is everywhere – including at work

Although stress permeates absolutely every part of our lives, we don’t get training on how to navigate stress effectively. Most people model how to ignore, avoid, or ward off stress. Society offers an infinite number of maladaptive ways of escaping stress to no avail. Just as telling an upset person to ‘calm down’, which has never in the history of the world worked, telling someone not to stress is equally ineffective.

Stress is inescapable because it originates inside of us. Trying not to stress is like endeavoring to run away from your own feet. There is an interplay between our reflexes and our reactions. Your body often will react before you are consciously aware of the threat. The faster you react, the safer you are.

Unfortunately, the threats aren’t just coming from one place. We are being peppered in every facet of our lives.

This is why so many people feel such a deep sense of urgency about everything when they are stressed. Stress tells us that everything needs max attention, immediately. It can’t wait.

The response is natural – but it’s not always helpful

Unfortunately, most of the things we are stressing about are not life and death, but our nervous system doesn’t know that.

‘Fight or Flight’ are commonly known stress reactions, but there are actually two others: freezing and fawning. Freezing is a stunned response. Instead of escaping or preparing to have a scuffle, you do nothing. You just stand or sit there. A common example: you watch Netflix so long, the ‘Are you still watching?’ prompt pops up, and despite having a report to write, the next episode starts, and you do nothing to stop it.

The fawning response is when someone is triggered, they acquiesce. Like a little, helpless fawn, when threatened, the person becomes soft, gentle, kind, or accommodating. They exhibit any behavior needed to ward off the enemy by showing that they are not a worthy opponent.

Fawning can take many forms. It could be staying stuck in toxic relationships, to taking on more work, to inviting relatives to a family gathering simply to keep the peace.

The fawning response unpacked

Psychotherapist and trauma expert Pete Walker, who authored Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving, introduced the term and explained it is when people seek safety by appeasing the needs and wishes of others in a self-sacrificing way. It is often associated as a trauma response, but people can fawn without necessarily having experienced trauma.

It is important to note that this is an automatic. All stress reactions happen to us. We don’t get to pick which stress reaction to experience. If we could, that would be helpful. Your physiology, biology and the oldest parts of your brain take over. Your body and mind, without giving your higher-order thinking time to process, are making decisions on your behalf.

With fawning, the evolutionary part of your brain, the one that knows how to survive, reads the situation, and reacts by placating and appeasing. You placate because that is your best option for survival in that moment.

When you fawn, you’re giving yourself up

When you are fawning, you are erasing yourself. You push aside your own needs, feelings, and even thoughts. The reptilian part of your brain cannot even consider speaking up, setting boundaries, or being honest in that moment. It doesn’t have that capacity at all.

Also, even if the more advanced parts of your brain start to engage, you wouldn’t say anything anyway. That would be self-damaging. On some level you might be aware of your needs and feelings, but it is extremely scary to express them, so you become monotropic. You focus only on the other person.

Fawning in the work environment

This fawning response is running rampant in most organizations and companies, yet few are calling it what it is.

A colleague recently shared with me that they were leaving their job. They were having the HR meeting the next day. The exit plan was ready. We planned a call to debrief, unpack, or cry – whatever they needed. With deep frustration, not only did they not resign, they accepted a promotion! This strong, fierce, proud scholar – who studies this very area – fawned.

We cannot control the stress reaction we are going to experience but we can make decisions on how to respond to the reaction. Learning to work with your stress reactions takes insight, work, and a heck of a lot of practice. And still sometimes, nature wins. That’s okay. Your fawning response has kept you safe up to this point. Practice makes better.

What to do about fawning

Here are some researched informed practices that help with fawning and can also serve as critical insights for those working in HR to see the signs.

1. Create spaciousness

Make a rule for yourself not to respond to anything in the moment. Try saying, “I will look into that’, or “I will get back to you by EOD’. This allows enough time for you to shift from stress reaction to thoughtful consideration. You can even put a post-it note on your computer or your phone to remind you.

For leaders and managers: knowing your teams are weary is paramount. Build in this spaciousness. Try not to put people on the spot or add to artificial urgency of needing to know now.

2. Recognize the ’Disease to Please’ factor

Having someone upset or disappointed with you creates discomfort. Be compassionate with yourself and recognize how this behaviour creates a false sense of safety. Realistically, you cannot please everyone, and if you are trying to, you are already not meeting your own needs.

For leaders and managers: it is helpful to notice. Notice who you ask and why you continually ask the same people. To protect team morale, holding everyone accountable is a must. A person who is fawning is likely to take on more than their fair share of the workload.

3. Ensure what you do is aligned with your values

Knowing who you are and who you are not, is critical. Are you betraying yourself in making this decision? Know and hold your boundaries. Your boundaries are your life-enhancing systems, protect them.

For leaders and managers: be aware of who is establishing boundaries and who is not. Notice when emails are being sent. If you see work happen at all hours of the day or even when someone is on vacation, call it. Unfortunately, many people on the team benefit when a fawner doesn’t hold their own boundaries.

4. Embrace all of it

Feelings are fickle friends. We welcome the good things and go to extraordinary lengths to avoid the bad ones. Learning how to sit with all your emotions is a needed skill. And feelings do have a place in professional spaces.

The idea of siloing one’s emotions at work contributes to stress and overwhelm. Of course, we still hold ourselves accountable to being professional, yet we honour the whole person.

5. Be aware and practice your responses

Here is a simple tool that yields tremendous results. It is simply slowing down a wee bit to allow our consciousness to catch up.

• See it: Notice the feeling or behaviour
• Place it: Where is this likely coming from?
• Name it: ‘I am fawning. I am trying to stay safe, but I can choose another way to respond’
• Action it: Do something about it. Let it go. Move on. Try again.

Fawning has its place – but you can learn to manage it …

Fawning is an effective defense mechanism that has served many of us well in our lifetime. And it is totally reasonable to want to reclaim how we react in stressful situations moving forward. Knowing about fawning is an excellent start. Practicing self-compassion is needed.

Thankfully, despite it feeling like everything is coming at us all at once, the reality is we can only react to one thing at a time. If you don’t like how you are showing up, choose again.

… and to lead through it

Leading is not for the faint of heart in normal circumstances. Leading and supporting teams through the last few years requires enhanced strategies. I challenge you to have the courage to intervene when you see fawning behavior. Fawning leaves people feeling alone and disconnected.

Having your leader show up and help hold the line for you, when you need it most, is likely the most effective retention strategy available to us in this great talent resignation. Our top talent isn’t leaving because they have better offers, they are leaving because they no longer feel efficient and capable in their jobs. They are fawning or bowing out. That is the stress talking.

Remember you cannot outthink stress, but you can feel your way through it, especially when you have someone in your corner who gets it.

Be that leader who gets it. You will see first-hand the transformation of what is possible when we create awareness and respond through the lens of psychological safety.

Resilience expert, author, speaker, mom, and multi-award-winning education and psychology instructor Dr. Robyne Hanley-Defoe believes that now more than ever, the fawning response is causing burnout in women who we asked too much of even before the pandemic. In her book Calm Within The Storm: A Pathway to Everyday Resiliency, Dr. Robyne shares her kinder and more sustainable approach to taking on the challenges of life and developing authentic self-alignment and balance using resiliency.

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Pinchai isn’t the only one building office space. Builders are working on 146.6 million square feet of new office space in the United States. Are builders being hopeful or is there a point at which everyone fighting to work from home will start heading back to the office?

And maybe it’s not the office – maybe it’s the space and the location. If it’s dingy and gray and two hours from your home, of course, you don’t want to commute. But if it’s close by and bright with private space? Maybe that’s what people look for. For instance, even people who can work at home are choosing to go to a co-working space instead. You find one close by, they have all the amenities, and there’s opportunity to mingle or even collaborate with like-minded professionals.

Returning to the office gets a bad rap on social media, and some companies are recruiting directly from competitors that announce a return to the office:

From a CEO:

“Every time a competitor mentions return to office our recruiters reach out to their people. We’ve hired 15+ of their engineers in the last 2 months.”

So easy.

— Chris Herd (@chris_herd) October 3, 2021

Don’t take this to mean you don’t need an office. You may well need one, and if you do, you want an office that works for you and your business. Here are some thoughts about what your employees might want if you’re planning to be part of this new office trend.

Ban open office space

This office space trend was a money-saving plan sold on the idea that everyone would collaborate if they shared a table rather than having private space. It turns out, people hate it, and it doesn’t work. Researchers found that people interacted 70% less when they worked in open office settings. They were more likely to use email and instant messages when sitting in a shared space.

If you have a hybrid workforce, you need fewer desks, as not everyone will be in the office simultaneously. Use that to give people their own space. The point of people coming into the office is to have collaboration. Don’t waste that precious office time by having people send each other instant messages while they sit across from each other. Give people offices, or at the very least, cubicles, and watch the communication flow.

But be careful of hot-desking

Hot-desking means you come to work and set up wherever you can find it. People hate that office space trend too. And so you ask, how on earth do you set up private office space for everyone without hot-desking?

Easy. Have two workstations in an office or a cube. Set it up so Jane comes in Tuesdays and Thursdays while Jon comes in Mondays and Wednesdays. On the rare occasions where they are in on the same day at the same time, they can share that space. But, mostly, they’ll have their dedicated, private space.

After all, people like to leave their sweaters at the office or have a picture of their kids or cats on their desk. Hot-desking takes that option away from them.

Your office space reflects your brand

In some cities (for example, Boston), so much office space is empty that you can have your pick of places. What was once a premium space may be much more affordable now. You can be picky and use the cost savings to make your office space something that helps you recruit employees.

Yes, even though people clamor for remote work, remember that many do want to work in a hybrid environment and they’d like for that to be a lovely space. This doesn’t necessarily mean pool tables and bean bags in the break room, like the stereotypical tech startup, but it can mean quality office chairs, good climate control, and free parking.

It can also mean rethinking the office. The owners of a co-working space have to ensure that every person who rents a desk is happy with the space and amenities – with more value to an employee than they get if they work from home.

The owners of traditional office space only need to keep the big boss happy. Who cares if the cubicles are half size and 1970s orange? Employees do, in fact, and co-working spaces know it. When thinking about new office space trends, consider the value of coworking spaces for your employees.

Your employees need a reason to commute

Most white-collar jobs can be done at home. But, some are done better in the office. You need to give your employees a reason to come into the office – beyond just having a nice destination for work.

Maybe you have a good cafeteria or you’re near good restaurants. (Cities and restaurant owners would love it if your employees went out to lunch again.) Maybe you add a room for yoga or have an office space across the street from a fitness center. Then strike up a deal with the fitness center – your employees might appreciate that. Maybe it’s high-quality catered lunches, or a quality lunch-and-learn every Thursday for those in person.

You want to make sure your space reflects your brand. When someone walks into your office space, they should automatically know something about your business. If you’re in creaky, old, and dark basement rooms, it’s time to move upstairs and into the light – unless you’re in the business of keeping secrets.

Be honest about your office

Sometimes companies lie about remote work in their job postings – assuming everyone wants to work from home. They figure they’ll hire you, get you working for a few weeks, and then drop the bomb that you need to come into the office. Don’t do that – that will reflect poorly on your employer brand.

If employees have the choice on how they work – say so. If you want everyone in the office all the time, say so (and be prepared to see your applicants drop). If you want people to have a hybrid approach to work, proclaim that loudly on your job postings. And be honest about what that means.

If it means working from home twice a month and the rest of the time in the office, that’s very different from the opposite. Just be upfront!

For example, Gallup described a hybrid working situation like this:

“A flexible, casual and hybrid work environment that allows you to work on-site and from home (you will determine with your manager and team what hybrid looks like for you).”

Visa spells it out very specifically:

“Employees in hybrid roles are expected to work from the office two days a week, Tuesdays and Wednesdays with a general guidepost of being in the office 50% of the time based on business needs.”

That’s so much better than companies (which shall remain nameless to protect the guilty) simply have a remote/hybrid box checked off.

If your office space is welcoming and reflects a positive culture, it can be a powerful recruiting tool. People want to work at least some of the time in the office – but only if it’s a nice place to work.

Know what they want before you commit

We all love the “sunk cost fallacy.” We tend “to follow through on an endeavor if we have already invested time, effort, or money into it, whether or not the current costs outweigh the benefits.” If you have already spent big bucks remodeling office space or have three more years on your lease, you may wish to ‘protect’ your return on that investment by requiring everyone to return.

But, turnover can rapidly negate any justification for having space people don’t want to work in. Take the time to speak to your employees about what they want. You may find that the majority in fact want to be in the office. You may find the opposite. You won’t know until you ask the employees themselves.

By taking the time to speak with your current staff, you’ll be more likely to make a decision that reflects your current company culture – not just the culture you think you have. Keeping your current employees happy also goes a long way toward recruiting new ones. After all, candidates ask around about how much people like working there.

Will more and more people return to the office voluntarily, or are these builders full of wishful thinking? Is this new office space trend going to fizzle out? Only time will tell. But as you ponder what to do with your office space, think through how this reflects on your business and how it makes your employees feel. That will help you make the right decision.

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In our Great Discontent survey of 750 workers in the United States, we found that the ‘community’ of the workplace is very important to workers – more so than the externally facing aspects of a company such as their reputation and even their contribution to society at large.

Let’s take a deeper look at what the data shows us.

How important is workplace community?

When we asked what elements of an employer would attract respondents to a new opportunity, the number-one factor picked by respondents is their relationship with colleagues and teammates (37.1%) followed by overall company culture (34.7%).

Close behind are management and executive leadership (33.1%) and responsiveness to individual employees (31.3%).

At the bottom of that list are social / environmental / DEI engagement at just 13% and brand reputation at 16.4%. Respondents are even lukewarm when it comes to a company’s mission / vision / values (25.3%). Which may come as a bit of a surprise, considering the growth in social awareness and activism in recent years – one would think this would also translate into the workplace.

But there’s a potential explanation: the lower value placed on those more value-driven aspects of a business shows that people aren’t as attracted to those elements of a prospective employer as they are by their relationships with others in the workplace – be they colleagues or management.

“The workplace I’m in has a great foundation of workers; we all contribute and support each other and have nothing but encouraging words to say to each other.”

This makes sense, especially since respondents were asked to choose three from this list. It shows what they prioritize in an employer. People want to work well with others, and they want to work in a healthy company culture with capable leaders and managers. They like a healthy workplace community.

“Yes. Strong leaders have strong teams. Never start somewhere that’s already, or constantly in disarray. You can’t jump on a sinking ship to save them.”

How important is employee experience?

The same rings true when asking the question about what employees would like to see improved for a better employee experience in their current capacity, with some additional insights.

Management and executive leadership tops the list (38.7%) followed by responsiveness of a company to individual employees (37%). Again, the externally facing and brand-related elements rank at the bottom of what employers can do to better the working lives of their employees.

This indicates that it’s not just about relationships and workplace community – it’s also the sense of feeling like you’re an important part of the company as a whole. We all like to turn to our leaders for guidance and inspiration; it’s a common facet of human life.

And we like to be listened to; if our voices are heard, and in turn, acted on, that is a very powerful thing.

“I think a workplace should be transparent and the executives should interact with employees more and let them know what is going on instead of sending an email.”

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Let’s dig in:

How important is workplace community?

When we asked what aspects about an employer would attract respondents to a new opportunity, the most popular attractor picked by respondents is their relationship with colleagues and teammates (47.3%) with overall company culture (34.7%) lagging behind in second.

Responsiveness of the company to individual employees is in third at 28.3%. Management and executive leadership, company mission / vision / values, brand reputation, and company transparency were more or less evenly represented down the list – except for one.

Lingering at the very bottom of the list is social / environmental / DEI engagement and action, with just 13.4% of respondents picking that as something that would attract them to a new employer.

The lower value placed on those more value-driven aspects of a business shows that workers will be more likely to move because of an opportunity for stronger relationships with others in the workplace, whether they’re colleagues or management. This doesn’t necessarily mean that social / environmental / DEI engagement and action are not valued – they’re just not what people will move for.

These selections also make sense because respondents were asked to choose only three from this list. It shows what they prioritize in an employer. It’s very important to workers in the UK that they work well with others – and to have a thriving, healthy workplace community.

How important is employee experience?

The same rings true when asking the question about what employees would like to see improved for a better employee experience in their current capacity, with some additional insights.

Again, relationships with other workers tops the list, with 31.8% of respondents picking that as one of the three areas for improvement at their current employer. Respondents also want to see better responsiveness of the company to individual needs (30.1%), and improved management and executive leadership (27.2%).

“Managers should do 1-to-1 with staff; staff can share more ideas and problems.”

Again, the externally facing and brand-related elements rank at the bottom of what employers can do to better the working lives of their employees – especially brand reputation (7%).

No one likes to work in a vacuum. People like to work with people, and they want that to be a good relationship. And we like to be listened to; if our voices are heard, and in turn, acted on, that makes for a very powerful and positive workplace community and overall employee experience.

“If an employer shows that employees are valued, rewarded for loyalty and good welfare is in place then employees will be attracted or stay.”

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This kind of attitude is familiar – “If it doesn’t affect me, it shouldn’t affect you”. After all, you aren’t personally involved in the crisis. Whether it’s a war in Ukraine, a terrorist attack in West Africa, or even a terrible car accident on the freeway, people often assume that it’s no big deal unless you yourself were there.

They are wrong. And as managers and HR people, we need to be aware of the world and local events and understand that even people without obvious connections may be shattered by what goes on elsewhere. You need to support your employees during crisis. Here’s why, and what you need to do.

Everywhere is more global than you realize

I went to high school in St. George, Utah, with Michelle Truax. She was the high school orchestra concertmistress, and I was a very bad cellist. If you know anything about St. George in the 1980s and 1990s, you’d know it was not a very diverse place.

And yet, today, Michelle is the mother of seven children, three of which she and her husband adopted as teenagers from Ukraine. Her children remember their Ukrainian families and keep in touch, and so, why you might see Michelle as a woman from Southern Utah, she’s also a mother of Ukrainian children, and you can bet that this war affects her life.

Also, 13.7% of people living in the United States immigrated from another country. They, most likely, still have friends and families in their countries of origin. Their American-born children are likely still deeply connected as well. And Ukraine isn’t the only country in crisis. Just because you haven’t heard about a particular tragedy doesn’t mean it doesn’t profoundly hurt your employee.

And it’s not just the United States that has a diverse population. Here are the top 10 countries based on foreign-born residents:

1. United States — 50.6 million
2. Germany — 15.8 million
3. Saudi Arabia — 13.5 million
4. Russia — 11.6 million
5. United Kingdom — 9.4 million
6. United Arab Emirates — 8.7 million
7. France — 8.5 million
8. Canada — 8.0 million
9. Australia — 7.7 million
10. Spain — 6.8 million

So how do you react to this information? When tragedy strikes, assume someone in your organization is closely connected to that country. If they are stressed or concerned, listen. Do what you can to support your employees.

1. Do something

If you have employees in Poland, they may well be housing Ukrainian refugees. But your employees in Boston are far less likely to be taking strangers into their homes. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do something to help.

You can organize a fundraiser or join a reputable organization to raise funds. This can support your employees during a crisis and helps your employees feel like you care. Doing something, no matter how small, makes people feel like they can make something a little bit better.

You may even have employees in Ukraine or Russia who are affected firsthand by the war. Many companies in this situation are reinvesting their resources and are actively working to move these employees to safety.

With a big crisis like the Ukrainian invasion, there are obvious ways to help. With smaller or local problems, it might not be so obvious, but there is always something your company can do.

2. Compassion is better than sympathy

You can be sympathetic, and it can still come across as cold, even though you don’t mean to. Harvard Medical School Psychologist Susan David breaks down the differences in how you react to someone else’s problems and pain. Here are her three examples:

• Sympathy: I’m so sorry you’re in pain. (Distant)
• Empathy: I can imagine what this pain feels like. (Shared)
• Compassion: You are suffering, and I will do what I can to help. (Connected and Action-oriented)

Compassion is the best way forward when an employee struggles, whether from a personal problem or a global tragedy. What you can do will vary from person to person and from job to job, but doing what you can and asking your employees what they need is genuine compassion.

Don’t assume based on what you think you would need – ask. And keep in mind that sometimes, your well-meaning suggestions may sound tone-deaf. For example, if an employee comes to you and says the war in Ukraine is very stressful because her relatives live there, and you respond, “Remember, self-care is important. Why don’t you take a day off to relax?”

You may be trying to be nice, but your employee may respond; “How on earth can I relax when they are hiding in the basement of their apartment building?”

Focusing on compassion is never a wrong way to support your employees during a crisis.

3. Remember your Employee Assistance Program

You probably have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that comes with your insurance – and if not, look into getting one. The EAP can be like magic in times of crisis. They have access to resources you wouldn’t think of, and your employees might not know what they need. Remind your employees that they can call, and you won’t even know they did. (Your EAP should report only that someone used their services and not identify the person.)

It’s not the first thing that comes to people’s minds in times of crisis, so remind people that it’s there. Post the details in the break rooms or distribute them via online channels such as Slack. Let people know that you want them to call if they need help – and emphasize the privacy to support those employees who may be otherwise hesitant during a crisis.

4. Be as flexible as possible

When an employee suddenly finds their cousins will be arriving from a war-torn area or following a natural disaster, your employee will need time and money to prepare for their family members. If you can offer extra time off, allow your other employees to donate their days, or put out a call for beds and dressers, it can be a tremendous help.

If someone needs to travel without much notice, even if it’s your busy season, remember to be compassionate – this is something you can do.

If someone needs time off because of stress or anxiety, it’s possible that FMLA or ADA can cover that. Send them to their doctor. And if not? Be proactive and give it anyway. Remember, it will take you far longer to replace an employee that quits because you couldn’t be flexible in times of trial than it would to give them the time off and show that you’re thinking about them.

The war in Ukraine won’t be the last tragedy that befalls us, so even if this doesn’t affect your employees directly, the next thing might. Prepare now for the next problem.

The post How to support your employees during a crisis appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Not only that, but the company:

• Achieved a 45% year-over-year growth
• Quadrupled its revenue since 2016
• Has more than half a million students in their courses
• Was featured in the WorldBlu List of Most Democratic Workplaces for 11 years in a row
• Won three Malaysia’s Healthiest Workplace awards in 2019, for the healthiest employees, healthiest employer, and healthiest work environment
• Has a 4.1 satisfaction rating on Glassdoor, on par with Microsoft, Siemens, and O2

Also, they achieved all this with a predominantly millennial workforce; the average age of Mindvalley’s employees is 26.

The Pygmalion effect worked wonders for Mindvalley, so let’s look at what it is exactly, and how you can use it in your workplace.

What is the Pygmalion effect?

The Pygmalion effect describes the positive effect other people’s expectations have on a person’s performance. Otherwise said, what we think, act, perceive, and achieve can be positively influenced by other people’s expectations of us.

It was named after the Greek sculptor Pygmalion who carved a statue and wished (expected) for it to come alive… and it did!

Today, the effect is also known as the Rosenthal effect, after psychologist Robert Rosenthal, who studied the Pygmalion effect extensively.

Rosenthal conducted research in the classroom where he gave children an IQ test. After that, he shared the list of top performing kids with the teacher, and observed the teacher’s resulting behavior

The kids who were deemed fast learners progressed way better than the other kids because the teacher had higher expectations for them. The catch? Those ‘fast learners’ were actually selected at random and not at all due to their IQ test results.

The only difference in their learning was the teacher’s expectations from them. And still, they performed better than their peers and got better results regardless of their actual IQ test scores.

But the Pygmalion effect isn’t only limited to the classroom — it can be used in different work settings, from factories and banks to different service industries and even in the military. Companies such as Southwest Airlines, Ritz-Carlton, and Zappos all use it on a daily basis.

Four ways to use the Pygmalion effect in the workplace

Researchers have defined the four factors that will help organizations implement the Pygmalion effect in the workplace:

1. Establish a leader-member exchange relationship
2. Set goals
3. Enable learning opportunities
4. Provide timely and detailed feedback

Let’s look into each one.

1. Establish a leader-member exchange relationship

A strong manager-employee working relationship is all about creating a warm, nurturing, and safe environment where the newly hired worker can feel at ease, and easily focus on the task at hand.

The foundation of this relationship is trust, respect, and mutual obligation.

For this to work out, the leader needs to set up high expectations in a safe environment, whereas employees will feel motivated to fulfill those expectations.

They both create a relationship of trust, where they believe in each other and where there are no hidden agendas. The manager wants the employee to grow and be productive, while the employee doesn’t want to let down the manager.

How to implement this factor in the hiring process:

• Use a collaborative hiring process to immediately introduce the candidate to their future coworkers. The candidate will integrate easily with the new team, as they should have already met fellow team members during the hiring process.

2. Set clear and attainable goals

The leader needs to help the team member set high expectations for their goals. For this, the goals need to be:

• Specific. The employee needs to know exactly when a goal is reached.
• Difficult. The leader will set goals that are out of the worker’s comfort zone so they will have to apply themselves in order to succeed.
• Ambitious but realistic. The team member needs to know that if they apply themselves, they’ll hit the goal. If the goal is far above their current skill set, they’ll communicate that before they even start.

How to implement this factor in the hiring process:

• In the later stages of your hiring process, you can present challenges and case studies that are relevant to the candidate’s role and field.
• You can even include performance metrics (i.e. KPIs, OKRs) for the outlined goals in your job description. This will communicate to the candidates what’s expected from them to succeed in that specific role.

3. Enable learning opportunities

In the mid-1960s, Dr. James W. Sweeney was a teacher at the Tulane Biomedical Computer Center in New Orleans. He believed he could teach anyone to become a capable computer operator. And he did just that with George Johnson, a former hospital porter turned janitor, who was deemed a slow learner and was a poorly educated man.

Sweeney managed to teach Johnson so well that he became one of the top computer experts at the university. This event later became known as Sweeney’s Miracle.

Learning opportunities are essential in today’s marketplace. According to Gallup, 59% of millennials stated that learning and growth opportunities are crucial to them when picking out a job. Likewise for tech workers – another survey finds that 62% of tech workers cited “More training and learning” as a top motivator at work.

And finally, learning opportunities are more about the leader than the member. Creating the right learning environment means that the leader is not only confident in the employee’s ability to learn, but that they’re confident in their own ability to teach.

How to implement this factor in the hiring process:

• Include learning opportunities in your hiring process as a value proposition and attractor. You can even invite your candidates to take part in different learning opportunities such as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses).
• You can include details of your learning opportunities in your job description. That way, you will communicate to Millennials that they can grow personally and professionally in your company.

4. Provide timely and detailed feedback

Feedback helps the employee realize how far the goal is from where they’re currently at.

Leaders in organizations will usually offer more feedback to the candidates and employees they expect more of. They will also provide feedback more often with the focus on helping team members grow and improve.

Feedback will help employees grow personally and professionally. This means that they’ll reciprocate the attention by trusting their leaders and engaging in the task.

How to implement this factor in the hiring process:

• Have your managers with the best teaching skills mentor and onboard new employees in the company.
• According to research, the expectations set to the new employees in the first year will determine how much they contribute to the organizations within the next five years. So put your best people on it.
• Assign a mentor and a buddy to the new hire in your organization. A buddy will help with social integration, while a mentor will teach them the tools of the trade.
• Provide feedback to the candidates that didn’t make the cut. That will motivate them to apply again when they acquire new skills.

And now, the Golem effect

Leaders communicate the most when they try to communicate the least. Just think about it — silence, at a moment when you should be speaking, says more than anything you could say with words.

So if you have a leader who has low expectations for his or her team members or candidates, the opposite of the Pygmalion effect will happen — The Golem Effect. The low expectations from the manager causes the employees to fulfill those expectations, causing bad performance.

That’s exactly what happened at the Metropolitan Rockaway district office where they grouped agents with poor productivity into a single team. The agents’ productivity plummeted even further because even their manager knew that this group of agents was “the unsuccessful one.” Even nonverbal signs of communication set those expectations to the agents (such as being put in the group in the first place).

Otherwise said, employees (or applicants) will fulfill the expectations and their results will match the expectations from their leader, manager, or recruiter.

Believe in your people

In the end, people do what they believe they’re expected to do.

So believe in your people and have high expectations for them. You can further boost their performance by:

• Creating a safe environment where they can grow
• Pushing them to set goals that are audacious, but yet realistic
• Providing them with as many learning opportunities as possible
• Helping them grow by giving encouraging feedback (and doing it often)

Because if you follow these tips, you may find the same kind of employee engagement and retention numbers as that of Mindvalley. And not only can you use the Pygmalion effect in the workplace to retain top talent— you can use it to attract top talent.

Millennials want to work in an environment where they’re expected to be better, grow, and succeed. And with just a little bit of effort, your organization can be that place. You can break the ice by giving your employees flexible work hours – a way of showing trust and confidence in them.

And keep going from there. Rosenthal would agree and support that strategy.

The post Why you need the Pygmalion effect in your workplace appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Then in 2020, many people took their work home, and some moved from California to Kentucky.

But their job didn’t change, and the pandemic continued for too long, and now, no one wants to come back to the office. Just what do you do about salaries now that the employee can choose their own cost of living?

Since salary is top of mind for many active and potential jobseekers, it’s an important discussion.

So, let’s look at the options you have as an employer when considering salary structure:

Option 1: Ignore location when considering salaries

Historically, all salaries were local because everything was local. Your clients lived next door, and you couldn’t charge more than they could pay. Today, whether you are in manufacturing or app building, your clients could be anywhere across the globe.

So, it makes little sense to determine a salary based on where someone lives when their labor brings revenue from elsewhere. (There are, of course, strictly location-based jobs: plumbers, retail workers, dentists, etc.) But even a manufacturing plant could be supplying products for New York City just as easily as it supplies products for Nebraska.

With these thoughts in mind, you calculate salaries based on the value the person brings to the company – regardless of where they sit. Whether in an office or from home, it’s all about value.

This can be difficult to calculate – with a salesperson, it’s easy: it’s a percentage of how much they sell. It can also be easy for a manufacturing plant – how much product do they produce? But what about your HR person? Your IT person?

While good people in these positions bring value to the company, that value can be hard to calculate. Just how much money does your HR person save you by ensuring your company complies with employment laws? The answer could literally be millions. But, no one calculates it that way.

Fortunately, you don’t have to do too much fancy math to figure this out. Take your current salaries and advertise new positions based on those salaries. If qualified people apply, great! You’ve found the right compensation. If only unqualified people apply, bump it up. If you get 100 overqualified people applying, you’re probably offering too much.

Option 2: Location is everything

Google said they would vary salaries based on location as part of their return-to-work program. If you stay in California, you’ll make more money than if you relocate to Texas.

You can buy a much bigger house in Texas for a lot less money than your tiny San Francisco apartment, so people are pretty okay with that.

But, what if you currently operate out of Texas and say, “Everyone who wants to can work from home!” and then someone moves to San Francisco? Most companies will balk at increasing a salary when someone moves. It’s worth noting that Google’s headquarters are in a costly location (San Francisco) so they save money by following this plan.

Towns that have been inundated with big-city refugees are tired of watching their housing prices soar as big-salaried Californians snap up properties. It can be devastating for local groups.

Option 3: Think hybrid

The best solution is a hybrid one: you need to consider both location and national salaries for jobs – especially those in high demand that can be done remotely. While it may not seem fiscally responsible to pay more than you absolutely have to, the Great Resignation means that you may have a hard time keeping people if you’re not willing to be on the high end of compensation market rates.

People who need to be onsite – either full time or a couple of days a week – will need to live close by and you can look towards more localized salaries. People who can literally live anywhere won’t want to take a lower salary just because they’ve moved away.

Be very clear about your salaries when hiring. And be honest about remote working opportunities. Candidates don’t like the bait-and-switch technique where you advertise the position as “remote” but then switch that to in-office or even hybrid.

And, as far as keeping costs down, remember, if an employee is working 100% remotely, you don’t need to pay for space for that employee. You’re saving money on office costs – pay that forward in the form of higher salaries.

Shifting salaries, shifting locations

This may all become a moot point as local market rates start to disappear – at least for jobs that can be done remotely. Even if you require your accountant to work onsite, you may find that you’ll have to pay the same amount as someone in a wealthier area would. Right now, salaries are changing, and we’ll see how it plays out.

And while people clamor loudly for remote work opportunities, there is no guarantee that those preferences are fixed. When it’s just you and your spouse working from home, it can be pleasant. Add three kids and a dog, and you just might look forward to the office every day.

Related: What about salary transparency? See Suzanne’s take on that as well.

And people are moving – from California, Illinois, and New York (among others) to Idaho, Florida and Texas. As things shift around, the most important thing is for you to pay attention. If you struggle to hire or retain staff, you’ll need to change how you do things. If you’re open with your salary ranges and working conditions and get plenty of applicants, you’re doing it right.

Remember, if you wait to adjust until some expert tells you what you should do, you’re too late. And that may mean paying based on location and it may mean paying on skills only. You’ll have to pay attention and get ahead accordingly.

The post Salary based on location versus pay for value: which is better? appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

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How taboos change

Can you recommend a therapist? Have you had therapy?

Those questions would have been shocking and rude in previous times, but Gen Z has no problem talking about mental health and seeking therapy or medication. How did this happen?

Very Well Mind theorizes, “Gen Z has grown up in a world where it’s normal and considered natural to get treatment for psychological problems. They don’t know any different, and so they don’t attach any bad feelings to speaking about it.”

Gen Z alone doesn’t deserve the credit for being open – it was also the hard work of previous generations that worked to remove stigmas around discussing mental health. The result is a generation with the ability to talk about these things openly.

We are with salary now where we were 30 years ago with mental health. People are starting to talk about it – in fact, a Glassdoor survey finds 70% of employees across seven countries say salary transparency is a good thing.

It’s still a taboo for many, though. People are working hard to change that, though.

New laws around salaries

Some of these taboos around pay transparency are being broken by state legislatures. For instance, Colorado and New York City both have laws requiring salary ranges on job postings. Companies worked around the Colorado law by advertising in their job ads that remote employees could work in any state but Colorado – because they didn’t want to share salary information.

New York City’s law didn’t go into effect until May 15, 2022. Even then, with so many big companies already located there, it’s not likely to prevent companies from going the Colorado company route and offering remote positions in the Big Apple.

Twenty-two states have bans on asking job candidates to produce their salary histories. That may seem like a step backward for salary transparency, but the opposite is true: when companies can’t rely on a person’s previous salary they have to create their own salary around market rates. Knowing previous salaries helped employers to maintain disparate pay and gave companies strong reasons to not want people to speak about it.

For example, if Bianca was making $40,000 at her last job and Dimitri was earning $50,000 at his last job, and you offer them both a 10-percent increase, you can pat yourself on the back and say you’re fair. But, deep down, you know that is not fair.

By not allowing employers to know previous salaries, they are more likely to offer a reasonable wage to both. Without that salary gap, they are less inclined to care if Bianca and Dimitri compare salaries.

Employees have the right to talk salaries

The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) in the United States protects the rights of employees to talk about their salaries with their coworkers. This is called “concerted activity,” and the National Labor Relations Board doesn’t look kindly on companies that punish employees from talking about it.

That doesn’t stop companies from attempting to ban salary discussions. Even big names like Apple and Google get nervous when employees discuss salaries. But talk you can – just perhaps not on company servers.

With the ease that people can share information now, it seems more and more likely that these outlier spreadsheets will become the norm.

People leading the pay transparency shift

Alison Green, who writes the Ask a Manager Blog, asks people to share their salaries. The result is a sortable spreadsheet with 24,000 responses that can help you determine your own market worth.

Also, the Global Editor of Business Insider, Nicholas Carlson, announced a new project to help demystify salaries:

Insider is launching a series that demystifies people's salaries, and we need your help https://t.co/lsaYePUyEz

— Nicholas Carlson (@nichcarlson) January 25, 2022

But, when asked to share his own salary, he balked, responding:

“Fun question! I’d rather not say publicly for lots of practical reasons I’m sure you can imagine. This feels a little wimpy but also prudent. I think I would submit it to some third party I could trust to keep it anonymous and average it with other people in roles like mine.”

https://twitter.com/beckpeterson/status/1486054955718950914

We do, it seems, want everyone else to go first. I’ll tell you my salary if you tell me yours, but you better go first!

Well, somebody needs to go first.

How is recruiting and hiring affected?

People push back on companies that won’t share salary ranges up front. With many areas facing a labor shortage, quality candidates won’t waste their time on companies that won’t open up about salaries – whether up front or early in the recruitment process.

Even if you’re not hiring in Colorado or NYC, you will increase your candidate pool by being honest – unless your salaries are too low.

Plus, it saves everyone time and effort if you speak up first. It also cuts down on the potential for discrimination and bias.

Recruiter Mercedes Johnson found out the hard way how people won’t stand for hidden salaries that result in underpaying people. She wrote a Facebook post that stated:

“I just offered a candidate $85,000 for a job that had a budget of 130K. I offered her that because that’s what she asked for & I personally don’t have the bandwidth to give lessons on salary negotiation. Here’s the lesson: ALWAYS ASK FOR THE SALARY YOU WANT (DESERVE), no matter how large you think it might be. You never know how much money a company has to work with. #BeConfident”

The response was not “Oh yes; I should negotiate better,” but instead went on the offensive against Johnson. In short – the candidate shouldn’t have to be confident in negotiations. Rather, the onus should be on the company to be upfront about the pay for a job.

There are 2 types of ppl in this world smh pic.twitter.com/dlHA3rXJWB

— BOOBERELLA (@TE_AMO_COURT) January 29, 2022

Johnson learned her lesson – and was let go from her role – but companies that try to keep salaries hush-hush may find themselves on the wrong side of Twitter or /r/antiwork. It’s not a nice place to be.

Let’s all be open about how much we’re being paid for a job. You tell me yours, and I’ll let you know mine.

The post Salary transparency: Good thing for employees – and employers? appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

And there’s a lot of work to be done yet. One of Amy’s core objectives going into 2022 is to maintain employee retention and engagement while at the same time tripling the size of the business throughout the year.

In her words: “We’re going to have some enormous growth.”

In the midst of all of that is keeping her team members – both current and future – motivated.

This means, she says, “investing in all of our people to ensure that our culture is one that everybody’s super excited to be a part of and where they can grow their careers and do some of the best work of their lives, and have a lot of fun in the process.”

Doing that in a high-volume tech hiring space is a big undertaking – but she’s succeeding in the venture with a combination of expertise and street smarts.

On surviving the Big Quit

One of the significant developments of 2021 is, of course, the Great Resignation in the United States. Quit rates in the country are at an unprecedented high – reaching as high as 3% of the total working population with upwards of four million workers handing in their notice every month from July 2021 to November 2021.

Add to that an increasingly loud voice among younger workers about their disillusion with current work culture – so succinctly and blatantly on display in Reddit’s Antiwork community (which employers do need to pay attention to).

While obvious, this does signal a clear shift in the talent market. The onus is no longer on candidates to prove their worth to an employer; it’s now on the employer to position themselves as a place where people want to work. So, the question bears asking: what’s the employee value proposition that you can offer to make your job opportunity more attractive to a prospective employee?

For Amy, that value prop includes the working environment that you’re creating for them.

“I think the trend in 2022 is that people are going to look for companies that want to invest in them,” Amy says. “They’re going to look for companies that are flexible and aren’t going to require that they go into an office that they don’t want to go into, that will continue to afford them the flexibility that they’ve all grown to appreciate.”

And this isn’t going to end anytime soon. In fact, it marks a paradigm shift that employers need to adapt to. The Great Discontent report released in mid-2021 shows that flexible work options is high up the list of things that candidates value in a job, with 37.5% of US workers saying it’s one value proposition that would attract them to a new opportunity.

And SMBs that think about their employees first are the ones that’ll get ahead in the new talent game, says Amy.

“Companies are starting to realize how important engagement and investment is in their people,” she explains. “And those are the companies that are winning. And so if you were to talk to those companies, they would probably report lower than market averages in terms of loss. And the reason is because they have the formula. They understand what they need to do.”

Amy does offer a caveat – this needs to be done in a way that supports both ends of the equation.

“[Employers] have to create a trusting environment and a supportive environment and still be able to drive productivity and all the things that are core and critical to the business in an effective way. So I realize that there’s a balancing act here. Employers want to be able to maximize the return from the people.”

There’s tangible proof of the ROI in all this. A 2017 Gallup study finds that highly engaged employees lead to a 17% increase in company productivity, and 24% less turnover in companies in high-turnover sectors.

Amy doubles down on that message – because of that clear ROI, companies need to put in the work to meet those new expectations in the talent market.

“[That’s the] balancing act for 2022 that people really have to figure out.”

On investing in your workers

So how exactly do you ‘invest’ in your people? One area surging in popularity in 2022 is learning and development. In a survey commissioned by Workable and TalentLMS, 91% of tech workers want more learning opportunities from their current employers and 58% cited “skills development” as one criteria in choosing who they want to work for. It’s also a top motivator for tech employees.

And there are other ways to attract and engage employees – Amy shares a few more with us.

The value of connection

Amy stressed several times the importance of ensuring that workers feel connected to the company, whether that’s in a remote environment or otherwise.

“First of all, you have a full-time person dedicated to building the community, whether it’s different activities, whether it’s different communication strategies; there’s a number of different things that have to happen in order for that to be done effectively.”

We’re humans after all – the sense of community in the workplace can be a powerful thing.

The value of compensation

In the above-mentioned Great Discontent worker survey, 63% of workers cited salary as the reason why they’re looking elsewhere for a new job – and 62% say it’s the top factor in their decision to move to a new job.

It’s clear: companies must think about compensation in their value proposition.

“I do think you have to pay people competitively for the market, for their job. And so if you’re underpaying people and you’ve gotten away with it so far, you probably won’t continue to get away with it because people are starting to realize what they’re worth because of how hot the market is.”

This doesn’t mean giving raises across the board, she cautions. It’s more about fair market value.

“You have to pay people what the market suggests they’re worth or they’ll find a company that will.”

The value of people

Ultimately, whether it’s salary, learning & development, or connectivity, what people officers need to be thinking about is the ‘people’ factor. Employees are people too.

“If you’re treating people the way they want to be treated and they feel connected to your mission and connected to the business, they aren’t leaving. People that are leaving because they don’t feel connected. They don’t feel appreciated and they feel like there’s better opportunities for them.”

When your employees take pride in what they do and feel part of a larger mission, that can be even more motivating than a straight-up higher salary – if you’re one SMB that may be challenged in your ability to offer higher wages, this can be a good workaround.

On proactively sourcing candidates

Now, let’s get to the other challenge of the Great Resignation – the dwindling number of candidates that we’re seeing in our Hiring Pulse data and elsewhere. When you take a month’s candidates per hire and compare it with the average CPH of the previous three months, there was a negative trend in that data every single month in 2021:

It’s doubly a challenge for companies like the one Amy works at when high-volume hiring is part of the overall company strategy.

“We don’t have much of an employer brand [because] the company’s only three years old. And so our lower candidate pipeline, I would attribute to not having a strong employer brand because we’re a new company.”

But that means the work is cut out for Relay Payment’s recruitment team, which has resorted to fresh strategies to bring new candidates into the hiring process under Amy’s leadership – at high volume too.

“We get a lot of hires from referrals. I would say 30% of our hires in 2021 were referral-based,” Amy says, adding that they offer bonuses to team members who have successfully referred a candidate who ultimately gets hired.

The lack of a strong, recognizable employer brand is a challenge facing many SMBs, and Amy is well aware of that. She has ways to get around that.

“Our recruiters have had to work really hard to source candidates proactively because people don’t know us well enough to have a big application pipeline.”

So how do you do that? A ton of stuff, says Amy, who cites LinkedIn Recruiter – which she admits is expensive – as a tool to get the word out about a job, and external recruiters when they need to make a niche hire or when time is of the essence. Searching for candidates in Google using related keywords is also an effective strategy.

On growing the team that grows teams

But that’s a lot of work, of course. Amy has a solution for that: Hire more recruiters.

“I actually just doubled the size of my recruiting team in the last week,” she says. “I hired my first dedicated recruiter last summer. I hired a second recruiter in October [2021] and I just hired two [in early January 2022] that will start [in February]. So I’ve gone from one recruiter to four in like eight months.”

The reason being – if you have more team members dedicated to the specific goals in recruitment, you’ll draw more applicants for your open roles.

“The volume of people that you’ve got building your brand and sourcing and building pipelines will also help generate an enormous amount of activity as compared to having fewer people.”

“The volume of people that you’ve got building your brand and sourcing and building pipelines will also help generate an enormous amount of activity as compared to having fewer people.”

Anyone in sales and marketing will understand Amy’s thinking process here. If you want to see increased conversions (i.e. hires), you not only have to bring in the right kind of candidate via referrals and online search – you also have to bring in more candidates.

“For us, it’s about bigger pipelines. We want bigger top of funnel. So how do you invest to get your top of funnel big enough, such that if you have 90 of a specific type of role that you want to hire in a year? [This] is what we’re doing with our AE team. We’re going to add 90 AEs [in 2022].”

And even with the candidates-per-hire metric steadily dropping month over month in 2021 and 2022, any SMB worth their salt – including Relay Payments – will want to have a healthy selection of candidates for any given role. Amy is vividly aware of that.

“If you do the math to back into 90 hires, what do you need your funnel to be? It’s gotta be enormous.”

That’s hiring and retention at scale in Amy’s world. What’s yours? Share your workplace story with us and you may see it get published!

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It’s not just that flexible work has benefits – it’s a highly desired, and in many cases, much-needed component of work. If you, as an employer, can realistically offer this option – especially flexible schedules – your value proposition can only grow in the eyes of candidates who have a wealth of choices at their disposal. You may even find that the Great Resignation and the much-bewailed candidate shortage are things that don’t even apply to you.

If you don’t offer flexible work, especially if you could, the consequences could be considerable. Consider the backlash against Apple in their initial drive to move back to an in-person working environment. Employees left in droves for other options, and the media coverage was fierce and uncompromising.

This can’t reflect well on their reputation as an employer. A return to office has its merits – and in some cases, requirements – but in many cases, businesses have the technology and wherewithal to make it work. Employees themselves have shown that it can work as well.

The second lesson is that for workers, an outstanding brand reputation such as Apple’s doesn’t even matter that much (more on that below). Rather, people simply want the option to work flexibly.

We’re going to see more of this misalignment of priorities between employees and their employers – going forward. When we asked respondents about the current situation in regards to remote/hybrid work at their place of employment, more than half (52.8%) say their employer introduced it during the pandemic and will (or probably will) return to on-location work once things stabilize.

The same disconnect applies to flexible work schedules as well, with 43.8% saying flexible work schedules were introduced during the pandemic and will (or probably will) go back to set schedules when things return to ‘normal’ – whenever that may be, or whatever that may be.

There’s a clear divide between employees and employers in work setups. Many employees like remote work and especially love flexible schedules. Many even need one or both. And a good portion of employers aren’t adapting to that new reality – the stigma against flexible work doesn’t help much, either.

With such a resounding voice in our dataset valuing flexible work, consider establishing it as a permanent strategy where possible if you want to attract new talent and retain your existing employee base. Your success as a company may depend on it.

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It’s not just that flexible work has benefits – it’s a highly desired, and in many cases, much-needed component of work. If you, as an employer, can realistically offer this option – especially flexible schedules – your profile as a desired place to work will grow in the eyes of people looking for new work. In short, it’s a significant value prop in your arsenal.

And if you don’t offer flexible work, especially if you could, the consequences could be considerable. Consider the backlash against Apple in their initial drive to move back to an in-person working environment. Employees left in droves for other options, and the media coverage was fierce and uncompromising. This can’t reflect well on Apple’s reputation as an employer.

Sure, a return to office has its merits – and in some cases, requirements – but in many cases, businesses have the technology and wherewithal to make it work. What’s more, the many employees who kept working in a remote fashion from the onset of the pandemic to today have proven that they know how to do it.

The second lesson is that for workers, an outstanding brand reputation such as Apple’s doesn’t even matter that much (more on that below). Rather, people simply want the option to work flexibly.

“My company is unlikely to allow any home workers when restrictions end and it gives me great concern. I want to be able to work flexibly and from home at least occasionally.”

We’re going to see more of this kind of situation – a misalignment of priorities between employees and their employers – going forward. When we asked respondents about the current situation in regards to remote/hybrid work at their place of employment, 44.7% say their employer introduced remote or hybrid work during the pandemic and will (or probably will) return to on-location work once things stabilize.

The same discrepancy in expectations goes for flexible work schedules as well, with 46.8% saying flexible work schedules were introduced during the pandemic and will (or probably will) go back to set schedules when things return to ‘normal’. (Side note: ‘normal’ may not even be a reality anymore.)

This marks a vast chasm between employees and employers. Many employees like remote work and especially love flexible schedules. Many even need one or both. And a good portion of employers aren’t adapting to that new reality – the stigma against flexible work doesn’t help much, either.

“I think most office workers are able to work as productively, if not more so, than in an office environment. Bosses, who usually aren’t very good, don’t think that’s possible.”

With such a resounding voice in our dataset valuing flexible work, consider establishing it as a permanent strategy where possible if you want to attract new talent and retain your existing employee base. Your success as a company may depend on it.

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So, you have plenty of company when struggling to attract candidates or even finding that your candidates are dropping out midway through the recruitment pipeline.

However, just knowing this is not helpful. You need to solve this. Simply put, you need qualified candidates now to fill up those positions – and fast.

But first, let’s look at a few possible reasons behind the shrinking CPH metric in these times.

Why are good candidates so few and far between?

According to seasoned recruiters, here are the major reasons why you are not getting suitable candidates, or why they are dropping out:

• The job post fails to deliver the intended message to the candidates
• The job posts are not posted on the right channels
• You are not leveraging new and emerging talent sourcing trends, like social media campaigns and passive candidate outreach
• Your search team is struggling with a lack of tools and resources
• You are not utilizing the innovative new strategies of talent search
• Candidates are more selective in applying for openings
• Lack of sync between what the employer is looking for and what the candidate wants in a job
• Other factors, like weak culture, benefits, and employer brand

Logically, we can say that if we can eliminate these reasons behind the scarcity of candidates, we will see improvements in our hiring results.

So, how can we rise above the roadblocks and get an abundance of great candidates?

5 ways to find good candidates

Follow these tried and tested strategies to get a flood of qualified candidates:

1. Create clear and high-intent job descriptions

Create your job descriptions and job announcements with as much precision as possible. It’s more about adding the “right” information, not the “most” information.

Workable has job description templates on almost every job that you might need to fill out. These templates are organized according to industries and job types.

A way of showing empathy directly in the job description is to address the major concerns about work-life balance and company culture that many candidates have today. On top of that, show that you have a development plan for the newly hired employees – tech workers, for instance, highly value this.

It should be apparent from the job posting that they can gain something from working with you. If they just want to be paid well, they have that opportunity in many places. But what gets you ahead is if you value them as a person and you’re interested in helping them in their career arc.

2. Pursue passive candidates

You need an active recruitment team that vigorously searches out passive candidates.

Passive candidates are candidates who are not actively looking for a new job but would consider switching given the right offer. In fact, 37% of US workers are passive candidates.

You never know the opportunity you have to offer might make a lot of the talent rethink their career trajectory.

If you come up with an inclusive package and reach the right candidates, hiring can be made easier.

You just need the right strategy and tools.

Here’s an email template that you can customize for reaching out to passive candidates:

Subject: Open [Position Title] role at [Company Name]

Hi [Candidate Name],

I am [Your Name], [Your Job Title], at [Company Name]. I saw your profile on [LinkedIn, Github, Behance, etc.] while searching for candidates for the open role of [Position Title]. (**Link to job posting here.)

Based on your extensive expertise on [key skill/s], I believe you would be an excellent fit for the job, and I would love to know more about your interests and career goals.

Would you be available for a quick chat anytime this week or the next? Just let me know your availability, and we can set up a call.

Looking forward to meeting you soon.

Thank you,

[Your Name]

[Signature]

3. Got LinkedIn? Fine! But where else?

Okay, so you are posting your JD on LinkedIn, Indeed, and other places, and you are also getting quite a few applications. But guess what? None of them is quite the match you are looking for.

What more can you do? Diversify your options.

Consider the following:

• Industry-specific job boards
• Exploring remote job boards
• Leveraging the freelance workforce

You can also try reaching out to recruiters outside of your current network to share and collaborate on talent database enrichment – that’s one way of thinking outside of the box.

Here’s a template email for reaching out to recruiters that you can customize as per your needs:

Subject: Potential collaboration for an expanded candidate pool

Hi [Name],

I am [Your Name], [Your Job Title], at [Company Name]. I found you on LinkedIn while searching for fellow recruiters working in the [industry/sector name]. Given the talent crunch we are experiencing, I thought of reaching out to you in the hopes of forging a mutually beneficial collaboration.

I would love to talk with you about the possibility of sharing our talent pools so that we can hire faster and more effectively.

Would you be available for a quick chat anytime this week or next? Just let me know your availability, and we can set up a call.

Looking forward to meeting you soon.

Thank you,

[Your Name]

[Signature]

On the other hand, the job market has sprouted up a different sort of recruiter – the reverse recruiter. They work directly for jobseekers and help them find their dream roles. They network and find open positions on behalf of jobseekers and help them apply for the position.

Creating and building connections with these professionals can be mutually beneficial. They can help you if they have a jobseeker with the skills you need.

4. Build savvy and empathetic recruitment processes

The whole recruitment process needs to show a certain savvy and empathy.

Today’s candidates have seen workplaces and will know what kind of environment it is. So it’s important to put your best foot forward and ensure a great candidate experience.

From the way you message to how the information is being disseminated to the candidates will show them that you care for the professional partnership that you are about to embark on.

More importantly, emotional empathy should always remain as a guiding light. Even sharing an interview preparation guidebook – such as this video interview guide – as a gesture of care after setting up the interview date can show that you support their growth.

5. Take advantage of recruiter tools and resources

Acquiring knowledge and information can be tricky. Sometimes, we simply don’t know what we don’t know and what we are missing out for not having that piece of knowledge or information.

Take, for example, the Boolean search strings while searching for candidates. This simple piece of knowledge can be so powerful.

Yet another point in case would be technologies like the mobile hiring app and recruitment email automation that can immensely help with productivity and time management.

New tools, strategies, and resources continue to emerge, and when you’re in the hiring business, you need to be on the lookout for new developments. Be agile. Be nimble. Don’t hesitate to introduce new things in your work processes.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way

Yes, finding and retaining the right candidates might have become more challenging than ever before. However, the new avenues of talent sourcing are also emerging rapidly.

All you have to do is keep an open mind to the new and emerging tools and techniques, try out different things, and above all, know where and how to get in front of your potential candidates.

We hope the above tips, ideas, and suggestions will help you get through this talent crunch gracefully.

Liz Hogan is the Content Outreach Manager and a CPRW at Find My Profession. She regularly shares her advice on job search strategies. She is also passionate about volunteering and learning new languages.

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Here, in a nutshell, are the rulings on each case:

In Biden v Missouri, the Supreme Court held that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) does have the authority to require all health care workers at institutions that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding to get COVID-19 vaccinations, unless they get medical or religious exemptions. If they fail to do either, then they could be fired.

Perhaps the more talked-about case, National Federation of Businesses et al v Department of Labor, Occupational, Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) et al, led to the opposite conclusion. The OSHA mandate required that employers with at least 100 employees had to require their employees to either receive COVID-19 vaccines or test weekly and wear masks.

Why such diametrically opposite rulings for such similar mandates? It all came down to whether the entity in question had the authority to mandate the vaccine. Regarding the OSHA mandate, the Court ruled OSHA did not have the authority, because, the Occupational Safety and Health Act (which created the OSH-Administration) “empowers the Secretary [of Labor] to set workplace safety standards, not broad public health measures.”

The Court further reasoned that “Although COVID-19 is a risk that occurs in many workplaces, it is not an occupational hazard in most … COVID–19 can and does spread at home, in schools, during sporting events, and everywhere else that people gather. That kind of universal risk is no different from the day-to-day dangers that all face from crime, air pollution, or any number of communicable diseases.”

Therefore, per the Court’s reasoning, the OSHA mandate would “significantly expand” OSHA’s authority beyond the limits set by Congress in the OSH-Act.

While multiple states argued that DHHS did not have the scope to issue such a mandate, the Court noted that “healthcare facilities that wish to participate in Medicare and Medicaid have always been obligated to satisfy a host of conditions that address the safe and effective provision of healthcare, not simply sound accounting.”

How then, does the US Department of Health and Human Services have the authority to issue and enforce a similar mandate? In this case, the Court cited funding requirements. The hospitals in question receive Medicare and/or Medicaid funding. The DHHS has always had authority to set conditions both for funding and for “the safe and effective provision of healthcare”.

So what do you do as an employer now?

What do these rulings mean for employers? Unless your business is a hospital receiving Medicare or Medicaid funding, the ruling in that case (Biden v Missouri) will have no impact.

Similarly, if your business has fewer than 100 employees, neither ruling impacts your business.

If you are an employer with more than 100 employees, then your business is no longer subject to the OSH-Admin mandate.

That does not mean that you do not have an obligation to take reasonable steps to protect your employees from COVID exposure. Vaccination or other safety protocols might well be necessary to achieve those ends, in which case you might still be obligated to take the same measures, but OSHA will have to jump through more hoops if it wants to take action against your company on that basis.

Need more support? Check out our mandatory vaccination and workplace safety policy template, which is free for you to use and customize for your own organization.

Janette S. Levey, ‘The Employer’s Lawyer’, has over 20 years of legal experience, more than 10 of which she has spent in Employment Law. She is licensed in NJ and NY and also works with employers anywhere in the country on any federal employment law issues to ensure that employers are in the best position possible to avoid litigation, audits, employee relations problems, and the attendant, often exorbitant costs. Feel free to visit Janette’s website or to contact Janette by email, janette@janetteleveylaw.com or phone, 732-902-0728. 

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Embrace transparency

For those of us who started our careers twenty or more years ago, we remember when you couldn’t simply go to a search engine and type in ‘recruiter jobs London’ and see 29.6 million results. You couldn’t find and track salary information or read reviews that showed life behind closed doors. The world of work was fairly opaque.

All this changed with the explosion of the Internet and the 2008 global financial crisis. People flooded online, using sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to share, connect and look for work. With the Internet came transparency, and the shift from the company being in charge to the employee being in control of their destiny.

And now? In 2022, companies can no longer arrogantly think, ‘be grateful to work for us’. Instead, leaders should be grateful that people choose to work for them.

This employee power has led to many initiatives that have been the focus of HR in recent years in the hope of retaining talent. These include employee engagement, DEIB, mental health, flexible and hybrid working, and more.

The companies who have not become people-first are the ones that fear The Great Resignation or, more aptly, The Great Reassessment. They cannot throw open the door, because people wouldn’t choose them.

Get radically transparent

No company is perfect, and it’s not realistic for people to even expect that. But people do look for leaders who are honest, approachable, confident, reflective, open to learning, caring and trusting of their people.

Future employees also look for the impact the company is making, and if this is something they want to be part of. Look around at the companies that have thrived through the pandemic, and you’ll find great leadership qualities to emulate and missions that are clearly defined.

Plus, ​​according to research from Gartner, organizations that deliver on their employee value proposition can decrease annual employee turnover by nearly 70% and increase the commitment from new starters by up to 30%, so it makes business sense.

Moreover, Gartner’s research finds a well-thought-out EVP can reap dividends in the candidate attraction process – when candidates view an EVP as attractive, companies can reduce their compensation premium by half, and reach 50% deeper into the talent market.

So take your great EVP and share it online, far and wide. How do you do that? Try these three strategies for starters:

1. Compelling human stories

In my book The Robot-Proof Recruiter, marketer Bennet Sung explained the value of using human stories like this.

“Persuading candidates to come and work for you is one of the most complex story tells that anyone has to engage with. Unlike products, which have a tangible list of features, selling your values, mission, culture, team and manager (employment brand) is much more experiential and personally different for each candidate. This storytelling requires finding a way for a candidate to virtually experience the employment brand and that could be via a wide range of channels including hiring manager videos, employee videos, reputation sites, and so on.”

“Unlike products, which have a tangible list of features, selling your values, mission, culture, team and manager (employment brand) is much more experiential and personally different for each candidate.”

Over the course of 2021, you may have noticed that hiring recruiters became incredibly difficult, and not every company or agency can compete on price. Take not-for-profit recruitment agency, Radical Recruit, as an example; they exist to bridge the gap between disadvantaged job seekers and the world of work.

Radical Recruit cannot compete on salary and yet amazing recruiters choose to join them. Why? Because they share their human stories on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. You will see videos and posts from their leader, Emma Freivogel, from the team who genuinely love the impact they are making, and from the people they support. They are not perfect, but they are an open book for people to opt into.

 

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 2. Non-monetary incentives

Consider what you can offer that doesn’t involve reaching into your pocket. Can you offer equity or true flexibility, for example? Or offer bikes, electric cars and other incentives via a salary sacrifice scheme?

Chatting with fellow Workable contributor, Suzanne Lucas, about this dilemma, she proffered the 4-day working week. Not revolutionary – there’s even a how-to implement post here – but it is effectively a 20% pay increase. Just by changing your hours, you could attract new people on the same salary rather than having to offer an increase.

Plus, by getting into the trend early, your current employees will not only love it, they’ll struggle to find another employer doing the same so you’ll increase retention.

But Suzanne also warns that you must not offer a 4-day working week and still expect people to respond or even attend meetings on their day off. In my work, I have seen these kinds of leaky boundaries lead to all sorts of problems, including reduced employee engagement and bad reviews impending future hiring. Be sure to agree to and stick to a set of parameters with your employees and new joiners, so it is easy to manage and morale stays high.

3. Ask your people for ideas

You are not alone. You already have a team of people working for you who would be happy to get involved. Often though, they don’t understand how challenging the finances are or that, perhaps, you have barely paid yourself during the pandemic, until you tell them.

Sometimes the simplest things are the most effective. A great example is seen in the Ministry of Defence in the UK. By encouraging employees to share new job vacancies with the women they knew, they saw an increase in the number of applications, job offers and accepted offers by women, even in traditionally male-dominated roles.

So even though asking for help can raise all manner of feelings from fear to shame – especially as the company leader – your people will love your vulnerability and appreciate your trust. They will also have plenty of suggestions. After all, they choose to work with you; maximize it!

In summary, while it’s high up the list for many, money isn’t the only reason people will choose your company. Take advantage of the free tools available that let you open the door to your business.

Let people see it, warts and all. Share your employees’ stories, your mission, and your successes – and even your failures and lessons learned. Get creative, get everyone involved, and watch the difference it will make to your recruitment, even in this market!

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Let’s look at the 11 main takeaways:

1. The shakeup of the work environment
2. We’re social animals; we have needs
3. Surviving the Big Quit
4. Healthy minds and bodies mean healthy outputs
5. Look for the silver lining in all of this
6. Think about your employees first
7. Technology will pave the way ahead
8. Work be nimble, work be quick
9. Increase your range of motion
10. Don’t be a manager – be a leader
11. Change in hiring strategy

1. The shakeup of the work environment

Early in the pandemic, we learned via the New World of Work survey that more than 70% consider the shift to remote work to be the biggest paradigm shift as a result of COVID-19. So, it’s really no surprise that one of the biggest lessons of 2021 according to SMB employers continues in this vein: the shift to hybrid, remote, and asynchronous work.

But the real challenge is found in the logistics and feasibility of this shift.

CEO Amy Wampler of Indiana-based HVAC firm Spartan Mechanical found that a hybrid structure was the best way to go for her company, but remained skeptical that a completely remote environment could work.

“I believe that man is a social animal – and does require a level of human interaction rather than slaving behind on a screen.”

Because of that, Amy wants her employees to get the full hybrid experience.

“Therefore, I intend to introduce an efficient hybrid working model, where rotations of staff will be done in order to make sure that all employees get a taste of both types of situations!”

Giving employees a choice

Meanwhile, Lovebox founder and CEO Jean Gregoire is giving employees the choice of where they want to work.

“Right now, 5 of our employees are permanently teleworking from Lyon, Brest, Sydney, Paris, and Barcelonnette while the rest of the team is in Grenoble, France. The Grenoble team members have a comfortable office they can go to, but for the moment there is no obligation.”

But as the top boss at his tech-driven international love note messenger service, Jean does subscribe to Amy’s dictum that there needs to be some in-person exchange.

“We are thinking about setting up one or two mandatory days on site (for those who live near the office) to facilitate exchanges between the different divisions. This is a subject that is being discussed collectively to make sure it does not become a burden for anyone.”

Ultimately, he did find that his employees are happiest when given the choice of how and where they want to work.

The connectivity challenges of hybrid

On the other hand, founder Eden Cheng of software company PeopleFinderFree in Singapore found hybrid to be her top challenge of 2021, due to the management challenges.

“I discovered that managing both in-office and remote teams is a job that requires a significant amount of emotional intelligence, as it’s all about the ability to successfully build interpersonal connections and maintain them.”

It’s something that Eden’s especially mindful of with so many employees quitting during the Great Resignation.

“This meant making an effort to connect with each staff member on a more individual level through frequent dialogue, in order to ensure that they are satisfied with their current work environment and that they have what they need to deliver on the results.”

VP Logan Mallory also considers hybrid to be the biggest challenge faced at Motivosity, a company that helps employees stay engaged both in office and remotely.

“We had to find the right methods of communication to ensure that no one was ever left out of the loop due to their choice of working location,” says Logan, “as well as making sure that we had frequent enough check-ins with our employees.”

Remote work struggles – even now

Devin Schumacher of SEO agency SERP points to the lack of experience of workers in a remote working environment, calling it a relatively new concept for many and therefore the value isn’t readily evident for them.

He says his company, which is fully remote, bears the responsibility to ensure success in remote work.

“I help my new hires grasp the long-term employment possibilities at my company through extensive onboarding procedures and coaching sessions. My goal is to emphasize the full potential of remote work. I explain the handsome compensation package, offer competitive company benefits, and, of course, reassure new hires that they’ll have several career growth opportunities.”

There is a unique value in working from home, however, says CEO Nicholas Vasiliou of health supplement product company BioHealth Nutrition:

“While working at home you often have to find your own solutions, so employees are constantly in a state of innovating whether they realize it or not. Our biggest goal is to further recognize and reward employees because we realize these efforts are not easy.”

Mark Pierce, the CEO of Cloud Peak Law Group in Wyoming, points to added nuances in remote management.

“It took a bit of time to find the right balance of checking in with employees so that they didn’t feel over-managed or like they were being ignored.”

Time is of the essence

One significant challenge of remote work is teams working across different time zones, noted Stefan Ateljevic of PlayToday, an online gambling resource center.

“I think we struggled most with combining asynchronous and synchronous types of communication between team members, in order to function seamlessly.”

That was one lesson tech CEO Nate Tsang wishes he had learned earlier so he could have gotten ahead of the challenges associated with asynchronous work.

“I’d like to have started the conversation around asynchronous work sooner. There was a bit of hesitancy to move away from the 9-5 synchronous model of work, where everyone’s online at the same time of day, more or less,” says Nate, who runs WallStreetZen, a stock research and analysis site.

“Employees know which parts of their work need to be handled this way, but deciding what kinds of work can be staggered is often a process of discovery. You have to be looking for asynchronous opportunities to make them a reality.”

2. We’re social animals; we have needs

Amy at Spartan Mechanical pointed to the importance of social interaction – and we found that many SMB employers would agree.

For instance, Zoku International Co-Founder Hans Meyer in Amsterdam found from his research that the future of work needs human connection.

“Companies must facilitate in-person employee relationships in 2022 in order to keep individual talent and teams engaged, aligned and productive in this new era of remote work.”

This was also John Gardner’s lesson from 2021. He’s co-founder and CEO of Kickoff, a remote personal training platform based out of New York.

“[It’s] the importance of engaging our employees and using strategies to increase effective communication, share company culture and boost employee productivity despite the remoteness of the work.”

John shared one of his company’s tactics to ensure engagement.

“We started implementing a strategy where we create fitness challenges on social media. Each month, one of our trainers starts a fitness challenge video where they choreograph fitness movements to a video. The challenge is that the next person who does the challenge has to add on an extra movement, so the faster you participate, the less you do!”

He found this tactic worked, too.

“The videos are a lot of fun, people and teams do them together when they can and it really encourages employee productivity as well as shares a positive, fun environment and culture at the company.“

3. Surviving the Big Quit

If the mindset of employers could be summed up in one phrase, it would be from Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, where one of the Wild Things exclaims to a departing Max: “Oh please don’t go – we’ll eat you up – we love you so!”

That’s the spirit in the Big Quit environment, where employee retention is lauded as one of the biggest accomplishments of 2021 for many SMB employers.

Sally Stevens of FastPeopleSearch.io in Los Angeles is one of those employers – even going so far as to learn from others in the same situation.

“To think of it, the employee retention challenges faced by other companies have been big lessons for our business. We’ve had to change a lot in order to retain our employees. Ending the year with most of the employees we started with is certainly a success for us.”

It was a hard lesson for Sally’s small business, however.

“Lacking an adequate number of hands when you’re growing the business may be debilitating in many instances. That period almost crippled us. We had to hold back on some facets of our scaling process because we simply couldn’t find someone to deal with it.”

Show them you love them

Jeff Johnson, a real estate agent and acquisition manager at Simple Homebuyers in Maryland, resorted to tangible measures to retain employees in his company.

“We had to give out weekly bonuses, paid time off and subscriptions to mental wellness applications. This helped us manage and retain our existing talent.”

“We had to give out weekly bonuses, paid time off and subscriptions to mental wellness applications. This helped us manage and retain our existing talent.”

Steve Anevski’s own experience was not so much mitigation of turnover as it was actual improvement of retention – and this was a result of initiatives implemented prior to 2021.

“In 2021, my biggest accomplishment was increasing my company’s retention rate by a whopping 15%! Throughout 2019 and 2020, the rate was hovering between 70 and 75%, which I felt was relatively low and needed significant improvement. I worked on this and introduced a few attractive perks and benefits in late 2020 to great effect. Throughout 2021, my retention rates remained firmly between 85 and 90%.”

And in his work as CEO and co-founder of staffing platform Upshift, Steve says you have to really think about what your employees expect – and go higher than that.

“My biggest learning from 2021 in terms of employee retention is that if you go above and beyond in meeting the expectations of your employees, they’ll become more loyal to your company. It’s not just the financial rewards that compel employees to stay at an organization; they also seek non-monetary rewards like appreciation, autonomy and career advancement.”

And if the tangible parts of all this cost a lot of money, that’s fine, says CEO and founder Nick Drewe of WeThrift, an e-commerce and coupon site based in California. That’s because the ROI is obvious.

“Overall, it doesn’t matter if I get a bit generous with salaries and company benefits because employee retention still costs less than training new hires,” Nick explains. “They also produce better output. Better quality management ensures that my customers get the service they deserve.”

Keep your workers front of mind

Stefan at PlayToday also pointed to retention as his company’s biggest win in 2021, and that was because they adjusted the working model to be more employee-first.

”We followed their inputs and requests and made sure to make their workday as seamless as possible. This is how we opted for hybrid work and flexible schedules, but also included some perks such as childcare and home office stipends.”

And Logan at Motivosity points to the importance of a healthy, thriving, and inspiring work culture as the reason for his company’s 10% turnover rate.

“Every single one of the employees who left did so on good terms,” he says. “We attribute this to the fact that we truly live our workplace values and make our company a place where everyone is respected, employees are recognized and rewarded for their accomplishments, and flexibility is the norm.”

4. Healthy minds and bodies mean healthy outputs

Ahmed Mir, founder and editor of the self-proclaimed online coffee mecca Sip Coffee House, says one of his biggest plans for 2022 would be to emphasize a healthy interest and curiosity in work – but that overall health always comes first.

“I want my team to be comfortable enough to come to me whenever they feel overwhelmed so that we can find a solution that works for everyone. Nowadays, people often feel the need to overwork themselves, especially those who are working remotely, and I want to help ease them out of that mindset as productivity and the quality of work increases immensely when the people working on them are happy and healthy.”

Rather than looking at the raw math of employee retention as his company’s biggest accomplishment in 2021, co-owner Dan Barrett of Pacific Precious Metals pointed to mental health in employees that enables them to “work efficiently without pressure”.

Dan, who operates a chain of precious metal stores in and around San Francisco, says his biggest challenge “lay in the unpreparedness of the employees to take on challenges and the inability of many to contribute owing to their mental health.”

Gabriel Dungan of Charlotte, NC-based sleep company ViscoSoft aligns his employee health with his company’s product.

“As a company that sells sleep products, we have always encouraged people to take their sleep and self-care seriously, but it wasn’t until the pandemic hit that we truly realized how important this was for our team as well. This could be anything from weekly check-ins with members of your team, or even a team-wide virtual yoga class.”

5. Look for the silver lining in all of this

Albert Einstein once said: “In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.”

That was also the mindset for many SMB employers throughout 2021.

Kamyar K.S., the CEO of business consultancy World Consulting Group in Florida, found that the skills gap faced by his business was an opportunity to try something new – such as offering more training and skills development for existing employees rather than simply trying to find new workers.

“In turn, that leads to a bigger pool of candidates with relevant skills and makes it easier for us to find them.*”

Nate at WallStreetZen ensures that new workforce additions have benefits beyond just backfill.

“We want to make sure additions to our workforce really create opportunities for other staff members. If it’s just about reducing workloads and taking tasks off someone’s plate then we can do that more quickly and easily with freelancers,” says Nate.

“When we need new know-how and outside experience to augment a team, that’s when you hire. Knowing the difference is tricky but it’s something we’re trying to improve.”

Dan, meanwhile, says he would have emphasized skills development in his existing worker base if he could do the year over again.

“If I had the chance to meet with my team in 2020, I’d have trained them into becoming a multi-skilled workforce. In addition, I’d have taught them resilience, fearlessness, and the ability to take on change.”

6. Think about your employees first

Notice a trend in what contributes to employee retention? Exactly – it’s the greater emphasis on employee well-being through benefits, compensation, development, and all the other stuff.

NY-based CEO Alex Mastin of the DIY barista resource site, Home Grounds, highlighted the importance of that.

“Try to provide your workers with opportunities for growth,” Alex says. “If they’re happy in their job and they know there are opportunities for advancement, they’re going to be more likely to stay with you.*”

CEO Mike Nemeroff of custom apparel brand Rush Order Tees in Philadelphia will take that employee-first mindset as well going into the next year.

“We’ve been working on a new strategy to help employees feel their importance and that they are the most important asset of our business and it has been working great so far.”

Get them involved

A two-way communication street is at the core of that strategy.

“This is by encouraging employees to share their opinion, propose new strategies and innovative ideas that can help improve the business,” Mike says. “Every month, we invite employees to come up with a new idea or a strategy that can improve our workflow and post it anonymously. During the month, we share these ideas and everyone in the company votes for the idea they think is best.”

And there’s incentive in it as well.

“Whoever wins is in charge of leading a team to implement their idea and give it a shot. This allows employees to feel trusted to be given a chance and trust that the company and employers believe in their skills regardless of their age, position, gender or experience.”

Lisa Richards, CEO and creator of The Candida Diet, which supports individuals with candida, is in the same boat and also plans to invest tangible resources to boost the experience of her team.

“Happy employees contribute to a company’s resilience and adaptability,” she says. “For this reason, a bigger portion of our annual budget will now be going towards maximizing employee satisfaction. It’s also important to ensure that the resources provided are compatible with the direct needs of the employees, so that they have the biggest impact on employee satisfaction, retention, and employee experience.”

Show confidence in your people

Michael Knight is co-founder and top marketing boss at business incorporation service Incorporation Insight in Salt Lake City. His 2022 will also include greater flexibility and a more employee-centric work model because, he says, there are clear benefits.

“An organization that is steadfast in prioritizing its employees’ satisfaction through generous and guilt-free PTOs and complimentary assisted access to mental healthcare is the goal.”

“An organization that is steadfast in prioritizing its employees’ satisfaction through generous and guilt-free PTOs and complimentary assisted access to mental healthcare is the goal.”

Jared Stern, who heads a team of 20 employees at Uplift Legal Funding in Santa Monica, California, also knows the value of employees in a business, highlighting their well-being as crucial.

“Employees are the linchpins of any organization,” says Jared, whose company provides legal loan services to clients. “We have braved through the past year, as we had committed employees. We want that to continue for us. We are taking all measures from our side to ensure they are prepared to tackle any adversity.”

Nate looked at output to identify opportunities to standardize and streamline the work his employees put in – with employee experience front of mind.

“We got serious about data productivity tracking for staff in early 2021. By mid-year we had a much stronger sense of where the gaps were and how to use automations, outsourcing, and freelancers to fill in the slack. Amid highs and lows, lulls and busy periods, our full-time staff have been able to remain steady and avoid burnout. That’s been a huge accomplishment, especially given the state of the world.”

Find out what they need and want

Meanwhile, Nicholas isn’t just taking initiative or planning strategy for employee happiness at BioHealth Nutrition. He’s also asking what employees themselves want.

“We’re currently conducting a survey about our work culture, team structure, and other company initiatives. We will accumulate all of the feedback at the end of the month and share a report with updates we plan to implement in 2022,” Nicholas says.

“We want employees to know that we take their feedback seriously and that their happiness is a priority. It’s really important for companies to embrace this mentality now if they haven’t already.”

Childcare was one of the biggest concerns voiced by employees throughout the pandemic, and Marina Vaamonde heard that as well from most of her employees at HouseCashin, an off-market house marketplace in Houston, Texas.

“Working parents are struggling to find decent and affordable childcare and need my help with it. Without childcare, the labor force will struggle because people will be forced to choose between working and quitting their jobs and staying home.”

7. Technology will pave the way ahead

Digital transformation was a significant development during the pandemic, with the shift to remote requiring more technology to succeed. But there’s more, says Kamyar at World Consulting Group.

“If you’re meeting with members of your team right now in terms of planning your workforce for 2022, this is the time to consider the impact of artificial intelligence, robotics and automation on what will be left for humans to do.”

Kamyar’s not concerned about the so-called rise of the machines, suggesting that it be embraced rather than feared.

“You can’t stop technology. It’s going to happen anyway. What you can do is prepare for it by planning for the time when your company won’t need as many human workers,” says Kamyar.

“What are the jobs that will be replaced? Will they all be replaced? What new positions will emerge? How do you train your workers of the future? How do you prepare them to stay ahead of the curve and avoid being replaced by a computer or a robot or an algorithm? You have to ask these questions now, not wait until 2027 — that’s too late.”

Nicholas highlights the importance of skills development in the workplace to accommodate the trend towards greater digital capabilities.

“Technology use is prime, and people need the internet more than ever. So, getting familiar with the new work approaches is key to success.”

“Technology use is prime, and people need the internet more than ever. So, getting familiar with the new work approaches is key to success.”

But finding the right tech to meet collaboration needs in the digital-first world was the single biggest challenge cited by Ruben Gamez, CEO and founder of SignWell, a B2B SaaS tech company helping businesses with contracts and legally binding e-signatures.

“Initially, we were experimenting with different tools,” says Ruben, who manages a team of 10 employees out of Portland, Oregon. “This led to scattered data. We then used one common tool to integrate all processes. It was very challenging to find the right tool.”

Challenge or not, Michael at Incorporation Insight says tech is core to his business going forward.

“Adopting more updated automation is also an objective that can potentially increase our efficiency both productivity-wise and operating cost-wise.”

And HR will be part of that

And this isn’t just the case for overall business operations and workforce management, according to Lynda Farley, the co-founder of reverse phone number lookup service NumLooker. While AI became accessible in 2021, she says, 2022 onwards will see a lot more of that in HR specifically.

“From 2022 onwards, there will be an increased adoption rate in social HR platforms. The reason for this development is the loss of trust between humans and machines. I’m not saying that AI will become our parents, but it can definitely help us in some aspects of our life. By 2022, there will be a lot more to come as a part of the digital revolution.”

8. Work be nimble, work be quick

“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen,” said Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.

That quote definitely holds true for the last couple of years especially for SMBs who have had to adapt regularly to a seemingly relentless barrage of unexpected developments during pandemic times.

CEO Ian Sells is clear on the importance of nimbility, as one of the biggest lessons at coupon/cash-back website RebateKey over the last two years.

“What we’ve learned from 2020 is to learn to be flexible and continuously adapt our processes based on what works,” says Ian, who heads up a team of just under 25 workers working full- and part-time, as well as per-project, in Wyoming. “Do not be afraid of changes and transitions.”

And there’s opportunity in that, Ian points out.

“Our team has experienced a lot of transitions and have done well not only to adapt to changes but to thrive in them. Scaling is always difficult, but is a crucial and necessary step for the continuous growth of any business.”

Flexibility took place in a different form for Gregory Rozdeba, president of digital insurance brokerage Dundas Life in Toronto. He called the COVID-affected year the most challenging of his managerial career, having to let go of a leadership team member.

Instead of having to go through that again, Gregory took on a different strategy – including moving some functions to remote and freelance.

And this includes employees too

A more agile approach also means encouraging more adaptability in employees – including tackling sudden and steep learning curves, says Dave Ericksen, the founder of WaterZen.

“Due to the crisis that the pandemic brought, a lot of our best performers were given additional responsibilities to help keep operations going,” says Dave.

That ultimately had a silver lining for his Utah-based company, which promotes awareness and shares information on accessibility to drinking water.

“Later, we discovered that some of them were more fit for their new responsibilities,” he says. “We’re changing our employee structure to give these gifted employees a role and title fit for their skills.”

Prime your people for success

Adjusting onboarding and training processes both for new hires and current employees was the biggest challenge of 2021, especially due to the volatility of the environment, says Gabriel at ViscoSoft.

“The pandemic required a lot of sudden pivots, so consistency in overall operations was kind of thrown out the window. You had to be malleable and adaptable. Because of these, developing any sort of training for your employees was very challenging,” he explains.

“You want to set up new hires for success by clarifying roles and encouraging relationship development, but when a company is dealing with constant shifts and transitions that can be very difficult.”

And forget about thinking back and looking forward, says Jared at Uplift Legal Funding.

“The biggest learning from 2021 was to be in the moment. We made grand plans in 2020, only to watch them fail. We have learned to become more agile and dynamic. We intend to make plans, but we have also known how to pick ourselves up if things go south. We are planning to continue the same in 2022.”

“The biggest learning from 2021 was to be in the moment. We made grand plans in 2020, only to watch them fail. We have learned to become more agile and dynamic. We intend to make plans, but we have also known how to pick ourselves up if things go south. We are planning to continue the same in 2022.”

And that mindset – with teamwork – can get us through it all, he adds.

“I’d say, here’s a chance to think on our feet. Let’s try to be more open-minded and adaptive. Let’s also remember to stick it out for each other. That’s the only way we will get through this madness.”

9. Increase your range of motion

Gregory at Dundas Life pointed to the diversity that comes with the global talent market as a huge bonus for companies.

“Diversity and inclusion is one critical insight in 2022 to manage an employee base. Companies worldwide should learn to diversify their employee retention this year as a workforce with unique skills is invaluable. It makes the potential of growth for each employee scalable, and they can learn new skills from their peers along the way.”

As CEO of secure e-sign service CocoSign, Stephen Curry also found the value of having workers from different decades was a crucial lesson picked up from 2020 and 2021.

“You’re able to capitalize on their unique experiences in different decades and accurately gauge the sorts of issues they’ll help you overcome in whatever decade you’re trying to make your mark,” Stephen says.

It all comes down to experience.

“Say, for example, an eighties employee helps you run a successful business in the nineties. That’s good. But if a fifties employee helps you run a successful business in 2022, that’s even better, because fifties employees have been through all this once before, so they’ll help you steer away from the mistakes of the past and point out things that worked best for them during the first time around.”

Paul Sherman is CMO at auto warranty service Olive, which employs more than 50 people in Chicago. He learned the value of age diversity the hard way.

“Many of my team members retired early in 2020 and 2021. While many companies tend to be ageist and prefer younger employees, I lost a wealth of experience and wisdom through the retirement of these workers.”

10. Don’t be a manager – be a leader

SMBs also took a long hard look at employee management styles, again as a result of developments during the pandemic.

Eden at PeopleFinderFree suggests breaking down the traditional structure of top-down leadership, saying it’s part of “preparing for a long-term eventuality”.

“From a leadership standpoint, it will be best to just get rid of hierarchical structures and instead, focus on implementing multidisciplinary and autonomous teams that are able to operate without micromanagement. In other words, place more of an emphasis on shifting your current management responsibilities and distributing them throughout the organization.”

Gabriel wishes he and his team had taken on a more collaborative approach to work.

“The pandemic has meant having to make constant decisions without really being able to predict the outcome. Having a collaborative and supportive team not only makes for a fantastic workplace culture, but makes those difficult decisions much easier.” Gabriel says. “Remember, there is a way for employees to have autonomy over their work, while still working closely and collaborating with others.”

And the irony is that Gabriel sees this as a top-down initiative.

”I would tell myself that as a leader, it is up to me to set the precedent. A collaborative workplace needs to be fostered.”

”I would tell myself that as a leader, it is up to me to set the precedent. A collaborative workplace needs to be fostered.”

And empathy has huge, huge value

Meanwhile, one of the biggest lessons from 2020 for Sally of FastPeopleSearch.io was the need for empathetic leadership in the workplace – it’s something that can’t be overlooked.

”Quite often, business leaders get lost in the hustle and forfeit the personal connection between them and the employees. This plays a huge role in lowering team morale and decreasing productivity within the workplace.”

Being empathetic also makes her a better manager and enables her to bring more out of her workers.

“Practicing empathetic leadership over the past year has taught me valuable lessons in soft-skill management, and how employee morale plays a crucial role in creating a vibrant culture within the workplace.”

11. Change in hiring strategy

One of the big developments of 2021 is, of course, the Great Resignation. Quit rates are through the roof – and companies have had to adapt quickly to the sudden onslaught of vacancies and need for backfills.

This meant an update in hiring strategy for many businesses, including CEO Dragos Badea of Yarooms, a hybrid work management software.

Dragos’ plan? “Hire for all positions as early as possible, as we’re going to be experiencing a bit of a shortage of qualified personnel!”

The reason being, as the adage goes, ‘done is better than perfect.’

“Even if you hire a specialist that might be working at 50% capacity initially,” says Dragos, “just having more hands on deck when opportunity comes knocking is incredibly valuable.”

Christiaan Huynen’s hiring approach as the CEO of DesignBro is similar.

“Hiring a perfect candidate is like finding a needle in a haystack. Oftentimes, the closest thing that you can find to a needle is a bobby pin and you just have to go with it. Try to keep the candidate pool small and set a technical interview as a prerequisite to avoid unnecessary traffic.”

But there’s a danger in quick backfill for stopgap purposes, as Dave at Waterzen learned.

“One of the biggest challenges we’re going to be facing in 2022 is getting rid of pandemic hires,” says Dave. “The labor supply shortage caused us to hire people who weren’t the best for the job. We were in need of employees and hired those that just fit the bill. In 2022, when the shortage will finally end, we’ll have to let go of staff who cannot meet expectations and rehire for those roles.”

Add new channels to the pipeline

One potential solution is internal mobility, according to Ian at RebateKey.

“We’ve scaled so much as a company this year and required new roles to be filled. However, instead of hiring an outsider, we opted to look for potential applicants from stellar members from our current team, who have at least some working knowledge, interest, and bandwidth to take on new roles.”

Ian, incidentally, also turned to less traditional methods of finding talent when looking outside of his organization.

“Instead of the known job boards, we’ve ventured into using Slack and Discord groups, and more importantly FB niched groups. These places are teeming with potential. Many applicants do not want to use regular job boards because they lowball employees, not to mention having very high competition.”

Jared also turned to these channels as a solution.

“Our single biggest accomplishment was recruiting new employees using social media as one of our primary recruitment channels. We’ve heard about social media recruiting as a strategy, but we were skeptical if it would work. Using multiple channels on a trial and error basis has been the quickest way to employ a diverse pool of talent.”

And Paul at Olive went directly to the source of new talent.

“Our biggest achievement was to partner with the marketing department of a local university. This partnership creates a pipeline of talent from the university by creating internships and permanent positions for graduating students with marketing degrees. This way, we’re less vulnerable to the labor market shocks like those we see with the Great Resignation.”

A deluge of talent

Dan Barba, who provides writing and editing services at DanBarba.com, had the opposite problem – that of too many candidates.

“When I posted job openings throughout 2021, it wasn’t uncommon for me to receive multiple hundreds of applications from people looking for freelance work. With so many applications to sift through, these hiring rounds would take up a lot of my time and pull me away from revenue generating activities,” he says.

And he had a solution: giving candidates the opportunity to screen themselves in or out.

“Through the lens of hiring and human resources, my biggest accomplishment was finding a way to make these applicants ‘pre-qualify’; in other words, making sure that only the top 1% of the talent pool apply.”

To do this, Dan rewrote the job copy he was using.

“My first version was too vague in terms of expectations and day-to-day responsibilities, so I focused on going into greater detail and getting clear on the skills and experience that candidates must have before applying. I didn’t list desirables, just must-haves and deal breakers.”

“My first version was too vague in terms of expectations and day-to-day responsibilities, so I focused on going into greater detail and getting clear on the skills and experience that candidates must have before applying. I didn’t list desirables, just must-haves and deal breakers.”

And it made a difference.

“By giving applicants this kind of context, they were better equipped to evaluate their own ability against the standards that I laid out. As a result, the quality of my hires shot up in Q4, as did their rate of output and productivity.”

Glen Bhimani owns and operates BPS Security, a security firm in San Antonio, Texas. He also pointed to the importance of a well-crafted job ad.

“I have found that thinking through the kind of person we want to hire and crafting job postings that appeal to that kind of person is extremely effective in cutting down the time we have to spend searching for guards,” says Glen, whose firm employs just under 30 employees.

“Different people respond well to different kinds of English [and other languages], so designing a job posting inside the communication style of our ideal employee helps raise the success rate of job postings.”

The digitization of hiring

One huge aspect of recruitment is the incorporation of tech into the process, says Michael.

“Technology played a significant role in helping us efficiently screen candidates and onboard new members without being physically present. It was another milestone to now permanently integrate advanced tech into our hiring process in place of our traditional recruitment practices.”

Jeff at Simple Homebuyers pointed to changes in his recruitment process as his single biggest achievement of 2021.

“Many companies take years to change how they recruit talent, but we were forced to do it overnight. Budget constraints made it hard for us to retain current employees, so we opted to recruit talent worldwide, proving to be significantly cheaper.”

And yes, tech supported this.

“[That] included virtual interviews, global recruitment, and asynchronous working hours. This proved to be vital as we had access to talent worldwide.”

Technology also benefited Logan at Motivosity, who found an innovative solution in identifying the potential of a candidate for a job.

“A hiring hack that’s been helpful for us is: Asking candidates to record an introductory video in lieu of a cover letter. This helps us see a candidate’s personality, and it allows them to share more about themselves than they’d be able to just by writing a cover letter. It also helps us weed out candidates who haven’t fully read the job application.”

You know what to do going into 2022

There you have it. Myriad challenges of 2020 and 2021 being overcome with innovative solutions and strategies – that’s the spirit of entrepreneurship.

And it’s always good to have a well-thought-out strategy going into 2022, but leaving room for quick pivots in that strategy as needed, because who knows what might happen.

Want to share your own story of what you’ve learned over the last couple of years and what you think will happen in 2022? We want to hear it – and share it with our millions of readers. Submit your pitch and you may see your name – and your company’s – in lights!

The post Employers’ top wins and lessons of 2021 – and what they’re planning for 2022 appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

1. Most helpful when building a case for a hiring solution

This one’s easy. You want to get the smoothest, baddest applicant tracking software in the land, but your boss is too embroiled in their own processes to take notice. You know what makes them sit up and take notice? If you present them the value of an ATS in their own language – which usually is in monetary terms.

So, our piece on how to calculate the ROI of an ATS comes in hugely helpful here. Pull out the old calculator, get a pen and paper, and start crunching those numbers!

Read now: How to calculate the ROI of an ATS

2. The most informative for driving DEI where it matters

Awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion shot into the stratosphere in mid-2020 and it’s still top of mind for many employers worldwide. But we have two major messages when it comes to DEI: first, there’s a difference between D, E, and I, and second, you don’t “win” at diversity just because you’ve managed to achieve it throughout your company.

Rather, you need to attain diversity in leadership. There’s a glaring imbalance in diversity numbers in leadership when compared with overall diversity, and that needs to be improved on if real progress is to be made. And if you’re not getting buy-in from your leaders, you can convince them that it makes good business sense to do so. This infographic gives you everything on all of the above, and more.

Check out our infographic: Diversity in leadership: Why it matters and what you can do

3. The most audacious piece of content

We’ve been talking (and writing, and video-ing) about the future of work for a long time now. We’ve discussed remote work, flexible schedules, gender parity, salaries, global talent markets, candidate discontentment, talent shortages, and a lot more.
‘
But one topic really tickled our fancy (and yours, too, if you’re accustomed to a standard Monday-Friday work week) – the four-day work week. The Chief Growth Officer at Service Direct shared their first-hand account of how the company tried an alternating four-day work week as an experiment, and found it hugely successful.

Read now: Implementing an alternating four-day workweek: how & why

4. The most comprehensive (and timely) study

This one is a no-brainer to us. Out of all the blog posts, infographics, videos, etc. that we’ve produced throughout 2021, two 6,000-word survey reports published in September really stand out. They’re the result of two in-depth surveys to better understand what matters to workers in a job – one for the United States and one for the United Kingdom.

If you’re an employer looking to understand what candidates really want so you can attract more of them to your company, grab a cup of coffee (or beer – we won’t tell anyone), and have a read.

Read the US report: The Great Discontent: 2021 Worker Survey (US)

Read the UK report: The Great Discontent: 2021 Worker Survey (UK)

5. The best for geeking out on hiring data

We know that hiring benchmarks are important to our audience, especially in these wacky times where nothing feels normal anymore. So we developed a new way to look at hiring trends because month-over-month and especially year-over-year data doesn’t make sense anymore considering the volatility of the labor market.

The result of that new methodology is the Hiring Pulse, which was launched in September. It’s a monthly series of data-packed insights so you can see where hiring is going, be it based on industry, function, location, or overall.

Read the latest: The Hiring Pulse

6. The most insightful and commandeering

A big contributor to our content in 2021 is the Evil HR Lady, Suzanne Lucas. A veteran in the HR space who now can speak from direct experience, her sharp to-the-point tone is popular with our audience.

One message we want to drive home is that in this rapidly evolving talent marketplace, the onus is on employers to adapt to this new environment if they want to attract candidates. Suzanne drove that point home with her piece on how the rules of talent engagement are changing.

Read now: The rules of talent engagement are changing: What’s new now?

7. The most inspirational content of the year

The Evil HR Lady isn’t the only contributor we saw in our content in 2021. In February, world-renowned talent management expert Josh Bersin joined us for what turned out to be the most-attended virtual event we’ve hosted all year.

The webinar, titled Step Into the Future with Josh Bersin, led off with one of our favorite descriptions of the tumultuous work world: “We’re entering an effervescent time.” It’s a refreshingly optimistic delivery on all the things that HR can look forward to, and left many in our audience smiling during these tough times.

Check out the webinar:

Check out the podcast:

And if you don’t have the the time, we’ve compiled the top 10 takeaways into a blog post for you.

Read more: Josh Bersin’s recruiting and HR trends for the future

8. Most popular Tutorial

A list like this can’t simply be left to our judgement of what we think is our best and most helpful hiring resource because, well, our judgement alone can’t always be trusted (we’re human, after all). We also need to look at the raw numbers too – for instance, the title of most-read tutorial of the year goes to (drum roll): the top HR interview questions!

It is what it says: the top 10 interview questions asked in the HR interview – which would mostly be at the screening stage of the hiring process. It’s a very nuts-and-bolts piece which delivers – which is probably why it’s number one in terms of popularity for the year.

Read now: HR interview questions: The top 10 questions asked in the HR interview

9. Most popular Stories & Insights

Our Better Hiring site also includes thought leadership and insights in the hiring world. Which means it would make sense to share the top hiring resource from our Stories & Insights section as well. Again, it’s something that’s very top of mind for recruiters in our audience: the most common recruiting challenges and what you can do to overcome them.

What’s great about this piece is how cut-and-dried it is. It lays out very neatly the top challenges that recruiters are dealing with (especially right now), and shares actionable solutions which can be valuable for an overworked, tired audience that’s just looking to get the job done so they can sleep at night.

Read now: The most common recruiting challenges and how to overcome them

10. Most popular video(s)

We noted above that the Josh Bersin webinar was the most impactful in terms of attendance – but what was the most popular video hiring resource of the year? Well, we’re going to cheat and share two, because they’re so different in terms of tone and purpose and both deserve their moment in the spotlight.

First, our customer case study featuring Cytora, an insurance startup in London, and their story of how they accelerated hiring from 20 to 60 employees in just 2.5 years:

And second, an expert-led video tutorial on how to build up your DEI initiative, from someone who does it as a full-time job:

Both videos saw immense reach throughout 2021 and continue to be popular today.

What’s your top hiring resource of 2021?

A list like this would be remiss if we didn’t ask our audience directly: what do you think is the top hiring resource we’ve created all year? We want to know. Send us an email to content@workable.com with “Hiring resources” in the subject heading, and tell us why you liked it so much and what else you’d like to see from us going into 2022.

And without further ado, wishing you the best for 2022!

The post Top 10 hiring resources to help you hire in 2022 appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

There are very few reasons for a candidate to apply for a job if the salary is below their threshold:

The real question is, if you want to attract top talent with high potential, should salaries be included in the job description?

As an embedded recruitment firm, the ACELR8 team works with a wide range of clients from a variety of industries. Despite this variety, there are many common themes that play a big part in creating a solid hiring strategy. One of the most well-worn paths is the discussion on salaries.

Should salaries be mentioned in job descriptions? Should it come up only in the interview stage?

Or, should they be not mentioned at all until the job offer stage?

It’s a hot-button topic right now and you’re looking for answers. To learn more, ACELR8 polled its talented team of recruiters to find those answers for you:

A third of our recruiters maintain that salaries should be shared only later in the hiring process, while twice as many believed the opposite.

To learn more, ACELR8’s Head of Marketing, Milda Skladaityte, posted the same question on LinkedIn. Here, things were a little different.

Out of 582 votes, an overwhelming majority of 91% wanted to see the salary in the job description.

This is an interesting finding, because it shows that there are completely opposing views on the market. At first, this may seem off the mark, but when you look at the reasons why, the issue becomes a lot clearer.

So, we spoke with Sara Bent, the recruitment lead at Hotjar, to learn more about Hotjar’s opinion on disclosing salaries.

“When I first started with Hotjar, I set us up with a Glassdoor account. The interview reviews that came through on it quickly highlighted one main area causing a negative candidate experience,” Sara explained.

“With candidates who we wanted to move forward with beyond the initial application stage, we’d email them to ask about their minimum compensation expectations. Our intention with this was to be sure that we would only move forward with candidates who fit within our compensation banding; we wouldn’t want to waste a candidate’s time if we knew we couldn’t match their expectations.

The Glassdoor reviews, though, made it clear that a lot of candidates felt we were doing this to ‘lowball’ them – plus these extra emails could add days to a candidate’s recruitment journey.”

That conclusion motivated Sara to be more open about salaries in job ads. And the response was quick and favorable.

“So, based on candidate feedback and guided by our own core value of building trust with transparency, we made the decision to immediately start posting all compensation ranges onto job descriptions. If we use the Glassdoor reviews as a measure of success, this change did seem to immediately make a positive difference to our candidates’ experience.”

Salaries are a tough topic to negotiate and discuss, and it’s often easy to scare away or disincline candidates. What Sara found, though, was that asking for feedback and adjusting processes to suit the candidate’s expectations was a quick, insightful, and easy step to take.

To learn more about people’s reasonings behind salaries and job descriptions, we asked our recruiters more questions. Let’s start with why many recruiters believe salaries should be disclosed in job descriptions.

Salaries in job ads: the argument for

Another recruiter made it clear – it’s about being transparent.

“I believe that transparency in hiring is the most important value. I believe that if we are hiding the salary, we know we pay less than we should or we are not transparent internally. Also, it may be that people in the company earn less than we are now offering to the new candidates.”

Transparency is a vital aspect of a well-run business. If everyone is on the same page and respects each other, the culture of the company will undoubtedly improve.

By disclosing the salary at the very beginning of the process, you start off on the right track – by creating trust. As said above, this not only allows the potential hire to understand their financial position, it can also give current employees an insight into the salary structure of the company.

This, in turn, mitigates any risk for attrition.

Moving with the times

Another important factor to take into consideration is that approaches and attitudes to disclosing salaries have changed considerably in recent years.

Another recruiter, Jonathan, explains:

“It’s something of an archaic taboo in my view,” Jonathan says. “Pay is often tied in with feelings of self-worth, so to openly discuss it manifests as either an ego boost or feeling undervalued.”

Candidates are also at a major disadvantage when it comes to salary disclosure, he adds.

“What has happened is people no longer have any real grasp of salary banding from industry to industry or role to role. The only people who know what the correct salary expectations broadly are, are recruiters. People generally have no idea whether they are under or overpaid…who can they compare to?”

And opening up that discussion from the get-go can make significant positive differences – not just for the individual candidate but overall benefits as well.

“If salaries, stock options, etc. were openly disclosed, people would then have a critical piece of intelligence required to make important career decisions. We would all be able to clearly see what is happening in the marketplace. It would also oust any disparities on account of gender, age, race or religion.”

These are some excellent points that lead to a much larger issue of diversity, equity, and inclusion. By creating a more transparent salary structure, everyone, including outside candidates, gets a better understanding of their financial self-worth.

In all, disclosing salary expectations allows for a level playing field and a transparent hiring process that ensures that time is not wasted and equal opportunities, both internally and externally, can be achieved.

Let’s look at the counter-argument. While disclosing salary does save time at the outset, but there are many eye-opening implications from our recruiters.

Salaries in job ads: the argument against

“I think companies have much more than a salary to offer … a remote-work policy, stock option, different benefits,” says another recruiter in the network. “It’s a complicated topic because I also see a potential benefit in having the salary on the job description.”

The modern company has to offer more than just a good salary. Remote-first working, equity options, and a whole host of other benefits can be just as important to potential hires.

For example, an early-stage startup will often not be able to compete with an established company for talent due to its lack of resources. However, incentives such as equity, bonuses, and remote work can level the playing field. Disclosing the salary may skew the candidate’s impression of the full value of the position.

Another recruiter shared three reasons why disclosing the salary may be problematic:

1. The salary can put people off of applying if it is too low or below current salaries. Then, the company also gets a reputation in the market for underpaying.
2. It can encourage juniors or unqualified people to apply to more senior roles if they are attracted just by salary and the bands are too high.
3. It can run into situations at the end of a process if you offer 80k but the candidate sees the band pays up to 90k.

Overall, disclosing the salary puts the ball in the court of the candidate. It can lead to a glut of unsuitable candidates applying for the role, can affect the reputation of the company, and can also make closing the deal significantly more difficult.

Competitive issues

Another issue that may arise is that competing companies will see your offered salary and now know the benchmark for out-offering you.

Yet, while disclosing all your cards early in the game certainly gives the other players an advantage, it also avoids spending time on candidates who are unsuitable for the role.

There is also the issue of under-offering. If a company discloses their salary offer in the job description and it is much lower than the expected amount desired by the client, they won’t bother applying for the job.

In all of these situations, it’s important to remember to take things on a case-by-case basis. Every employer is different, and one rule does not apply to all. Take the time to understand what your company really needs, and approach the salary dilemma from there.

The issue of salary trends

The other aspect of the salary issue comes into what we’ve discussed previously: salary trends are changing fast.

2020 and 2021 have been two of the most paradigm-shifting years in hiring trends, communication methods, and work environments. A large population of the world had to change their work habits, and so they have become used to a certain style of employment.

Now, many people are leaving old jobs which do not adhere to their desired lifestyle, creating a boom in candidates and employers vying for position. This has led to a wide series of changes, including in the world of salaries and salary estimates. Again, we asked recruiters what they thought.

To the future: salary trends in 2022

“Aside from a competitive salary, companies need to offer competitive benefits to stay ahead,” says one recruiter. “These can include remote work, hybrid, flexi-work, company equity, family days/additional sick days, mental health days, remote office set-up allowance, learning and development budget and room for career growth.”

As above, salary is not the one carrot which you can use to lure a great candidate into your company. After COVID, people have higher expectations for work-life balance and the availability of remote work – this is documented along with the importance of compensation in the Great Discontent study released in September 2021.

By creating a progressive offering and work environment, you can attract exceptional talent that is looking for those freedoms and benefits.

Another issue in regards to the shift of work to remote is the issue of salaries. Hiring has gone global – EU-based candidates that would recently have had no chance of getting a role with a German company, for instance, can now count on being considered.

One recruiter explains:

“A thing I have noticed is that as remote work soars, candidates who are working remotely for San Francisco/Silicon Valley start-ups are getting paid San Francisco salaries and they then will expect this level of compensation in Europe.”

Now, when you’re hiring, you have the entire globe as a talent pool. This issue is only going to become more widespread as time goes on. The world is more interconnected than ever before, and it is up to you to learn how to adjust your hiring strategy to counteract this.

Learn more about the global talent market in our podcast or read about it here.

Choose wisely

In the end, the choice of whether to disclose the salary or not is up to you and your hiring team. But, hopefully, this article has helped to shed some light on the pros and cons of each situation.

A high salary posting can certainly attract excellent candidates, but it’s important to ensure you can foot the bill when it comes to the offer stage. Additionally, the only way of maintaining this appraisal is to create a transparent salary structure throughout your company. This avoids issues of unfair pay, employee morale problems, and general miscommunication.

When it comes to keeping your cards close and not mentioning the salary, make sure that you are supplementing that with another attractor important to candidates. Excellent candidates will only respond to well-thought-out and attractive job descriptions. Promote your company values and ambitions to entice top talent into the application process before they even think of the salary.

Again, in the modern world of recruitment, salary is not everything; other benefits can become even more important to candidates – especially issues such as remote working or flexible hours.

Take the time to really understand the job position – who is the ideal candidate? Will they respond better to a high salary or company equity? Are there other benefits which haven’t been considered yet?

The world of recruitment is dynamically changing, and it’s important for each company to take a deep, introspective look at how they want to hire. Jobs descriptions need to be more than just salary postings now. Although, statistically, it may seem as though the public wants to make sure salaries stay present.

Above all: stay transparent, don’t overpromise, and remember to keep an open mind.

Lewis Mc Cahill is the Content Marketing Manager for ACELR8. With over half a decade of experience, he has worked with a range of major brands and upcoming startups alike. With ACELR8, he is helping push the Embedded Recruitment Model forward with the help of the rest of the marketing team.

The post Should you include salary in a job description? Let’s talk! appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Jobs in retail and healthcare are most at risk for high turnover due to the high demands and stress of working throughout the pandemic that caused irrevocable damage to employee loyalty. The tech industry also saw high turnover rates due to burnout, but they also had more competitive remote work options to turn to.

While it is typical for younger employees to have a higher rate of job turnover, that has recently shifted to employees aged 30-45 years old with an increase in resignations in this group by over 20% between 2020 and 2021. The US Great Discontent survey report also finds that employees in this group are more likely to be passively open to new opportunities than other age groups.

Younger employees are less mobile due to lack of job security while Boomers and Gen Xers are more content with their current employment.

Employers should perform their own self-audit to determine what is causing employees to resign if it does not fall under these more obvious categories.

Certain benefits such as working from home have become a premium in the job market due to the pandemic. As the appeal of juggling two workspaces fades, hybrid jobs do not inspire as much employee loyalty as fully remote jobs – 58% versus 73% employee loyalty. Considering desirable benefits that will inspire loyalty will be necessary to avoid costly high-turnover rates.

The cost of high employee turnover

The cost to replace an employee in terms of marketing the position, paying recruiters, interviewing, relocation costs, signing bonuses, and training the replacement comes to about 33% of an employee’s annual salary according to a retention report by the Work Institute.

It will also take time before the new hire is productive – in other words, the time to ramp, as Workable CFO Craig DiForte describes it – and this factors in lost revenue. These hiring costs can add up when one in three hires leave a company in their first two years and is why it is most beneficial to emphasize best practices for employee retention.

An unfortunate hidden cost of high turnover is that the workload falls on the remaining employees who must pick up the slack until the new hire is up to speed. This can be damaging to staff morale which makes it important to add incentives for those loyal workers who remain before they become resentful.

How to improve employee loyalty and retention

For the employees who remain loyal it is important to recognize when they go above and beyond their job description, especially for those who are responsible for training new hires and picking up the slack. Workers who feel appreciated by their supervisors – and are well-compensated – are more likely to stay. This, again, is confirmed in the Great Discontent survey, with two-thirds of US workers saying they need to make more money as a reason why they’re looking elsewhere.

One proactive solution is to incorporate team-building exercises because keeping employees happy translates to higher productivity which is the ultimate goal. Employers will need to make time in their schedule to be accessible and communicate with their team either at work or at more relaxed employee excursions like going to a sporting event, playing mini-golf, or participating in an escape room experience.

There are other ways to make employees happy that do not cost anything. Some workers simply desire career mobility and transparency about how they can grow in their roles at work. Providing job training and a clear path to career advancement are important to keeping loyal employees – 47% of survey respondents reported that feeling stagnant in their roles was the main reason for looking for a new job that had more opportunities for growth and fulfilment.

Hiring and recruiting strategies

Hiring a new employee is an investment and it is important to establish honest job expectations from the start to guarantee that you do not end up wasting each other’s time – not to mention the money involved in training a new hire.

Employers should carefully craft their job description to reflect their company values and should not shy away from explaining the job role in detail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8Ip3mLOjOs&ab_channel=Workable

Future interviews and training should reinforce these ideas so there is no confusion regarding expectations.

It can also be helpful to advertise the fun company culture in job advertisements since workers who are leaving due to burnout may be seeking a better work environment.

It is not enough just to be fun right now because the pandemic is still a serious issue affecting job searches. Offering healthcare benefits is more important to employees than ever due to the pandemic and putting onerous restrictions on when benefits go into effect can deter applications.

Advertising initiatives for mental health resources can be a useful selling point as well and should not be overlooked. Social isolation from remote work is one of the downsides despite its popularity and proactively addressing it instead of ignoring the problem that so many are now facing can be a marketable feature for your employer brand.

Visibility is the key to future-proofing your business

The first step to creating a targeted retention program is to establish greater visibility into the root causes of turnover. This may also involve having uncomfortable conversations with employees that have chosen to resign by performing exit interviews. Ultimately, this data will empower your business to attract leading industry talent, retain loyal employees, and reduce turnover costs.

The post How do you overcome the Big Quit as an employer? appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

As industrial/organizational psychologists with years of experience in the military and in corporate hiring and co-editors of the recent book, Military Veteran Employment: A Guide to the Data-Driven Leader, we are here to offer new ideas and suggestions to take your veteran hiring and recruiting to the next level.

First, some good news: research shows that many companies talk about hiring veterans. However, not many companies are putting their words into action when it comes to a research-informed approach to hiring veterans. Even fewer companies are executing programs targeted at veterans – the smaller the company, the less that they are doing.

For example, in a survey of employers by the Edelman global communications firm, only 23% of employers said that they saw veterans as strategic assets for their companies and only a little more than two out of five (43%) said that they are receiving enough veteran applications.

Here are some suggestions to improve your veteran hiring efforts, whether you are just getting started or already have a robust dedicated effort in place.

1. Update your job descriptions
2. Look at vets’ transferable skills
3. Track your hiring pipeline data
4. Learn about the military’s culture, values, and language
5. Capitalize on veterans’ networks
6. Utilize your customer support team
7. Don’t overlook military spouses
8. Focus on retention as well

1. Update your job descriptions

Focus on experiences and competences and avoid listing years in a position or certificates or diplomas as requirements or qualifications for the role. Many veterans may lack academic degrees or formal certificates but have nevertheless gained the relevant experience and skills that you need.

For instance, ask yourself why your job descriptions dictate a master’s degree or six years of experience? Are these critical to the position or do they merely serve as a signal of what you want to see in candidates?

Take the time to re-think who can do the job and break the job down into the absolutely required critical constituent knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies, and then list these in your ads.

Not only will this help with your veteran hiring efforts, but it will benefit your hiring members of other populations that may not have the formal education but do have the right skills.

2. Look at vets’ transferable skills

About half of military members want to leave their military occupation and do something different in the civilian world. The RAND Corporation has conducted extensive research on the transferability of military skills and new ways to connect military occupations with civilian ones.

RAND’s work highlights that employers should not assume that an infantryman is only qualified to be a cop because the prior service member carried guns. Many infantrymen have become successful computer technicians, salespeople, managers, and even comedy writers.

Learn to see past an applicant’s military occupation to their skills and experiences and learn how your company can utilize these in different occupations.

3. Track your hiring pipeline data

Monitor your candidates at every stage to identify where you lose or gain veterans throughout your talent pipeline. Look at the demographic make-up (including veteran status) at each stage of hiring to see if there is a fall-off at a certain stage.

For instance, do you get enough veterans applying? Are your recruiters sourcing veterans? Do you have a sufficient percentage at each step but then their percentage decreases because of the interview?

Find out what your numbers look like so that you can address the area where the shortfall begins.

4. Learn about the military’s culture, values, and language

If you understand the culture, values, and language of the military – and share that knowledge with your business leaders and hiring managers – you’ll more effectively engage your military veterans. Research from the Center for a New American Security shows companies that make the effort to understand and honor the military culture and military family experiences do a better job of recruiting and retaining their veteran employees.

Make sure your recruiters who work with veterans understand the military – and if you have veterans in your company, see if they want to serve as recruiters, brand champions, or want to advise your company on its efforts.

5. Capitalize on veterans’ networks

Word of mouth will be your most effective tool for recruiting and retaining veterans. Veterans have learned to trust comments from other veterans and military members.

A pro-veteran web page or brochure – with flags and pictures of soldiers – will mean nothing to a veteran if they have heard negative comments about your company from current veteran employees. Make sure you deal honestly with veterans, respect the military and its culture, take care of military families, and utilize their skills well.

Also, encourage your current veteran employees to share their experiences with other veterans who might be interested in working for your company. For example, JPMorgan Chase & Co. created a series of videos where existing employees explain how they use their military skills in their jobs. Here’s one of those videos.

https://youtu.be/FEEH9nM65uA

6. Utilize your customer support team

Your reputation as a company can influence your brand as an employer. Create a military-focused customer support team (made up of veterans or military spouses) and train other agents to recognize nuanced military terms and offer extensions on payment or other special treatment for military family customers.

If a military spouse mentions that they may have difficulty paying a bill because of a PCS (in military terms, a permanent change of station or relocation) or because the spouse has been deployed overseas, have the call transferred to your military team. These agents will be able to speak to them in the right ‘language’ with proper contextual understanding and offer extensions or other special handling.

When the military member starts looking for employment, the spouse that received payment extensions or other special handling will have a positive feeling about the company and will recommend them as a good place to work.

Building a positive brand and employee value proposition is important for all companies and even more important when working within the military and veteran communities.

7. Don’t overlook military spouses

Veterans will understand that companies that take care of military families will be good places to consider for their own employment. We also suggest being inclusive of spouses of currently serving members of the military and veterans – often termed “military spouses”.

Military spouses are a well-educated and often under-utilized talent population that frequently relies on tight military community networks to find employment and support due to the demands of a military lifestyle.

Make an effort to hire and retain military spouses by understanding that the gaps in their resumes may be caused by frequent moves for their spouse’s career and that their experience may not be reflected in a traditional resume or standard metrics. And, to help spouses who move frequently with their families, offer remote or distributed work options where possible.

8. Focus on retention as well

Many companies have learned how to hire veterans, but few can successfully retain veterans in their companies. Data from LinkedIn demonstrates that while veterans may have higher turnover than non-veterans during their first year of employment, the rate drops to less than that of non-veterans once they stay for more than a year. In fact, overall, they stay 8.3% longer in their initial place of employment than non-veterans do.

Here are some suggestions to improve retention:

Provide a sense of purpose or mission.

Many veterans self-select into the military because they want to serve something greater than themselves. The need to support a mission doesn’t end when they take the uniform off.

Provide your veteran employees with a new mission or purpose and fulfill this innate need for them. Communicate your company’s mission to your employees so each employee can see their direct “line of sight” to fulfilling that mission. Leadership should not only communicate this vision but help each employee see how they personally drive it as leaders.

Understand that veterans have finely honed “BS” detectors

Be open and transparent with your veteran employees. Don’t try to couch the truth or avoid difficult conversations – especially since veterans are skillful at identifying lack of transparency after their time in the military and will be carrying that over into the civilian world.

Being accustomed to a strong culture of leadership and development, veterans are used to direct feedback, to hearing bad news directly, and adapting quickly to fix the situation.

Provide frequent and regular feedback

Military members do not wait around for an annual performance review. Service members are used to having formal “After Action Reviews” after every operation and informal check-ins or “azimuth checks” regularly. Take care with your veteran employees to provide informal feedback regularly.

A rich well of talent

Veterans are a vastly undertapped resource in our society – and a rich well of skill to fill those important roles in your organization. These ideas will help you ensure your veteran hiring and retention programs will be highly successful. Good luck!

Kristin N. Saboe, Ph.D. is an Army veteran, nationally recognized leader, award-winning psychologist, public speaker, and strategist. While an officer and Research Psychologist in the Army, she deployed to Afghanistan and served as a staff officer at the Pentagon. Her writing, research, and community involvement focuses on veteran and military spouse employment, human performance optimization, leadership, and well-being in both military and civilian settings.

Nathan D. Ainspan, Ph.D., has researched, written, and spoken extensively about military-civilian transitions and veterans’ civilian employment. He is currently the Senior Research Psychologist with the Military-Civilian Transition Office (MCTO) at the Department of Defense. His work focuses on improving civilian employment opportunities for returning service members and the psychosocial benefits that employment provides to wounded warriors and injured veterans.

More reading: How to hire veterans

The post 8 new techniques to hire and retain military veterans appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

• 73% of candidates are passively looking
• Recruitment emails have an open rate of 21.14%
• 33% of recipients open emails based on the subject line

Based on these numbers, we can see that passive job seekers need more than uninspiring cold emails to make them check out a new job profile and ultimately, apply for that job.

We’ll go through an eight-step process to give you enough ammunition to turn run-of-the-mill emails into high-converting ones.

1. Create an email copy outline
2. Write compelling subject lines
3. Find the candidate’s info & research their background
4. Personalize your outreach
5. Keep your email brief and on point
6. Include a clear CTA
7. Utilize the power of email signature
8. Establish a follow-up strategy

1. Create an email copy outline

To start off, you need to get your email outline right. Cold emails are by design, notorious for cookie-cutter outlines. And this is where most companies fail to attract the right talent. Your cold emails need to be precise, relevant, and unique. One way to write a good email is to know how not to write it. Take this email for example:

Stack Overflow unearthed this cold email that’s about everything a recruiter shouldn’t send to a cold candidate. It’s not addressed to anyone in particular, it doesn’t show the value the roles provide, it uses a long list of skills as the body, and it ends with a weak CTA. It’s hard to impress job seekers with emails crafted as poorly as this one.

While creating an outline for email, it is important to have fleshed-out answers to these questions:

• Who is this email for?
• What is the purpose/goal of sending the email?
• Do the emails need attachments?
• What writing tone should be used?
• What is the best CTA and where should it be placed?
• How to start/end the emails?

The purpose of the outline is to allow companies to automate and scale recruitment strategies. But it should still leave enough room to improvise the copy depending on context and the information available.

A good example should look like this:

The email quickly hooks the candidate with a relatable experience and goes on to explain all the information relevant to the job. The email body is laser-sharp and ends with a good CTA.

2. Write compelling subject lines

Most people only look at the subject lines of the emails to decide whether to delete or open them. Job seekers are no different.
It’s not uncommon for active and passive job seekers to receive hundreds of recruitment emails each day. The only way they can keep the inbox tidy is by deleting the emails that don’t add value to their lives.

When you’re writing a subject line, put yourself in the recipient’s shoes and see what lines you wouldn’t click at all. Take this line for example:

A surprise career opportunity that’ll change your life. Check right now!

Bombastic, misleading, and long sentences are precisely the things you need to avoid when it comes to writing cold emails. It’s important to spend a good bit of time and effort ironing out the subject line. In general, it has to be short, ideally 4-6 words, punchy, and loaded with value.

Great recruitment subject lines should look more like these:

• UX Writer position open at [company name]
• [Company name] is looking for Product Managers
• Data Engineer position available in Vancouver, CA

Along with perfecting the subject line, you should also write a preheader text that provides more information about the email. A lot of recruiters miss the free space so this should be your opportunity to stand out.

3. Find the candidate’s info & research their background

Research plays a key part in practically every aspect of marketing. Recruitment in 2021 can be made better by infusing marketing elements to cater to the right talent pool.

It’s not just the job seekers who have to find the hiring manager’s email address. Recruiters must also deeply research the candidates and go over the information that might be useful for the job. This can be previous roles and companies, qualifications, and career goals. LinkedIn is where talented professionals discuss jobs, careers, and personal lives. You can make connections and even join LinkedIn groups to see what your ideal candidates are up to. LinkedIn InMails are a great way to warm up cold candidates but the sheer volume of undercooked and spam messages by recruiters often drive professionals off the platform.

LinkedIn, however, is not the only option. Techies are available in GitHub and Stack Overflow, writers are sharing ideas in Medium, designers are using Pinterest and Instagram to showcase their art. Social media channels and even portfolio websites are goldmines of information that you can use in your outreach campaign.

Apart from social media and portfolio websites, there’s another channel for effective communication – emails. But it’s not always easy to find the correct email addresses of candidates. With a tool like Hunter’s Email Finder, recruiters find the right people faster.

But people often change jobs and forget to update their email addresses. They might even stop checking their old inbox. That’s why you also need to verify email addresses to make sure you’re not emailing inactive addresses. An email list full of irrelevant addresses will increase your bounce rate, and drag down your deliverability and reputation score.

4. Personalize your outreach

Now that you have enough information about your targeted candidates, it’s time to put the knowledge into action. Approach your recruitment emails the way you write a cold pitch.

Candidates (and humans in general) love to be seen. Always address them by their name at the start of the email and immediately establish a personal connection to show what’s in it for them.

Email personalization is critical in outreach campaigns. A personalized email template should look like this example from Stack Overflow:

It’s a detailed cold email that gives all the information the recipient needs to make a decision. The friendly tone also goes perfectly with the context and the job profile in the discussion.

There’s proof in the pudding too – Boston-based full stack developer Mark Bates talked about the importance of personal connection when reaching out to tech candidates:

“I want to be talked to directly as a person,” Mark said. “Show me that you know who I am and you know the things that I do. And you can tell me in that initial contact why I would make a huge difference at your company.”

5. Keep your email brief and on point

The previous email is a good example of a personalized copy. Coupled with a solid subject line, it should clock good responses from job seekers. But it’s not just the personal connection that sealed the deal. The email is easy to read, offers only the relevant information, and more importantly, tells the candidate what to do after reading the email.

Depending on their career trajectory and position, job seekers either want enriching opportunities, financial benefits, or both. The email offers all these details.

Workload: I’m hiring another mobile engineer to join us here at PuppyHomeTech.

Salary: We offer better pay than any startup in NY.

Process: Our interview only takes one day. We move quickly and if we decide to make an offer, you’ll receive it in 24 hours.

The sender shouldn’t also drag recruitment emails too long with unrelated information. Job applications are often lengthy. As a result, 60% of job seekers give up filling up applications midway. This pattern is true for cold emails as well. Excess information in recruitment emails makes it hard to find the important parts for busy professionals.

That’s why recruiters should distill it down to a few key points and drive home the importance of the email. You can embed graphics or a video on email banners to showcase company culture and provide a bit more details about the role without cluttering the email body.

6. Include a clear CTA

Take a look at this email:

Dear candidate,

We are [company name], a fast-paced company with global footprints. We’re looking for data analysts and you fit our description. Please click on the link below to fill the form.

About us: We’re [ a bit more details about the company]

If you’re interested in the opportunity, please reply to this email so that we can schedule a call.
Thanks!

[Email Signature]

Apart from being vague, the email also confuses the recipient. When you’re cold-emailing candidates, you must remember that the person doesn’t know you, the company, or the role yet. The email will give all the necessary information for the first time, and the information must flow naturally.

This email has two calls to action. One asking to fill up an online form, the other asking to schedule a call. Contradictory or multiple CTAs are confusing and it shows that you haven’t done your homework. Candidates are less likely to go ahead when the lack of effort is clearly visible from the recruiter’s end.

That’s why it’s important to stick to a single CTA. If you have a separate job board that you want them to apply for, only add that link. If you want them to directly reply to your email, mention only that.

One CTA shows your clarity of thought and helps candidates navigate through the next process.

Especially, look at those last two questions – straight and to the point in a way that makes it easy for the candidate to respond. This recruiting email not only sticks to a clear CTA but also goes ahead a step further to offer more information about the call.

7. Utilize the power of email signature

Email signature in a recruitment email tells a lot in a short space. Including an official signature is important because:

• Email signature offers a name that can be searched online by the candidate to verify legitimacy. It instantly creates reliability and is far better than using an unidentifiable sales rep persona.
• An email signature can be used to link company vision and other details. Candidates can check the links to know more about the role, and company culture.
• A huge number of emails go to the spam folder every day and recruitment emails are also part of it. Including an official email signature is one way to avoid getting flagged for spam by the recipient

A good email signature should look like this:

8. Establish a follow-up strategy

Far too many recruiters miss out on talent after not getting a reply the first time. Professionals are busy and it’s easy to miss an email. Cold emails are not expected to generate a 100% response rate but they can be seen as a part of the warm-up process to fetch a response from the candidate later. Ideally, you’ll want to follow up with 3-4 emails before accepting the fact that the candidate is not interested in the opportunity.

To write compelling follow-up emails, you need to add value, lead with the previous email and keep the copy short.

• A follow-up email that leads with the previous email:

• A follow-up email that’s short:

• And one last follow-up email:

Wrapping up

Most recruitment cold emails are uninspiring and impersonal, which actually gives you the opportunity to stand out and attract ideal candidates with a well-thought-out cold email strategy. By following the 8-step process, you’ll be able to craft cold emails that job seekers love to read and respond to.

Irina Maltseva is Head of Marketing at Hunter. She enjoys working on inbound and product marketing strategies. In her spare time, she entertains her cat Persie and collects airline miles.

The post 8 tips for writing outstanding cold recruitment emails that convert – with templates appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

The employer posts the job, you apply, beg for a job, and then, if lucky, the employer will offer you the job. If you’re brave, you can negotiate the salary up a bit, but it’s pretty much a take-it-or-leave-it situation.

Job interviews were like dog-and-pony shows where candidates tried to impress judges, and the judges didn’t feel obligated to try to impress the candidate.

During this time, you saw a lot of ghosting – on the employer’s part. Come in for two, three, five interviews… and then silence. And that was just how it was. It was wrong then, but everyone knew to expect it.

The booming economy in the pre-pandemic days and then the pandemic itself turned all these rules on their heads. Here is how it is now.

The new rules of talent engagement

If you are hiring or looking for a job, you need to know how to play the game. Here are the new rules.

1. Job descriptions are marketing documents
2. Salary comes first
3. Candidates are interviewing you
4. Lack of flexibility makes it harder to hire
5. Everyone is ghosting
6. Candidates won’t play the long interview game

1. Job descriptions are marketing documents

The labor shortage means companies compete for the best candidate. Your job descriptions need to be well written and focus on the critical aspects of the job. Just as recruiters can reject an applicant in seven seconds or less, job candidates can breeze through job postings.

Make sure your job postings:

• Use good formatting to draw eyes to key points
• Stay away from jargon (fast-paced, exciting environment is a red flag to today’s candidates)
• List the top responsibilities only. Long lists get you rejected as nit-picky.

Related: Why Maslow thinks your job ads suck

2. Salary comes first

Several states banned recruiters and hiring managers from asking about previous salaries, which means you can’t get an advantage by asking for a current and past paycheck size.

But that doesn’t mean money is taboo – in fact, candidates want to know the salary budget for the job. Colorado even requires companies to post their salary and benefit information in the job posting.

Candidates don’t like wasting their time interviewing or even applying for jobs where the salary is unknown. Plus, salary is still king when it comes to job decisions, according to September’s Great Discontent survey.

Putting a salary in your job description, or discuss it on the initial phone screen, and you’ll get a lot further. Some candidates will refuse to go on without this knowledge.

3. Candidates are interviewing you

It’s no longer a beauty pageant but a date. The candidate wants to know about your business, management style, and benefits. Candidates expect to have conversations rather than have you interrogate them.

This is a benefit to all parties – after all, you want to hire someone who wants to be into the job, not just a warm bod.

And keep in mind, candidates feel like they have more options, so they will carefully consider your answers as much as you consider theirs.

4. Hiring now requires flexibility

Seventy-two percent of people prefer a hybrid situation, where they can come into the office sometimes and work from home occasionally. While there are plenty of jobs that must be done onsite (dentist, grocery store clerk, janitor, etc.), there are plenty of jobs that can offer options.

Not offering a work-from-home or hybrid option for most white-collar jobs will reduce the number of people interested in your position. People worked from home during the pandemic, liked it or hated it, and now want to control that aspect of their lives.

Including flexibility information in the job posting can help you attract candidates.

Related: One in three US workers value remote work – and three in five value flexible hours. Learn more in our Great Discontent survey report.

5. Everyone is ghosting

It used to be just recruiters and hiring managers that ghosted candidates; now, it’s candidates ghosting interviewers. While this is terrible manners regardless of who does it, you can hardly blame candidates who now feel they have the upper hand. Recruiters treated them poorly for years, and now it’s payback time.

However, the ghosting doesn’t end at the interview stage. Candidates can accept job offers and yet not show up on the first scheduled day or leave after a couple of weeks without saying a word. You may not feel secure in your new hire until several months have passed.

6. Candidates won’t play the long interview game

Many candidates are no longer willing to go through six rounds of interviews plus a presentation when pursuing a job. They will jump to a company that can decide after one or two rounds of interviews. Some companies are even doing on-the-spot job offers.

Adjusting to the new reality

Change is hard for everyone, but candidates jumped at the opportunity to have more power in the hiring relationship. You need to train your recruiters and hiring managers in this new reality.

Shorten your time to hire

It may be a struggle for a company that traditionally has long interview processes or hides salary information until the offer stage. Still, if you continue on this path, you risk losing out on the best (or any) candidates.

Stay on top of salary trends

You also need to keep an eye on market-rate salaries. Things change rapidly. You may think that the fast-food restaurant’s increasing pay doesn’t affect your business, but when unskilled labor jobs start increasing their pay, you’ll find people expect more money for more skilled jobs. No company operates in a vacuum. Salaries can change rapidly across the system.

Don’t hold out for the unicorn

You also cannot afford the perfect candidate to drop out of the applicant tracking system. The labor shortage is a real thing, and you may need to settle.

But, don’t worry – hiring someone who isn’t perfectly equipped to carry out the job means you have the opportunity to train the new employee according to your desires. In other words, you can create your own unicorn – you don’t need to find one.

It’s not a revolution – it’s an evolution

You don’t have to start completely over with your hiring processes. Many things remain the same – you’ll still screen resumes, interview candidates, and make job offers. You’ll just need to do it all a bit faster and a bit more openly.

Be upfront about salary and benefits and keep to a tight timeline. Otherwise, your competitors will race ahead of you in the war for talent.

The post The rules of talent engagement are changing: What’s new now? appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

That’s something you should be concerned about as an employer, so let’s look at why they’re thinking of leaving and what would compel them to stick around. It turns out that skills development, training and overall growth are high up the list of priorities for tech workers.

For instance, in the same survey, 91% want more training opportunities from their current employers.

And it’s not just training. When tech employees are making a career choice, salary and benefits are by and far the most important criteria when deciding who to work for, with 76% picking that as their top decider.

Workable’s Great Discontent survey echoes this sentiment as well, with 63.4% of US workers saying the top reason they’re open to new jobs is because of compensation.

As a tech employer looking to retain your staff, you also want to focus on a career path structure in your company. That’s because two out of five tech workers say the lack of career progression is the main reason they’re leaving their current job.

Three out of five (58%) also tagged skills development as their number-one motivator in choosing a new company. Likewise, three out of five (62%) say that more training and learning as a part of their job will make them more motivated at work.

To quote from the report: “Combined with L&D opportunities being one of the top criteria for selecting a job, the message is clear: training can help slow down the wave of resignations.”

When we’re seeing four million American workers quitting their jobs every month – including in August alone – it’s time for action. Employers need to step up their game with new recruitment strategies to compel their workers to stick around.

But there’s a bright side to all this

Texas A&M professor Dr. Anthony Klotz, who coined the now-famous term “The Great Resignation”, says these insights actually provide an opportunity for employers to get ahead of the problem of turnover.

“While the percentage of individuals thinking about resigning may be high, the good news for organizational leaders is that many of the top reasons that employees provided for wanting to leave are readily addressable,” says Anthony.

He emphasizes that investing in more opportunities for development and career advancement, greater flexibility, and boosting compensation and benefits are all things that can be quickly implemented in one’s own company as significant talent attractors.

And, he adds, keep that two-way street open with your workforce. For example, you can and should use employee surveys to better understand what’s expected of you as an employer.

“There is an opportunity here for companies to talk to their employees about these issues in the wake of the pandemic, and then trial or implement potential solutions.”

The post Invest in your tech workers – or they’ll move on: Survey appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

We all wear rose-colored glasses at times, and when we’re looking for a new job we want to believe everything we’re hearing and seeing: opportunities for promotion, professional development, and work/life balance are often embellished in the recruitment cycle. And we eagerly accept this on face value – we want to believe we’re test-driving a Mercedes.

Read more on the importance of authentic recruitment marketing.

What’s wrong with corporate values?

Almost every company has a set of values that adorn its office walls. There’s much talk of the culture these values underpin, and their virtues are extolled in annual reports and investor briefings. There’s just one problem: it’s rare that these aspirational values actually align with the reality of the company’s culture.

Most often, corporate values are developed to describe the way an organization would like its employees to behave, not how they actually behave. They describe a desirable future state that we should aspire to, yet the leaders of the organization pay little attention to the values day-to-day, and certainly make no attempt to build the culture that they imply.

There’s nothing wrong with having a set of corporate values that describe a desired future state. But to implement a constructive culture that embodies that state, the company’s leaders would have to agree, communicate, and enforce a minimum acceptable standard of behavior and performance.

It’s common for leaders to lose sight of the values when the pressing issues of the day dominate their attention. But, unfortunately, it’s also common for them to speak about the company as if the values are representative of reality – they overstate the role that corporate values play in the running of the business.

Overselling the opportunity

When you’re hiring someone new, you want to showcase your organization in the best possible light, and it’s easy to oversell the opportunity to a prospective employee. You have to remember that your potential hires are quite vulnerable and impressionable during this process. They wouldn’t have applied for the job unless they wanted it, and they’re looking for positive validation: You want the job? Well we want you for the job!

You’ll often find plenty of evidence to support your claims of grandeur, because the board and the CEO create brand collateral to showcase the company in its best light. Many companies produce brochureware to extoll the virtues of their corporate values, the strategic plan, and the positive culture that the leadership has created (oh, and our people are our greatest asset, right!?)

But it doesn’t serve anyone’s interests to bring people into the organization, only for them to become disgruntled and disillusioned when the stark reality sets in.

The Employee Value Proposition (EVP)

As CEO of a major energy business Australia, competition for high quality people was sometimes fierce: but we weren’t in a sexy industry where the best and brightest young graduates lined up each day to fight their way through the crowd and hand us their résumés.

So we decided to take a more methodical approach, and put some serious effort into understanding how to sell the benefits of the organization, without overselling them. This became known as our employee value proposition (EVP).

We started with two key questions:

1. What’s the difference in perception between someone with little knowledge of the company, and someone who has worked here for some time?; and
2. How can we best convey that to prospective employees so that we showcase the organization’s benefits accurately, and enable them to make an informed decision about joining?

In this research, we took time to capture people’s perceptions at different stages of the recruitment process. We surveyed those who had just applied for the job to capture their impressions of the company based on the scant information in the public domain. We surveyed them again at the end of the interview process, whether they were offered the role or not. And for those who chose to join the company, we surveyed them again at various stages during their first six months.

From this, we managed to identify how people’s perceptions changed from the relative ignorance of a first-time applicant to the experience of a person who had ‘lived the dream’ for long enough to form a sensible opinion.

Once armed with this knowledge, we were able to develop our EVP. The main objective was to increase our chances of attracting the best candidates for any role, while at the same time avoiding costly hiring mistakes. But the EVP also became a reminder for everyone in the business about the positive aspects of working for the company, in a way that was both positive and authentic.

Developing an employee value proposition will allow you to accurately and honestly communicate your company’s values and culture to internal and external stakeholders alike.

Where should you start?

Not every company is able to invest the necessary time and effort into developing an EVP. But there are some simple steps you can take to ensure your company’s benefits are represented accurately to anyone who happens to ask.

Start by identifying the gaps. It’s important to understand and articulate the reality of the company culture, as opposed to the aspirational corporate values. People need to know where the company is now, where it’s heading, and what you’re doing to take it there.

Words are cheap, and if leaders don’t focus on driving change every day, the company becomes stagnant. So don’t fret about the gap in the corporate values – just take whatever steps you need to ensure that gap is being reduced every day, as you lead your team to a higher standard of behavior and performance.

Martin G. Moore is the founder of Your CEO Mentor and author of No Bullsh!t Leadership and host of the No Bullsh!t Leadership podcast. His purpose is to improve the quality of leaders globally through practical, real world leadership content. For more information, please visit www.martingmoore.com.

The post Do your corporate values reflect reality? appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

We’ve seen a volatile transition from one presidential administration to another. We’ve seen the increased awareness of issues in the form of Black Lives Matter, Stop Asian Hate, and other socially dynamic movements. We’re still navigating a terrifying virus.

And what’s happening among all this is that we’re experiencing an upheaval of the way we operate as a society – both at home and in the workplace.

What’s also happening – and something you’re likely noticing as an employer – is unprecedentedly high levels in job quit rates in the United States, coupled with equally striking levels in job openings. This graph from the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) speaks volumes:

People in the United States aren’t merely changing jobs. They’re bowing out of the traditional workforce altogether. It signals a discontent unseen in our history.

“The Great Resignation” is no longer a prediction; it’s a current reality, and it’s evolved to a Great Discontent. It’s becoming more challenging to motivate people to stay in their jobs, and harder to attract candidates to new roles. Data from the Workable network confirms this as well.

We see this, and we want to help you – the employer – overcome this challenge. After all, you need your people.

So we surveyed 750 people in the US – some employed, some self-employed, some unemployed, all more or less employable – to understand the most important factors influencing their career priorities. And now, we have results.

We identified four major themes in the dataset:

Money still talks

Despite all the new workplace developments, salary, perks and benefits are still top of mind. People want – and need – more of it when working.

Flexy is sexy

Flexible work arrangements are important to many workers – and much more for women than men – but it’s not as high of a priority for their employers.

The power of connectivity

No matter the kind of work involved, people are at the heart of it all. When people feel connected to their colleagues and leadership, they’ll stay and they’ll thrive.

There’s no place like home

Integrating personal and professional lives is very important for people – it’s the top reason why those not working aren’t working and the top benefit of flexible work.

Major takeaways include the following:

• Want to attract people? Increase the salary, and build up the perks and benefits. 63.4% say it’s the reason why they’re looking for other opportunities, and 62.2% say salary, perks and benefits represent the top factor influencing their decision whether to accept a new job.
• Build strong teams with people who work well together. Relationships with colleagues is the number-one most attractive factor about a potential new employer (37.1%), and a major area for improvement at their current employer (31.3%).
• Make it worthwhile for your workers to stay. Seven out of 10 (70.7%) respondents say they are either actively or passively looking for work, and 54% started looking just in the last half year.
• Pay attention to your younger workers. More than two out of five (42.8%) of those aged 21-29 say they’re actively looking for a new job, compared with just one quarter (24.7%) of those aged 50-59.
• Establish remote work and especially flexible schedules as a permanent policy. Both are highly valued by workers, with 58.2% saying flexible schedules are important to them – particularly because it’s easier to integrate personal and professional lives.
• Keep an eye on the potential disconnect between you and your employees in the importance of flexible work. Nearly half think their employer will ultimately return to in-office (44.7%) and set schedules (46.8%).
• Support your employees’ home lives as well as their work lives – especially if they’re women. Females are more than twice as likely as males to cite family priorities as the reason why they’re not working (39.4% vs. 19.3%).

Read more: check out our in-depth analysis of what matters most to workers in the United States in a job. Or stay tuned for the next excerpt from our Great Discontent survey report for the US.

Interested in seeing what’s going on at the other side of the pond? Check out our UK version of the Great Discontent report in its entirety.

The post Great Discontent: It’s time to evolve your US talent attraction appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

We’ve seen a volatile exit of the UK from the European Union in the form of Brexit, combined with a terrifying virus, both of which have shaken our society at the foundation – leading to economic and social upheaval at home and in the workplace.

What’s also happening – and something you’re likely noticing as an employer – is a mass talent exodus in the country, with one study by Workable partner Personio finding that four out of 10 UK employees will leave their job in the next six to 12 months.

This puts the onus on you, the employer, to take action, and quickly, says Personio CEO Hanno Renner:

“As businesses look to emerge from the crisis in a position of strength and turn the tide on the costs of a potential talent exodus, they now need to come up with a long-term people strategy. By prioritising their people and taking a more strategic approach to people management, employers can prevent an impending talent drain and drive their business performance as well as the wider economy.”

“The Great Resignation” is no longer a prediction. it’s a current reality, and it’s evolved to a Great Discontent. It’s becoming more challenging to motivate people to stay in their jobs, and harder to attract candidates to new roles. Data from the Workable network confirms this as well.

We see this, and we want to help you – the employer – overcome this challenge. After all, you need your people.

So we surveyed 500 people in the UK – some employed, some self-employed, some unemployed, all generally employable – to understand the most important factors influencing their career priorities. And now, we have results.

We identified four major themes in the dataset:

Money still talks

Despite all the new workplace developments, salary, perks and benefits are still top of mind in a job. People want – and need – more of it when working.

Flexy is sexy

Flexible work arrangements are important to many workers – and especially more so for women – but it’s not as high of a priority for their employers.

The power of connectivity

No matter the kind of work involved, people are at the heart of it all. When people feel connected to their colleagues and leadership, they’ll stay and they’ll thrive.

There’s no place like home

Integrating personal and professional lives is very important for people – it’s the top reason why those not working aren’t working and the top benefit of flexible work.

Major takeaways include the following:

• Want to attract people? Increase the salary, and build up the perks and benefits. 70.1% of workers say that’s one of the top reasons why they’ll bolt to a new job.
• Build strong teams with people who work well together. Relationships with colleagues is the number-one most attractive factor about a potential new employer (47.3%), and also the top area in need of improvement at their current employer (31.8%).
• Make it worthwhile for your workers to stay. Three quarters of respondents (74.6%) say they are either actively or passively looking for work right now – and 56.6% started looking within the last half year.
• Pay attention to your younger working population. More than two out of five (41.7%) of those aged 21-29 are actively looking, compared with just 12.9% of those aged 50-59.
• Establish remote work and especially flexible schedules as a permanent policy. Both are highly valued by workers, with 53.8% saying flexible schedules are important to them – particularly because it’s easier to integrate personal and professional lives.
• Mind that disconnect between you and your employees in the importance of flexible work. Nearly half think their employer will ultimately return to in-office (44.7%) and fixed schedules (46.8%).
• Support your employees’ home lives as well as their work lives – especially if they’re women. Females are more than six times as likely as males to cite family priorities as the reason why they’re not working (41.7% vs. 6.7%).

Read more – check out our in-depth analysis of what matters most to workers in the UK in a job. Or stay tuned until next week for the next excerpt from our Great Discontent survey report for the UK.

Interested in seeing what’s going on at the other side of the pond? Check out our US version of the Great Discontent report in its entirety.

The post Evolve your UK talent attraction and survive the Great Discontent appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

HR audits are a critical part of ensuring an organization’s employees are productive, satisfied and constantly improving. Audits are kind of like checklists for HR managers. According to SHRM, audits are most commonly used to go over current HR policies, systems, documentations and other various aspects within an organization.

After working in human resources for various corporate organizations over the last 20 years, I know firsthand how important auditing is to both HR professionals and to the overall health of an organization. Audits and productivity go hand in hand.

Here are a few auditing tips for HR professionals to facilitate an organization’s workflow.

1. Focus on the employee experience
2. Fine-tune your candidate experience
3. Conduct ROI analyses
4. Create consistent audit schedules
5. Survey your employees

1. Focus on the employee experience

When auditing an organization’s workflow, the best place to start is by focusing on the organization’s employee experiences. Look at the recruiting, onboarding, service/performance milestones, and administrative processes you have in place. Ask yourself, are they intuitive? Are they simple? Are they effective?

If not, identify areas of improvement within the organization so employees will want to brag about where they work. If employees have positive experiences, they’re more likely to be more productive.

Factors that may contribute to a positive employee experience include:

• Meaningful work
• Growth and promotion opportunities
• Healthy/positive work environment
• Trust in leaders and supervisors
• Supportive management

Additionally, employees with a more positive experience are more likely to produce higher rates of employee retention, customer satisfaction, profitability and work performance.

Read more: Josh Bersin also has a lot to say on the subject of employee experience. Check out our top 10 insights from a recent webinar.

Because of the abundance of hiring laws involved in nearly each step of the employment process, it is also critical for HR professionals to constantly conduct audits to ensure their organization’s workflow is in compliance with all applicable policies and laws in their jurisdiction.

2. Fine-tune your candidate sourcing

Whether or not your candidate sourcing process is effective can also have a massive outcome on the number of new hires your organization receives, as well as the types of hires your organization receives.

How often an organization audits its candidate sourcing practice will vary from business to business. An easy rule of thumb to remember is, if your hiring successes are low, then your audit has been delayed for too long.

Start out by determining how candidates are entering your hiring pipeline, from what sources, and whether or not you’re finding the right kind of talent. Are you using hiring boards? Social media? Have you noticed a pattern since using these sources?

Experience the process as a candidate

This step is more focused on mapping out a potential candidate’s journey. By doing this, HR professionals can clearly see an overview of what an organization’s application process looks like, and whether or not it is effective.

It is important to constantly adjust these processes to ensure your organization is focusing on hiring relevant talent that will only contribute to the growth of an organization.

Define your candidate persona

Additionally, in order to effectively recruit potential employees with relevant work experience for your organization, you must determine more than just where and how candidates are applying in the first place. Start by creating a candidate persona and aligning that persona to the employer’s or organization’s brand.

Next, check the engagement numbers on each of your recruiting platforms. Is posting on Instagram more effective than posting on LinkedIn? Is that technique bringing in large amounts of potential candidates with relevant work experience?

Auditing the hiring process goes beyond avoiding candidates with little to no relevant experience. Ultimately, it saves an organization time, money, energy and resources.

3. Conduct ROI analyses

Return On Investment (ROI) is a term used when measuring the financial return on an investment made. This concept can be applied in HR when conducting audits to analyze employee productivity, budgets, future initiatives, and of course, an ATS.

If you’re looking to build a case for a new ATS, we’ve got an ATS ROI Calculator to get you started. You can tell your decision makers that a good ATS can save your business $127,875 annually – no exaggeration!

When auditing an organization, you should also analyze your budget forecast and scrutinize your spend. This can be achieved by determining which items make sense to continue to invest in and which areas are no longer needed.

This ultimately frees up dollars to improve the HR workflow. Organizations can gauge whether or not they need to reinvest in employees, or save for a future initiative. ROI analyses help HR professionals clearly see what is worth spending on, rather than continuing to spend company dollars on expenses that have a low ROI.

4. Create consistent audit schedules

Most HR processes are heavily dependent upon employee data. Keeping the data clean and updated is imperative in order to create analytics dashboards that help your organization make important people and business decisions. Audits are a reflection of the data at your organization. If your audits are consistent and accurate, then it will reflect in the data you collect.

Regular process audits keep data clean and serve to identify breaks in the process before those breaks become a huge problem. Process audits examine a set of results and then determine whether the activities, resources and behaviors that caused those results are being managed effectively and efficiently.

HR professionals will most likely create a schedule for their process audits, either annually, monthly or quarterly. Each organization’s auditing needs will vary based on many different factors such as the employee workforce population size, the company’s size as well as the company’s overall goals.

Process audits can also help HR teams better assign roles and responsibilities within the team, identify administrative burdens and ways to resolve them, and whether or not the process is worth continuing altogether. In turn, process audits boost the overall productivity of an organization.

5. Survey your employees

Surveys are an important tool, often overlooked by many organizations and HR professionals. The best and most effective way to know what your HR team should be focused on, is by simply asking your employees.

Begin outlining your survey by deciding what type of survey you would like to conduct in order to answer your question. Different types of surveys produce different outcomes. Do you want to conduct a qualitative survey, focused on written feedback? Or would you like to gather data by using a quantitative survey instead?

Planning these surveys out can be easy and quick, depending on the content and length of each survey question.

Surveys, while sometimes cumbersome, provide the insight you want and the opinions you need to hear to overhaul processes and develop a meaningful people strategy. They blatantly show us what we should be focusing on, as well as how employees feel toward certain elements of your organization.

Employees are willing to tell you where you are falling short, what things they love about the company, and what things need more attention. Asking for employee feedback also establishes a level of trust between supervisors and employees; if employees feel safe enough to give quality, in-depth feedback, most HR professionals can assume they have a high level of trust with them.

Auditing is worth the time

While auditing may seem like an unnecessary or time consuming process to many people, HR professionals know how important auditing is. Auditing an organization’s processes, employees, investment returns and hiring practices ultimately give HR professionals a clear picture of what’s working and what isn’t.

They save organizations time, money and resources while continuously striving for improvement and improving workflow. That’s exactly why audits should be included in every organization’s HR toolbelt moving forward.

The post Auditing to improve the HR workflow appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

But we’re also seeing many companies planning to return to an in-office setup – in that same survey, 52.8% of US and 44.7% of UK workers say their companies probably will return to the office when things return to “normal”. And HqO has already done that, back in the spring of 2021.

We joined Chris for a chat about HqO’s own RTO strategy, and we’ve pulled together the main takeaways from that conversation.

Remote work is not be-all and end-all

Despite remote work being one of the top-touted paradigm shifts for 71% of businesses in our 2020 New World of Work report, Chris says that isn’t a universal sentiment among companies or even workers. He suggests that the work-from-home phenomenon may just be an experiment that ultimately proved the value of in-office work in the end.

“There’s a lot of evidence behind work from home being increasingly challenging and not sustainable,” says Chris. He shares two statistics to back this up:

In Oct. 2020, Google found that their engineers produced 30% less code during the pandemic.

Colliers International released a survey of office professionals in early 2020 stating that 23% of respondents say their productivity had declined when working remotely.

He calls those numbers “mind boggling”.

The impact of remote work on trust

“I think most people are productive, don’t get me wrong,” Chris says. But, he does see the need – and appetite – for a shift back to in-office work.

For example, trust in the employee base took a big hit in the remote-work world.

“I’d love for someone to defend the idea that trust and empathy have not been shattered [when] working remote,” Chris says, “especially when all your interactions are either over Google Meet or Zoom or Microsoft Teams.”

And while trusting your employees is essential to success in a remote-work environment, Chris does take a pragmatic approach about the realities of remote work for a business that needs its employees to be available when needed.

“I’ve heard of stories … for some hybrid or remote employees where they’re talking about their colleagues on social media, going to the beach in the summertime, taking half of the workday to golf, heading to bars and restaurants in the early afternoon, all this happening before the workday ends.”

And that can actually hurt the overall morale in a company’s workforce.

“You’re seeing all that empathy and trust just be completely ripped apart. And I think you’ll hear more of those scenarios entering 2022.”

And even a hybrid solution isn’t the perfect solution.

“What’s going to happen when your boss wants to be in the office three to four times a week. Your team is on board with that, but maybe you’ve moved or maybe you’re just not comfortable. And you want to go in one to two days a week. What happens there? I think that’s going to be something that a lot of companies need to think about.”

The impact of remote work on mental health

The trend towards remote work has made it difficult for some companies who want or need their employees to return to on-site work.

Consider the worker backlash Apple experienced when shifting operations back to the office – although the Delta variant meant a delay in their RTO strategy, Apple still plans to return in January 2022.

And there are legit arguments for a return to office. Remote work can lead to burnout, if a June 2020 survey from Monster.com is any indication. That survey found that 69% of workers who were working from home during the pandemic experienced burnout, up 35% from early May 2020.

Of course, there are different factors at play here – the struggle to separate work responsibilities from home responsibilities and working at home with children, for instance. Plus, throughout 2020, there was a lack of options for personal leisure such as attending sporting events, going on trips or eating out, and other pursuits as societies locked down; which of course made life difficult for millions.

The power of camaraderie

While Chris acknowledges that remote and hybrid work are here to stay and there’s always going to be a place for it, there’s one significant common denominator that he’s learned from his role at HqO: the power of connectivity and teamwork between workers when they’re in the same physical space.

“These employees thrive in an office culture,” he explains. “It’s a no-brainer. The energy is so contagious. That’s fueled by probably our let’s-go rallying cry and our values as well. It’s something that we hit on just about every single day here. So that stands for learning excellence, truth, speed, goodness, and ownership.

“You get to be part of that office banter. And I think you saw that a little bit coming in and our employees and being loud a little bit. I think that’s more effective, face-to-face if that’s your manager or somebody that’s underneath you, one of your team, and just be part of that experience.”

Again, the Great Discontent worker survey backs this up – 37.1% of US workers and 47.3% of UK workers both pointed to relationships with colleagues as one of the most important factors that would attract them to a new role.

There’s room for both

HqO isn’t alone in that thinking, Chris adds. There are other companies moving back to the office as well. Unlike Apple’s experience, Chris emphasizes that there’s a lot of support for HqO’s own RTO strategy, as they added two floors to their office space during a time of aggressive growth.

“I’ve actually been really pleasantly surprised with the number of people [interested]. My team engages with that and are desperate to be back in office. … I think that the thing that people miss the most are the people in the office themselves. Bottom line, that’s never going to change.”

While the priority placed on remote work options continues to be high for many potential candidates, Chris finds that there’s no shortage of applicants who specifically want to return to the way things were.

In fact, Chris says that when the expectation was set in March of this year that HqO was going to have an office-first culture, people didn’t leave. In fact, they stayed engaged. If pandemic safety was a concern for an employee, Chris emphasizes that the doors are open for a conversation about that.

Flex work is the way to go

Plus, he adds, office-first doesn’t mean being in the office five days a week. Rather, it’s about worker flexibility – which needs to be given no matter what.

“There’s going to be some things that come up. If it’s a doctor’s appointment or the unplanned parts of life – stay home, do your work. I’d probably take it a step further and say, ‘Hey, if you know, you’re super busy and you just have that heads down work to do,’ you can take that day to stay home and actually do it. Cut back that commute time, whatever it is, and go back into the office the next day.”

There’s also flexibility in terms of work schedules – again highlighted in our Great Discontent worker survey as a significantly higher priority than remote work. That’s the reality at HqO as well.

“There’s some days that, maybe you want to come in a little bit early, so you can take off at four or maybe you’re coming in at 9:30, 10 o’clock depending on what you do and you’re leaving the office at 6, 6:30 at night.

“So there’s that degree of flexibility, but I’d say the core hours, where it’s just what everybody’s here, is that nine to five block.”

The Great Resignation and its impact

Chris is pragmatic about the reality that remote work certainly has its appeal and that the great talent shuffle is very real. He acknowledges Texas A&M professor Anthony Klotz’ prediction of the Great Resignation and that the transition to a post-pandemic workplace means many workers will prefer to leave their jobs than go back to the way things were.

However, he adds, there’s a new problem for companies who want to remain remote. He shares a story about one HqO partner in Boston about how that company’s employees are regularly being poached by companies in San Francisco, New York, Austin and Seattle.

“So now,” Chris says, “you have Boston companies that have shifted to remote that are now competing with other cities, which is just like, ‘Man, how much more complicated can this get’?”

RTO is a big differentiator

So, for in-office companies like HqO, there’s an opportunity in the unique employee value proposition of in-office work. The in-office strategy is actually a specific attractor for some talent, says Chris. He adds that HqO’s hiring teams are actively looking to recruit people who do want to work in the office.

“I’m listening for people that want to be challenged and make that significant connection there,” Chris explains about HqO’s own hiring strategy, emphasizing the importance of being proactive and innovative in recruitment marketing.

“I think, if we’re going to go out there and we’re going to attract some of these folks that want to be an office, we have to direct message folks,” Chris says.

“Again, so many people are hiring right now. You need to give your company a chance to stand out, really spark that curiosity from somebody.”

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Quit rates are through the roof, and weirdly enough, it’s not translating into a larger and more active candidate pool for employers – rather, it’s the opposite. Workers appear to be dropping out of the system, and they’re not all ready to move to a new job. Data from the Workable network confirms this as well.

Employers are taking a hit from all this. At best, they’re making do with leaner teams; at worst, they’re shutting down entirely because of this unique talent shortage.

It’s becoming more challenging to retain talent, and harder to attract candidates to new roles. As leaders in the hiring space, we’re very cognizant of this, and we want to help you overcome these challenges. So, instead of theorizing and speculating and predicting and analyzing, we decided to ask 1,250 workers in the US and UK to find out what they want and value in a job.

Out of the many insights in the Great Discontent survey, we have four main takeaways for you:

Money still talks

Despite all the new workplace developments, salary, perks and benefits are still top of mind. People want – and need – more of it when working.

Flexy is sexy

Flexible work arrangements are important to many workers – and much more for women than men – but it’s not as high of a priority for their employers.

The power of connectivity

No matter the kind of work involved, people are at the heart of it all. When people feel connected to their colleagues and leadership, they’ll stay and they’ll thrive.

There’s no place like home

Integrating personal and professional lives is very important for people – it’s the top reason why those not working aren’t working and the top benefit of flexible work. Again, this is especially so for women.

Our survey also finds that three quarters of workers may be ready to bolt at any given time. This signals a potential disconnect in the system. It’s a tough situation for employers, and this may require a fresh look at your talent attraction and retention strategy.

These are strange, historic, exciting times, and it’s clear the rules of the game are changing for employers. We don’t have all the answers – those will come later in hindsight. But the conversation is always worth adding to. We think you’ll find useful insights here as we venture into the new world of work and post-pandemic environment.

Without further ado, check out our reports:

• The Great Discontent: 2021 Worker Survey (US)
• The Great Discontent: 2021 Worker Survey (UK)

Have insights, concerns, criticisms, swear words, accolades, or anything else? We’d love to hear them. Please send them to our content team at content@workable.com and we’ll be sure to address each and every one of them.

Yours in sustainability,

Nikos Moraitakis
CEO, Workable

The post Announcing the Great Discontent: 2021 Worker Survey appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

But hiring managers across all industries are losing time and money in the struggle to fill their (often urgent) tech-related positions.

The talent battle and the mounting skills gap

When researchers at McKinsey & Co. sought to understand the apparent skills gap, they separated relevant technology skills into seven separate ‘battlegrounds.’ Offering CIOs across the globe their choice from the seven, they asked survey respondents what will matter most to their organization in the next three to five years.

The largest percentage of CIOs ranked data analytics, IT, mobile, and web design as the fields with the most talent mismatch – the highest amount of need and the lowest amount of supply.

Quantified, McKinsey’s experts are predicting a global deficit of 3.5 million cybersecurity positions by the end of this year. They expect that demand for agile skills in tech-related roles will outnumber supply by four to one, and the need for big data talent will be roughly 60% greater than the available labor. For a sector that’s shaping our post-COVID future, it’s not the demand-supply curve that one would expect.

Real continuous learning: evolution as we speak

The numbers paint an alarming image, but they don’t say much in the way of why. A crucial consideration is the rapid mental upkeep that the ongoing modernization of technology requires. A candidate today is required not only to have in-depth knowledge of existing systems, but also to understand how to transition from one system to another. Outdated programming languages, shifting organizational needs, and new-to-market vendors make intensive continuous learning a part of every tech-adjacent role.

Hiring managers and employers might ask themselves, then: are we supporting that learning? Generally, most leaders understand that training, re-skilling, and upskilling are all lifeboats in choppy COVID-19 waters. Turning to existing team members for new needs is not only cost-efficient, it’s necessary for a healthy corporate culture. 82% of global executives seem to understand that, but only 27% of McKinsey’s respondents said they’ve seen their employers pursue a talent transformation within the last two years.

Filling those seven areas of tech-related needs will require an artful combination of re-skilling, up-skilling, and open-minded recruitment methods that draw on alternate sources of talent. For post-COVID tech talent recruiters and hiring managers, below are a few promising ways to extend a talent search.

The post-COVID tech talent search: talent comes from anywhere

New candidates could determine the course of a company’s recovery; it’s crucial that employers remain open to talent in all of its many forms, shapes, sizes, and funnels. Beginning on a local level, accredited educational institutions should be a feature of every recruitment scheme. Developing relationships with nearby colleges and universities can help hiring teams engage early candidates and better understand the candidate’s skill set based on curricular offerings.

The pandemic has also shifted the educational landscape, bringing with it long-awaited changes. A number of options now exist on the market for certification and needs-aware training, helping candidates at any stage of the career train move toward the specific needs of their local job markets.

Partnering with training institutions, employers can not only engage with a self-motivated pool of applicants, they can help training professionals understand the nuances of what their local business ecosystem is seeking.

From soft skills training to advanced coding languages, local and virtual training courses are alternative talent pools, and recruitment teams should make every effort to be involved at the early stages.

The new professional ecosystem: a holistic approach

The current shortage landscape calls for non-traditional solutions. At the talent sourcing phase of the recruitment process, hiring managers can capitalize on educational settings, training platforms, and online certification offerings to find incredible talent that will be perfectly positioned to make an early contribution.

The vetting phase, too, requires new techniques. The number of self-taught IT professionals is higher than ever and continues to rise. Many candidates go through short skill acquisition programs that don’t hold the same weight as a formal degree on a resume.

Read more: Tech recruitment in London: Luring and sourcing top tech talent

But one look at their portfolio might make it clear that this is a candidate the company can’t afford to lose. Opening up the recruitment process not only to different sources of talent, but also different forms of credentials, is a crucial part of post-COVID tech talent hiring. Portfolios and skills tests should be as important, if not more important, to the hiring team.

To better understand the performance of the candidate outside of their credentials, hiring managers can involve senior IT executives within the company in the recruitment process. Roles are growing more sophisticated and malleable; it’s likely that the current employees know best the kind of competence and skills that would make the most beneficial addition to the team.

Tech-focused candidates want to speak the language of tech with other tech professionals. Rather than trying to get a full recruitment team up to speed, involving senior tech executives, and maybe those anchor hires, is the superior strategy.

Read more: Wooing top tech talent: Recruiting in the Boston tech scene

Technology is driving business success and post-COVID enterprise relevance. But it won’t be a linear path to securing a well-staffed and well-supported team. Non-traditional strategies, from talent sourcing to skills assessment, will be needed to build a robust, diverse and competent team.

By partnering with education institutions and local training programs, giving due weight to a candidate’s portfolio, and involving tech professionals throughout the recruitment process, hiring managers and employers will have what they need to appeal to top talent and compete in the post-COVID hiring arena.

Pablo Listingart is the Founder and Executive Director of ComIT, a non-profit organization designed to help people overcome employment barriers and re-introduce themselves to the local market. With an extensive network, ComIT builds ever-changing courses tailored to industry needs, connecting promising graduates with companies in need of local talent.

The post Post-COVID tech talent: the gap and the bridge appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

The Big Quit is upon us – and many workers are citing burnout as a factor in why they’re done with the current system. This means the onus is on employers to think about a healthier workplace – not just physically, but mentally as well – if they want to attract and retain employees.

In this episode, learn from a panel of experts on how top brands – including Hubspot, Ten Percent Happier, and Hologra – are fostering a mentally healthy workplace in order to win and retain top talent.

The post Podcast episode #14: Mental Health at work — fostering a healthier workplace culture appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

• 44% of employees now have serious concerns about their physical, mental, and social health
• 80% of employees believe their employers have a responsibility to address their health and wellbeing, especially during COVID-19 – up from 73% pre-pandemic

Another study from the beginning of 2021 charted a 50% rise in depression and a 60% drop in focus among all ages in the workplace.

More recently, ​​a new survey of 2,800 workers from global staffing firm Robert Half showed more than four in 10 employees (44%) say they are more burned out on the job today compared to a year ago. This is up from 34% in a similar 2020 poll.

And overall, nearly half of American workers have been suffering from mental health issues since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

When you don’t support employee mental health

Based on these numbers alone, it’s clear why employee mental health is top of mind for companies as they try to acclimate to a totally new work world that, for most companies, will include some remote work. What happens, then, when companies don’t pay attention to employee mental health? What are the tangible repercussions of employee burnout?

A recent Gallup study on employee burnout shows that employees who say they very often or always experience burnout at work are:

• 63% more likely to take a sick day
• 23% more likely to visit the emergency room
• 2.6x as likely to be actively seeking a different job
• 13% less confident in their performance

Burnout and depression also overlap, which means ignoring employee burnout in your organization can lead to even more complex mental health challenges – not to mention the major impact it can have on overall productivity.

4 tips to support mental health remotely

1. Take a collective pause
2. Address meeting fatigue
3. Let employees self-direct their mental wellness
4. The four-day workweek

What can companies do about all of this? First, recognize that being supportive of your employees’ mental health is not just about burnout prevention, but fostering a supportive workplace that addresses your employees’ wellness needs no matter where they are.

To do that, here are four effective approaches companies around the world are taking to care for employees’ mental health:

1. Take a collective pause

Prior to the pandemic, 55% of American workers didn’t use up all of their paid vacation time – and even when they did, they often took their work with them. One of the main reasons employees typically hesitate to take time off is because they struggle to find the “right” time and worry their boss will judge them.

It’s only gotten worse after the pandemic. As a result of long-term remote work, employees are logging in more hours and facing bigger workloads, meanwhile putting off vacation because there’s nowhere to go and they feel like they can’t justify it.

Give them a break

A remedy for that, which more and more companies are starting to turn to after more than a year and a half at home, is company-wide days off for mental health.

LinkedIn made headlines in giving its 15,900 full-time employees a paid week off in April to help them combat burnout and encourage them to unplug and recharge. Hubspot and Hootsuite recently did the same. And if a week feels too long, companies including SAP, Cisco, Google, and Thomson Reuters opted for a company-wide mental health day.

What’s powerful about this tactic is that it shows that your company cares enough about employees’ health to dedicate a period of rest specifically for that purpose, even if that means losing those hours of productivity.

The benefits go beyond those actual days off as well. Because your company is the one proactively initiating the time off, it removes the added stress that individual employees feel when working up the effort and energy to ask for any amount of time off themselves. Also, the fact that everyone is out of office at the same time means employees don’t have to feel like they’re leaving their work to someone else – something that 41% of employees feel guilty about when taking PTO.

2. Address meeting fatigue

The average employee attends 62 meetings per month, which adds up to about a fifth of their work hours in meetings. Not only are they getting less of their work done, but – in an age of Zoom calls and remote work – this amounts to an additional energy drain. This leads to lack of motivation, lack of control, and lack of satisfaction from their work achievements; all signs and symptoms of mental health burnout.

One answer for mitigating this mentally taxing meeting fatigue is to institute no-meeting days. Ideally, offer it on the same day every week so employees can enjoy it regularly.

Banish meetings regularly

While companies who implement no-meeting days most often go for a “No-Meeting Monday”, like Uber implemented twice throughout the summer, it can be done on any day. Asana has “No Meeting Wednesdays” and Wilderness has “Deep Work Wednesdays (DWW).”

This simple shift in meeting expectations for all employees, for just one day per week, allows everyone to maintain their focus, concentration, and productivity, rather than having exhausting video calls constantly interrupting and derailing their workflow.

3. Let employees self-direct their mental wellness

Most companies recognize that offering some vacation days doesn’t, on its own, alleviate burnout and so they look to other ways to offer meaningful mental wellness support to their employees. The most popular programs that have filled this need include virtual wellness classes, subscriptions to mental health apps like Headspace and Calm, and online therapy sessions from select providers.

What’s great about these options, for employers at least, is that it “checks the box” of mental wellness support and employees from anywhere can benefit from them. With remote work potentially lasting for another two years, that’s certainly a huge plus. But what isn’t ideal is that it’s also just a catch-all solution – these don’t cover the wide spectrum of individual mental wellness needs employees have, as everyone’s own mental health journey is personal and unique.

Give your employees the power

That’s where empowering your employees to self-direct their mental wellness might be the perfect answer, which is what many companies make possible by offering a wellness stipend.

With a wellness stipend, employees from any place, background, and mental condition can choose what mental health support personally means to them, and in turn the company covers the expense through reimbursement. As the employer, you decide how much the stipend is, what it covers, and how often to renew the benefit – on a per-employee basis, you’ll often find companies offering anywhere from $25-$100 per month, or $200-$1,000 quarterly or yearly.

A wellness stipend allows your employees to go beyond the mediation app or therapist you selected and instead invest in something that actually suits their own mental health needs. Depending on what your company designates as an eligible expense, this can include:

• Sessions with a therapist or counselor (not restricted to any specific providers)
• Subscription to a fitness app of their choosing
• Weight loss membership plan
• Prescription medication
• Health monitoring devices
• Vacation expenses
• Yoga gear or classes
• Hiking gear
• Meal delivery
• Home cleaning services
• Backup childcare

Letting employees personalize their own mental health support with a stipend also happens to align with creating a better and more inclusive employee experience – something that’s key to surviving the Great Resignation and becoming a company that others admire.

Some of the most successful companies today offer wellness stipends. Both Basecamp and Salesforce offer their employees $100 per month to support their wellness, and companies like Facebook, Zoom and Webflow also offer their own wellness reimbursement programs.

4. The four-day workweek

While doing things like giving employees more time off and reducing their overall meeting load are great practices to support employees’ mental health, those strategies represent a small drop in comparison to the 90,000 hours the average person will spend at work in their lifetimes. They feel even less impactful when the working environment employees return to feels like a never-ending cycle of long hours and too much work.

Related: Learn from a company that implemented an alternating four-day workweek for a three-month trial period – and what the results were. 

That’s what the four-day workweek addresses – reducing employee stress and promoting work-life balance by making life less about work. It’s a concept that came about well before the pandemic, with some countries giving it a test run back in 2018. It’s now picking up increased interest as employee mental health concerns continue to grow and remote work encourages us all to rethink old workplace traditions.

Alleviate the pressure

The idea is that with an additional day off every week, employees now get more time to regularly cultivate and care for their home and personal lives, where they previously struggled to squeeze into their daily routines or neglected altogether. When the home front is regularly maintained, employees are less stressed, more focused, and able to accomplish as much work (or more) in four days as they do in five.

Consider Parkinson’s Law, an old adage about personal productivity that “work will expand to fill the time allotted for its completion.” In other words, a quick task will take longer to complete because there’s ‘more time’ to complete it. This means that reducing the workweek to 32 hours wouldn’t actually mean less work output in a week’s time, but rather, employees are given a narrower frame of time within which to organize their work more efficiently.

The four-day workweek today is more than just a test concept and has become a legitimate option for companies, and countries, who want to make a significant improvement in employee mental health. It’s the norm in Iceland, after their experiments throughout 2015-2019 were overwhelmingly successful by improving employee well-being and productivity. In early 2020 Finland contemplated moving to a four-day workweek, and more recently this year, countries like Canada, Spain and Japan have warmed to the idea too. Most recently, Scotland joined the experiment in early September.

Your employees need your support

As the workplace continues to shift in the coming months (and years, even) in the face of remote and hybrid work, your employees will be the ones bearing the brunt of the stress and uncertainty. This will do a number on their mental health no matter how resilient they are.

By actively listening for and alleviating the biggest stressors in your employees’ lives, you can get ahead of the potential problems of burnout and mental health, and distinguish yourself as a supportive, progressive employer that people will want to work for. That will be a powerful attractor in these times when employers are struggling to find ideal candidates.

The post How to take care of your remote employees’ mental health appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

While no sector has been spared the impact of this rapidly evolving resignation trend, a new survey from HR technology disruptor Hibob makes it clear that one market segment is bearing the weight more than others: that of mid-sized companies. The survey of 1,000 full-time US workers working remotely since the onset of the pandemic has insights that mid-sized businesses must pay attention to.

With 71% of mid-size company staff now open to the prospect of freelancing and prioritizing flexibility as a critical benefit, how can mid-sized companies manage employee expectations, reduce the risk of resignation and evolve their recruiting strategies to compensate?

Let’s dive in.

By the numbers: what’s the problem?

According to the survey, 44% of mid-sized company employees either quit or were laid off by their employers over the last 12 months. What’s more, 65% of those still employed at mid-sized businesses thought about leaving their jobs — compared to only 59% of those at smaller firms.

Even more telling? While between 36%-40% of employees at smaller and larger firms said they were likely to quit their jobs in the next year, a much-higher 56% of mid-sized workers said they are “likely or very likely” to make the move. That’s a warning bell, if any, for mid-sized businesses who need to stay competitive.

When it comes to what’s making them so willing to move on, 45% said they wanted better benefits and 55% pointed to a better work/life balance. In fact, 56% of survey respondents said they would quit if their employer didn’t offer flexible hours and location options, and 66% felt that going back to the office would negatively impact their success — compared to both smaller and larger firms, mid-sized employees said they were the most productive when working from home.

Put simply? Resignations are on the rise, and mid-sized businesses are disproportionally feeling the burden.

Why the numbers: where’s the disconnect?

The Great Resignation is a catchy term, but it describes the outcome rather than the root cause. Advisory firm Gallup offers another option: “The Great Discontent”, suggesting that lack of employee engagement is driving them away from current companies and into the arms of their competitors.

We’ve got another perspective: The Great Disconnect. While discontent with current teams, management structures or existing benefit packages provides some of the impetus for this rapid resignation trend, there’s a bigger problem — disconnect between what companies are willing to offer and what staff really want.

The biggest issue is a flip-flop on flexibility: 71% of staff at mid-sized companies say their HR teams have backpedaled on flexible work policies, while the numbers drop to 60% for enterprises and just over 50% for smaller firms. What’s more, a full third of mid-sized workers are worried that leveraging flexible work options will be frowned upon and ultimately hurt their career progression.

Compensation challenges are also emerging. As noted above, 71% of mid-sized employees are open to the idea of freelancing – a side gig, if you will – and 28% have already taken a second job, while just 11% of their large enterprise counterparts have done the same.

Hibob CEO Ronni Zehavi makes it clear: “As resignation rates remain high, recruiters, company leaders, and HR decision-makers must re-evaluate and understand what employees are really looking for today.”

What to do now — and what to do next

So what does all this mean for mid-sized companies? It’s time for new recruitment and retention strategies.

Let’s start with what to do right now: If you’ve walked back any flexible work policies, turn around and walk the other way. As noted by NPR, skilled workers are in demand: If they’re being pushed back into long commutes and overtime at the office, they have no trouble getting multiple offers that offer better work-life balance.

Next, consider current benefit structures and their impact on staff satisfaction. Salary plays a role here but it’s not the only component: Employees are also looking for financial wellness programs to help them better manage money, more paid time off to spend with friends and family, and improved mental and physical health supports.

Moving forward, mid-sized companies must also recognize the reality of resignations: despite best efforts, some staff will move on to new opportunities. To reduce the impact of these resignations, companies need a new approach to recruiting that leverages technology to identify, evaluate and hire candidates ASAP.

With talented employees now in demand across industries and market verticals, there’s no time for traditional hiring processes that take weeks or months: companies need to position themselves as the right choice for prospective staff that feel disconnected at their current jobs and are looking for a better fit.

Act now to stay relevant

Bottom line? The Great Resignation has arrived, and it’s disproportionately impacting mid-sized businesses. The numbers make it clear: Discontent and disconnect are driving staff separations. Managing this new reality means fostering flexibility, bolstering benefits and integrating technology to reduce total turnover, boost satisfaction and offer a new home for workers making the switch.

Workers are clearly not afraid to make a move – you, as an employer, must take the necessary steps outlined above so you can reap the benefits of increased applications to your job openings rather than higher numbers of emails giving you a two-week notice.

The post The Great Discontent – mid-sized businesses especially take note appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Instead of firing them, help your employee remain a productive team member by following these seven tips.

1. Discuss outpatient treatment

Many people with addictions require inpatient treatment. That means they live at the treatment center, which makes it difficult to continue working.

However, people with milder addictions and strong support systems at home may qualify for outpatient treatment. In outpatient treatment, a person regularly attends a treatment center while living at home. They can then schedule their treatment sessions around their work schedule.

Encourage your employees to ask their doctors whether they qualify for outpatient treatment.

2. Set up an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a work-based program that helps employees cope with addictions and other personal issues that affect their job performance. It provides free, confidential resources such as education, assessments, counseling, and referrals to support groups.

These services can help your employees navigate the challenges of working during treatment. They’re usually available via phone, e-mail, video chat, or online chat.

Most employers operate EAPs through third-party providers. To find a provider, search online EAP directories, such as this one. You can also ask fellow employers for referrals.

3. Provide accommodations

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers must provide reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities, including addiction.

An accommodation is a change to a job or work environment that helps a person with a disability complete the job’s essential functions. Common accommodations for people with addictions include:

• more frequent breaks
• special break locations
• support animals
• weekly meetings to determine whether the accommodations are working

Accommodations can help your employees feel more calm and productive as they balance work with addiction treatment.

4. Offer a more flexible work schedule

When you provide a more flexible work schedule, employees won’t miss out on therapy appointments, support groups, or other important services that boost their overall well-being and productivity.

As a bonus, flexible work schedules decrease stress. Stress often causes a person with addiction to relapse (start using drugs again).

Before your employees start addiction treatment, ask if they’ll need any adjustments to their work schedules. Hold regular meetings to ensure their current schedule is effective for both your employee and the company.

5. Encourage self-care

As mentioned above, stress is a common cause of relapse. That’s why you should create a workplace that promotes self-care and relaxation.

For example, you could designate a quiet area of the office for meditation and mindfulness. The area may include features such as:

• dim lighting
• soothing artwork
• a comfortable couch
• yoga mats or prayer mats
• peaceful music

Employees with addictions can come to this area when faced with cravings or other stressful emotions.

To further reduce stress, remind employees to take full lunch breaks and avoid taking work home on weekends (unless they find the extra work helps keep their minds off drugs).

You can also encourage self-care by reminding employees to:

• get at least eight hours of sleep per night
• eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, and other nutritious foods
• exercise regularly

6. Reduce stigma

Like other mental health conditions, drug addiction attracts a large amount of stigma. Other people in your office may judge an employee with addiction as lazy or weak. This type of judgment can cause stress, which increases the risk of relapse.

To help your employee stay calm and productive during treatment, create a stigma-free workplace. For instance, you could hold mandatory meetings that explain how addiction is a disease rather than a moral failing.

Also, tell your staff to avoid stigmatizing language like “addict” or “junkie.” They should instead use person-first, non-judgmental language such as “a person with addiction.”

7. Discuss medical leave

If your employee needs inpatient treatment, remind them that they can take medical leave.

If your company has at least 50 employees, you’re probably covered by the Family and Medical Leave ACT (FMLA). This Act provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for medical reasons, including addiction treatment.

To qualify for FMLA leave, your employee must have worked for your company for at least 12 months and at least 1,250 hours during the 12 months before taking leave.

If your company isn’t covered by FMLA, it might be covered by your state’s family and medical leave laws.

Aside from medical leave, your employees can also take time off for treatment using their Paid Time Off (PTO).

Once your employee completes treatment, facilitate a smooth transition back to work by encouraging frequent, open communication. Also, point your employee to resources such as the EAP when necessary.

Amy Matton is a content writer for Ark Behavioral Health. She strives to reduce the stigma surrounding addiction and other mental health conditions.

The post Employees with addiction: 7 tips to retain them during treatment appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

And the Great Discontent survey carried out by Workable in June 2021 points to the disparity in current working situation between the genders, with those identifying as female far more likely to be not working (26% vs. 15.3%) or working part-time (17.7% vs. 8.6%) than males in the United States.

The World Economic Forum also reported similar data:

What does that say about how our workplaces are doing in supporting working mothers?

We’ll let TopResume’s report answer that:

“Women have had to navigate the stress and time-management challenges of taking on the role of teacher and child-care provider while attempting to work or find work during quarantine. All of these factors together have led to what economists are calling the world’s first ‘she-cession’ – a women-led economic downturn.”

To gain further insight, we sat down with TopResume’s career expert Amanda Augustine – herself a working mom – for a conversation about this. Clearly, employers need to up their game if they want to be part of changing things for the better.

The plight of the working mother

The mother of a five-year-old boy with special needs, Amanda’s own personal and professional load is further stressed by the fact that she has a husband who works long hours as an essential worker. And, she says, women feel they have to take all that on – more so than men.

“I think for the working mother in general, we’ve grown up hearing, ‘You can do anything’, and we’ve somehow translated that over time into ‘You should do everything,’” says Amanda. “And there’s a lot of extra responsibility and weight and stress we put on ourselves.”

And that commitment to a full-time workload also ate into Amanda’s daily schedule. Before the pandemic, she commuted into New York City for work three times a week, translating into three hours of commuting each day. This meant less time with her son all around.

“I only saw my son for two hours a day on the weekdays. I was gone well before he was awake. And I came home, picked him up from daycare and I got two hours before he had to be in bed.”

The sacrifice and the stigma

Work has long been an unmovable pillar around which we mold other parts of our lives. It’s created a situation where working mothers worry that if they make concessions in the workplace – such as arriving late or leaving early because they need to drop off or pick up their kids at school or the daycare, it impacts their career arc.

“[Those] suddenly become issues where they have to be navigated around fears that you’re not going to be put up for the promotion, or you’re not going to get the raise,” Amanda explains.

“And because whether, you know, whether [working mothers think] correctly or not, they’re going to assume that it’s either not feasible or that they’re concerned that other priorities will take over, which is just… it’s unfair.”

There’s also a proximity bias in the workplace that makes things even more difficult for working mothers forced to make amends in their schedule to accommodate demands on the home front.

“There’s this false assumption by managers that the people they see working in the office are more productive than the ones that they don’t see.”

It’s not COVID’s fault

These problems facing working mothers aren’t rooted in the pandemic. Rather, the pandemic simply exposed – and exacerbated – the problems that have long existed in the system.

“Many of us were already underwater before the pandemic and the pandemic was that last straw that broke the camel’s back,” says Amanda. “It pushed on all those little cracks and just made them that, that more obvious.”

That’s why working mothers are leaving the workforce in droves – if they can – because they’ve given up on the possibility of a much-needed balance between work and home life.

“Women aren’t going to just show up and sacrifice everything,” says Amanda, emphasizing that this is a situation faced by fathers as well.

“For some people, it’s a re-evaluation of their priorities. Many are assuming that they’re not going to find a job that’s going to allow them to still keep some of these things [remote work, etc.] that were actually the silver linings of the pandemic.”

That 69% statistic points to this new reality.

“What’s happening now is that people are [saying], ‘Do we really need that income? Can we get by without it? I’m going to hold out until there’s something that really makes sense and is a good fit. I’m not rushing back to the workplace, because I want to see what happens.’”

It’s a crisis, but it’s an opportunity

We’re already seeing a recruitment crisis – as indicated by the staggering numbers of job openings, higher than the number of unemployed, according to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This exodus of working mothers presents an added challenge for recruiters already facing depleted talent pools.

“[Many] recruiters I hear from and talk to are just saying, ‘We can’t fill these positions. We can’t get people in the door what’s going on here.’”

And it’s not that these are not good opportunities. These are “white collar, corporate, good paying jobs”, Amanda adds.

“A good portion of your normal labor force or, you know, is not looking right now. And so you’re missing out on a lot of that.”

But there’s good news. They’ll come back – if the conditions are right.

“Many of them would probably come back [if] they’d be able to still bring in that money or do what they love, but in a more balanced fashion where they don’t feel as though they’re slightly underperforming in every aspect of their lives.”

That’s where greater support of working mothers is needed in the workplace. Forcing your employees to find a balance between work and home actually hurts at both ends. Something always has to give.

“If you’re feeling really great as a mom, you feel like you’re probably not the star employee that day. And if you’re really rocking it at work, chances are, you’re not feeling like you’re getting a gold star from your kids that day.

“And you know, it’d be nice if that wasn’t necessarily the feeling all the time.”

The need for flexible schedules

So how do you build an environment that supports working mothers? Obviously not every company can do everything – but you can start by looking at the things you can do that don’t drastically impact your bottom line. The first objective is to build up your support system that you can offer to a potential employee. Have a strategy that enables mothers to thrive in every area – both at home and at work.

One way to do that is introduce greater flexibility in work – a lesson we all learned from the pandemic, as shown in our New World of Work survey report in August 2020 which found that 71.1% of respondents see remote work and distributed teams as one of the biggest paradigm shifts coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amanda agrees.

“More jobs are becoming location agnostic. This giant work-from-home experiment has been successful for a lot of organizations,” she explains.

“There are a lot of employees that I know of while they were still working, moved across the country, just decided they’re like, ‘You know what? I don’t want this cost of living. And if I can work anywhere, I’m going to do it.’ A lot of people are relocating.”

She points to her own company as an example.

“That’s why we’re not really going back to one central office. [It’s] because they saw it worked and they started hiring people all across the country.”

Another thing Amanda’s employer is doing right in supporting working mothers is leaving the responsibility of scheduling to employees.

“Are you getting your work done? Then we don’t care when you’re logging in and logging out. Are you there when you need to be for a meeting? Great. As long as you’re producing, no one cares.

“If you have to run out in the middle of the day to grab your kid or, you know, take them to the appointment or pick them up from daycare, as long as you’re getting your work done and you’re on when you need to be on for the very important meetings, nobody’s going to look twice and think there’s anything wrong.”

Employers can step up their game

And that’s a mindset which needs to be adopted by employers if they want to attract – and retain – workers. That’s especially when it comes to working mothers, who benefit more from this than other professionals.

“Working mothers [see this] more as a necessity or a requirement as opposed to an extra benefit.”

You can step up your policies supporting working mothers if you’re looking to attract them to your company, especially if you don’t have the luxury of moving to a permanently remote or flexible working system.

Amanda suggests looking at your maternity leave policy, and looking at other ways you can help ease the demand that a working parent faces.

“Are you providing either stipends for daycare or are you providing onsite daycare or services? Do you have a service that you keep on retainer that your employees can call if they need help securing a last-minute babysitter because someone’s ill or something like that? Those services do exist.”

Be leaders by example

While these and other programs and policies are a great first step for employers, it’s not enough, says Amanda. It also comes down to the mentality of your organization – and from the very top.

“It also has to come through in your communication. [Are you] a company that truly values and embraces and supports the working parent or various different lifestyles and is able to adapt?”

Personal experience plays a factor as well, she adds, recalling an anecdote from a friend who expressed that she couldn’t wait for her CEO and his wife to have a kid because “he doesn’t get it today”.

Instead, get ahead of that situation, with executive leadership setting the tone for a truly inclusive working environment.

Amanda described an experience before our interview where she was in a meeting with one of her own executives.

“She was sitting on her patio and she goes, ‘This may be my only moment of vitamin D all day, because I don’t know when my son gets home from daycare, if it’s going to be an outside or inside day’.”

That was a strong message from leadership. The result was that Amanda – and likely her other colleagues – now felt empowered to be able to do the same.

“I would have never considered that before, until I saw somebody a couple of rungs up for me doing it and it being perfectly OK, and not making a big deal about it.”

So pay attention, managers, directors, and executives.

“If you’re going to offer those benefits to your team, take them. If you’re encouraging them to take time off, you have to take a few days off too.”

This is a wakeup call – will you answer?

“There were a lot of awful things that came [in the pandemic], but I have to say for me, there were some definite silver linings. It has a lot to do with getting a better sense of what is a healthy work-life balance and what I want. But […] for many people out there, I think it’s a wakeup call.”

You can answer that call by updating your policies and employee management strategy to accommodate and support working mothers, and you’ll find that you attract the very best candidates to your company.

“It would be really nice if, if we could change that narrative and put systems in place that helped to support a new narrative out there,” Amanda says.

Don’t wait for others to set the standard – you can lead the charge. Be part of the solution.

Amanda Augustine is a well-recognized expert in career advancement, ranging from developing one’s professional brand to acing that next interview. She’s the resident career expert for TopResume, the world’s largest resume-writing service, as well as a certified professional resume writer (CPRW) and certified professional career coach (CPCC).

The post Supporting working mothers: it’s now time for a new narrative appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

The needle of diversity is moving too slowly. Perhaps change can be accelerated by showing how diversity can drive extraordinary value. It’s now about determining how to unlock it.

Diversity is more than gender

The dominant focal points for diversity are gender and ethnicity. The deficit in these dimensions is obvious in most organizations, as they’re relatively easy to measure. They’re also well informed by moral, ethical, and social drivers, as much as anything else.

When you consider organizational performance, there is a range of categories you can add to gender and ethnicity that provide an even greater opportunity for unlocking value. Differing perspectives are shaped by people’s sexual orientation, their age, their immigrant status, the industries they’ve worked in, the physical locations they’re in, and even the size of the organizations they’ve been part of. The list goes on.

The more you can adopt the mindset that difference equals value, the more attuned you’ll be to that value when you encounter it in a job interview, a meeting, or a business case.

What’s the point of having a highly diverse team if you can’t draw out the unique experiences, capabilities, and perspectives of each of your people? The challenge for every leader is to create an environment where people feel safe to contribute, to challenge each other, and to debate issues with a view to getting the best outcome – and not simply pushing your own opinions.

Competing against this ideal are two things: our natural tendency to avoid conflict, and our fear of being wrong. But high-performing teams aren’t built on unanimity and consensus. They are built on robust debate, respectful challenge, and fearless honesty.

Six tips for leveraging diversity

Leveraging diversity is most important in two scenarios:

1. When you’re solving a complex problem.
2. When you’re making a difficult decision.

These are the points at which you want as much diversity of input as possible. It will help you to avoid groupthink, and consider factors that may not have been identified by a less diverse group.

As most of this type of work occurs in group settings, these six practical tips on leveraging diversity will help you to maximize the opportunities when they present themselves.

1. Qualify the room

Only people who can add value to a decision or problem should be in the room, and this is usually fewer people than you think (or they think). People love having input in an all care, no responsibility way, but that’s not constructive. It slows the process down and adds little value to the outcome.

Get the right people in the room, give them all the information they need to fully contribute to the topic, and create an environment where it’s easy for them to express their views.

2. Don’t speak first

As a leader, it’s important to empower and encourage people to contribute before they have the benefit of knowing your position. Only the most resilient and robust individuals will contradict or offer alternatives to a strong leader, once that leader has shown her hand.

Facilitating the conversation to draw out people’s views and incorporate them into the framework of the discussion will do a lot to unlock diversity, so you don’t want to stymie that in any way.

3. Listen objectively

Listening is a much underrated skill, but one that’s critical to fostering diversity. We naturally tend to discard any information that doesn’t conform to our own world view.

Putting aside your own preferences and viewpoints, and asking yourself a few simple questions will improve your listening skills:

• What can I learn from this?
• What am I hearing that I hadn’t considered previously?
• How can this perspective improve our current position?

When you open yourself to the input of others, you’ll pick up some valuable insights that can only add to the existing conversation.

4. Draw in the quiet ones

Many people don’t like to talk in group forums. They need to learn to, and as a leader you need to teach them how. Although it might be safer and less confrontational to send an email to express their views, people only bring true value when they allow their ideas to be challenged.

When moderating group discussions, call on these people by name. Support them, and show them that their perspectives are valued, and that it’s safe for them to contribute.

5. Show a willingness to shift

When something changes your mind, or improves your understanding of an issue, be explicit about the fact that you’re changing your mind based on their input. This will encourage people to contribute in the future. If you don’t constantly demonstrate a willingness to be convinced of an opinion other than your own, people will stop offering theirs.

Once people can see that their ideas can make a real difference, they’ll be more likely to offer them up. Over time, this will become a key motivator for your people.

6. Encourage robust debate

Respectful, robust debate is the means by which alternative viewpoints are uncovered and challenged. Help your people to become more confident by rewarding them for engaging in this way.

Public praise and one-on-one reinforcement can motivate someone to up the ante in their contribution, because they understand why it’s important and they’re prepared to take a little personal risk to see that unfold.

Without robust debate of alternative viewpoints, people’s input is only of marginal value.

Make performance through diversity your brand

Your ability to liberate people’s talent and experience is the real key to unlocking and leveraging diversity. Ultimately, this becomes a true driver of performance, and a defining characteristic of your team. Results speak louder than anything else, so if you learn to harness the power of diversity to drive better results, people will sit up and pay attention.

Once this becomes part of your culture, it forms an important plank in your employee value proposition. Why would people want to work for you? Because you value diversity in a way that takes the organization to new levels of performance – it’s your brand, after all.

Who wouldn’t want to work in a company like that?

Martin G. Moore is the former CEO of CS Energy. Within five years, he grew earnings from $17 million to $441 million, a compound annual growth rate of 125%. Moore hosts the chart-topping No Bullsh!t Leadership podcast, and his book, No Bullsh!t Leadership, is scheduled to be published in August 2021.

The post Diversity on its own isn’t enough: 6 tips to leverage value appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

That means you need to focus on recruitment and retention strategies that actually work. Flip that and focus first on retention and then on recruitment. If you can retain your employees, that reduces the work you have to do to recruit new ones.

And remember that good recruitment also means fewer problems with retention. Getting the right people into the right jobs impacts your retention in a way that a specialized program never can.

Here are five ideas that will work.

1. Hire for potential, not experience

“You must have a college degree and five years of experience in X.” These types of requirements are standard in job postings, but researchers found that for many jobs, employees will still need to learn 10 additional skills within the next 18 months.

In other words, even if your new hire meets all the job requirements today, that means 10 new skills needed as they settle into their new role.

If you are insistent that every candidate has every skill, you may end up with a very short list of candidates – and hiring someone whose skills may be obsolete in a month anyway. You should look for people who have a solid – and versatile – foundation and the ability and desire to learn new things.

Keep this in mind for a recruitment and retention strategy as well. Often, companies don’t want to promote from within because they want someone in the position that can ‘hit the ground running’.

This strategy denies reality because the position will change anyway. Retain your best employees by promoting them into stretch roles.

2. Stop outsourcing your recruiting

Peter Capelli, a professor of Management at the Wharton School of Business, reports that up to 40% of companies use outsourced recruiters. While that sometimes makes sense, he points out that these companies often outsource themselves – to the Philippines or India, for instance. These contract recruiters scour LinkedIn and focus on using keywords.

Companies often reward these recruiters with higher bonuses if they can get a candidate to take a lower salary. That sounds cost-effective, but in today’s high-turnover environment, saving your business $5,000 today may result in an additional $50,000 in turnover costs next year, if not more. As far as recruitment and retention strategies go, this one isn’t very effective in the long term.

Keep your recruiting close to your company, and you’ll be more likely to find candidates that are fit for the long term in your company and not just those with the matching keywords.

3. Study your results – and act on them

While this may not seem like a recruiting or retention technique, it will lead you to correct your processes. Capelli, again, points out that very few companies do detailed tracking on recruiting and retention.

“Imagine,” Capelli says, “if the CEO asked how an advertising campaign had gone, and the response was ‘We have a good idea how long it took to roll out and what it cost, but we haven’t looked to see whether we’re selling more.’”

You won’t improve your retention or recruiting if you don’t know what works and what fails. You need to keep data on these things.

4. Keep an eye on your competitors

The Fight for $15 campaign has been very successful, and many people refuse to work for less, even though the federal minimum wage remains at less than half of that. You may think that your salaries are at the proper market rate because they were last year and you could hire just fine. But, it’s 2021, there’s a labor shortage all around, and your candidates can walk across the street and get a job at a fast-food restaurant for $12 or more per hour.

Remember, your hiring and retention competitors are not only the people who make and sell similar products and services. They are also anyone who hires people similar to your employees. Every business needs an accountant and a customer service person. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you don’t need to pay attention.

In addition to salary, people are looking for flexibility. Whether it’s working from home, a hybrid situation, or shifts that fit their lives, other businesses offer those. If you want to keep your employees and hire new ones, you need to keep up.

5. Start asking your employees questions

Do you know what makes your current employees happy? Do you know what makes them miserable? If you can’t, you may find your retention numbers struggling.

Margaret Rogers, vice president at Pariveda Solutions, says that while companies invest in training and development, they often do so without consulting the employees.

You need to know what your employees want and need before you develop your programs. A few questions she recommends when conducting employee surveys are:

• What parts of your job are most interesting and rewarding?
• What areas are you finding most challenging right now?
• What are you doing to reach short- and long-term career goals?
• Are there any other projects, committees, or additional responsibilities you would like to be a part of?
• Is there anything else you’re curious about that you haven’t been able to explore yet?

Knowing the answers to these questions helps you to tailor your training and development opportunities to not only what will benefit the company but what will benefit your employees. You won’t retain people who don’t see growth potential, so make sure you know what they want and figure out how to help them get it.

If you aren’t thinking about recruiting and retention strategies now, you need to be. Otherwise, the great resignation will hit your business, and other companies will snatch up your best people. Don’t let that happen to you.

The post 5 recruitment and retention strategies that actually work appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Let’s start with why: The workforce was not immune to the migration patterns of the pandemic. Affording everyone the time to re-examine anything, from a life’s purpose to a day-to-day routine, the lockdown was a time of mass decision-making.

The ‘Great Resignation’ then earned its name as professionals across all industries shed their pre-pandemic roles. Increased turnover became one of an employer’s many costs. But in a normal economy, one worker’s loss would be another worker’s gain – roles would fill about as quickly as they’re given up. Now, employers have made it clear: there’s a disconnect between the post-COVID candidate and the roles at hand.

A look at the numbers

Talent and employers are passing each other like two ships in the night. This past March, US employers added a seasonally adjusted 916,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate reached a new pandemic low of 6%. Still, recruitment campaigns are flopping, candidates are in short supply, and professionals continue to change paths across virtually all sectors.

Conversely, LinkedIn data shows that professionals in the United States added over 110,000 volunteer activities to their profiles monthly since the inception of the pandemic. That’s a near 250% increase since 2017.

And the boom of ESG-focused investing has come from retail investors as much as it’s come from institutional activity; new investors are showing a large interest in green bonds, and 56% of households with more than $100,000 to invest are showing an overwhelming preference for impact investments.

These numbers quantify an important COVID change: purpose-driven living has become a full-time occupation. Professionals want ESG values represented and upheld across all segments of their life, including and especially the team with whom they focus their working talent.

A tight ESG labor market

Before the pandemic, BlackRock reported that many of their high-profile investors planned to double their allocations into sustainable products over the next five years. A subsequent report announced that one-fifth of those investors felt the pandemic had accelerated their plans to do so.

That early influx of capital led to a job boom in the ESG space, attracting the market’s best talent.

Already, the wave of behavioral change is evident across industries. Companies are under pressure to adopt new standards and regulations for ESG operations and sustainable investing in order to source investment capital and satisfy stakeholders. ESG is the new workplace normal, and will soon be a standard workforce strategy rather than basic value proposition.

Re-imagining the post-COVID EVP

Employers need new tactics to differentiate their employee value proposition (or EVP for short). Introducing tangible ESG as a workforce strategy is an important place to begin. The large-scale purpose and impact of the company is important. But the day-to-day initiatives, policies, and campaigns are important places in which employees feel those social values reflected.

Consider the actions of industry giants throughout the pandemic:

• Apple increased their matching gift donations to a 2:1 ratio, surpassing $15 million in the early months to support COVID-response efforts on a local and global scale
• Facebook committed to matching $10 million in charitable gifts by the public, in addition to their existing policy for employees and retirees
• Google upped their match cap to a significant $20,000 per employee.

The scale of these actions reflects the size of these corporations, but small and mid-sized businesses can instill the same corporate practices with the same effect. Regardless of magnitude, these decisions made by industry giants reflect what they’ve noticed among their employee culture: social involvement and purpose-driven impact is an important part of employee satisfaction, competitive recruitment, and top talent retention.

Hilton: A case study in workplace happiness

At the end of 2020, Fortune released its list of the 100 best companies to work for based on self-reported workplace happiness of employees. The top 25 companies are similar to 2019, with a few exceptions, including Hilton. A newcomer to the top 25, Hilton climbed all the way to #1. Let’s consider their pandemic response.

Notably, Hilton partnered with American Express to donate one million hotel room nights across the U.S. for frontline workers. In addition, the company made a $1 million contribution to the World Central Kitchen, providing healthy, fresh meals for healthcare providers.

Their Hilton Effect Foundation Grants provided an additional $1 million in community response efforts. Meanwhile, their success in cutting their environmental footprint in half and doubling their social impact investments worldwide led them to be named the global industry leader in sustainability for the second year in a row.

It is the case that the Hilton team was able to impart a significantly positive impact on many communities throughout COVID-19. But it’s also the case that those social initiatives occupied a large part of the company mission, meaning that those goals were a constant part of an employee’s day-to-day responsibilities.

The sequential earning of both titles, ’global leader in sustainability’ and ‘best place to work,’ is no coincidence. But it is perhaps the day-to-day experience of striving for environmental and social impact, rather than the final culmination of the effort, that makes the Hilton work experience so fulfilling. In terms of ESG as a workforce strategy, it’s a model to look up to.

It’s about good intentions

Again, it’s not the scale of the initiative, but the intention behind it: purposeful ESG as a workforce strategy needs to be top of mind to attract and keep the best performing talent in the industry. Offering the time or financial resources that allow employees to volunteer in their own communities is another way for small or medium size businesses to achieve the same effect.

Similarly, smaller sized corporations can create social-oriented projects that allow each team member to contribute their expertise toward community impact. For example:

• Pay a web designer to create an order platform for a local food bank
• Offer senior executives days off to mentor younger professionals in the field
• Work in a standard donation amount into an employee’s salary to go toward the organization of their choosing

These are other ways to bring ESG aims closer to the day-to-day operations.

Post-COVID recruitment needs to center on similar questions. What opportunities are we providing for employees to bring their social awareness, environmental commitment, and global concerns into the workplace? The lines between home and work have blurred. With them, the demarcation between work purpose and life purpose has faded.

Employers that can offer a work culture that’s fulfilling, purpose-driven, and ESG-oriented will see their efforts rewarded in the prospective candidates and existing employees alike, and the post-COVID workplace will change for the better the way all real change takes place – from the ground up.

Tara Milburn is the Founder and CEO of Ethical Swag, a sustainable branding company that makes it easy for HR professionals to offer personalized promotional products that they can stand behind. Certified as a B-Corporation, Ethical Swag has been audited to the highest global standard for sustainability.

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A Microsoft study from earlier this year found that 41% of the global workforce are considering leaving their employer this year, and those intentions are becoming a reality already.

The number of workers who quit their jobs in the month of April alone was the highest it’s ever been since this metric started being recorded about 20 years ago; nearly 4 million people quit, pushing the quits rate to 2.7% of those employed.

Hence the terminology: The Great Resignation, coined and foretold by a Texas A&M professor in May 2021.

So what can employers do, now that this massive talent migration is fully underway?

The first step is to change old ways of thinking: your biggest obstacle is not a shortage of talent, but a widespread shift in job candidates’ motivations. You need to evolve your employer brand using new employee value proposition examples.

Talent shortage vs. evolving candidate motivations

Even before the pandemic, the concept of a “talent shortage” has largely gotten the blame for why it’s so difficult to hire skilled workers. This is still true; a recent global study showed that nearly seven in 10 (69%) of companies have reported talent shortages and difficulty hiring.

But that’s not the full picture.

Yes, there is some level of talent shortage, but candidates have also evolved in what they expect from a job. Many don’t want to simply “go back to normal” and have decided they’d rather pursue something else. So, companies hiring in this labor market aren’t just competing against each other, they’re also competing against:

• early retirement
• the gig economy
• self-run businesses
• unemployment benefits
• a search for a new environment
• prioritization of a flexible schedule to be with loved ones

How should companies use this information?

Well, if your company wants to attract candidates in this labor market, you should be thinking about how you can directly address these new candidate motivations. Although salary, perks and benefits understandably are top of mind for candidates, there are many ways where you can further evolve your employer brand.

That’s especially when your budget doesn’t allow for higher salaries or you have difficulty competing with Amazon, Google, or any other competitive employer for talent.

What that all boils down to is evolving your employee value proposition (EVP) so that working at your company actually contributes to – rather than competes with – the life they’re trying to make for themselves.

These four employee value proposition examples can help you evolve your employer brand so that working at your company is attractive to today’s talent:

1. Offer true work flexibility – in location and schedule

The ultimate dream for most employees is to work anywhere they want and whenever they want, doing work that offers fulfillment and growth. What’s ideal about this type of setup is it gives employees the autonomy and freedom they want and need in their day-to-day lives, while also being able to do work that feels purposeful. This is part of the employee value proposition at companies who are already or have shifted to remote-first.

However, for a great number of employers, this isn’t a desirable or feasible option. They’re not willing to let go of the very real benefits that regular in-person, in-office work brings to culture, collaboration, and unity around a common purpose for the whole organization.

If your company is decidedly not going to go fully remote, here are some ways to get as close to that level of flexibility as possible. This will make a world of difference in helping you attract (and keep) the talent you need.

• Offer employees the option to work from home at least a few days of the week
• Let employees choose what days of the week they’d work remotely vs. in the office
• Allow employees to shift their daily work hours around to when they prefer (e.g. starting and ending early)

2. Have a mission that goes beyond ‘the work’

Younger workers have always paid attention to what a company stands for as they look for a job and that interest has become even more pronounced, especially in these recent years of social and political unrest.

What these candidates are really striving for is to find work that means something and stands for something. This means company values that go beyond making a profit. These could include:

• backing BLM/LGBTQ movements
• establishing environmental equity
• building up societies
• supporting mental health and wellness

The list goes on. Candidates today are driven towards employers who have a clearly defined vision and values that are actually lived and felt among current team members.

Remember, though, that you can’t just pick a popular cause and slap that on all of your recruiting materials as your new mission. That isn’t genuine and candidates will see right through that. What you can and should do is talk to your current employees and do some internal introspection and brainstorming as a team as to how the work that you do helps make the world better.

Aside from your actual day-to-day work, you could also introduce:

• paid volunteer days
• charitable donations and company matching
• team fundraising events.

Workable’s mission and vision are a great example of an employee value proposition: the entire organization is driven toward helping great companies and great talent find each other. It’s a very people-driven concept and it attracts candidates who love the idea of supporting it.

3. Foster genuine employee connections

While talent today overwhelmingly prefers remote work over going back to the office five days a week – and many big-name companies feel the same – there’s one aspect about office life that’s still important to them: connecting with other members of their team in a meaningful way.

Just think of all of the different ways employees connect with each other organically throughout a work day when in the same physical workspace:

• seeing each other daily face-to-face
• catching up over a snack or drink break
• real-time in-person meetings
• lunch-time banter
• mini-celebrations in the desk aisles

And so many other impromptu moments. In this shift to remote work, that’s what employees today are missing.

Even though “employee events” isn’t on their job search list, companies who prioritize employee connection in their company culture (especially while remote) will attract more talent than those who don’t.

For example, some companies fly everyone together into a really cool location once a year and call it their annual kickoff or team retreat – including Workable. Many also hold regular all-day events for things like team bonding, new hire orientation, and strategy sessions.

Making time for employee connection in these ways is huge for building morale, and people have something exciting to look forward to doing together. It’s one of the most powerful employee value proposition examples you can implement at your company.

4. Offer programs to support work-life integration

If your company is letting go of some or all of your office spaces in favor of remote or hybrid work, you haven’t actually eliminated the office – you’ve simply shifted “the office” into employees’ homes. The name of the game is then no longer about employees’ work-life balance, but work-life integration.

Learn how SmartBug CEO Ryan Malone manages work-life integration at his company – which has been fully remote since its inception in the late 2000s.

Knowing that this is the new way, supporting your employees’ work-life integration will be a huge differentiator for retaining and attracting talent today. To do that, it’s all about helping employees create a fluid and healthy environment where both their personal life and work life can co-exist and not constantly compete for their attention.

It also means addressing the additional financial burden many employees are taking on due to working from their own homes, such as caregiving costs, internet bills, and paying for technology to help their time management.

Here are some programs you’ll see most commonly these days among companies who prioritize healthy work-life integration:

• one-time or recurring home office stipends to cover all equipment needs
• subsidized food delivery or monthly flexible meal stipends
• monthly cellphone and technology reimbursement for ongoing tech needs
• wellness apps or a monthly flexible wellness stipend
• backup childcare, caregiving support, and general family stipends that support all types of families

Get ready: evolve your EVP

Even though signs of the Great Resignation, or the “turnover tsunami”, was identified way back in February, none of us could have known how massive the impact would actually be.

These four employee value proposition examples are just to get you started. It’s ultimately up to you as an employer to show how quickly you can move and how nimble you can be in addressing this evolving talent market – by also evolving yourself and what you’re really offering your people.

The post 4 employee value proposition examples to survive the Great Resignation appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

In some cases, this makes perfect sense, and in some cases, it does not. Here’s what you need to know when making a decision on whether or not to outsource recruitment.

What is recruitment outsourcing?

Outsourcing is hiring someone outside of the company to do a task. This can be a consultant or a contractor, or a company. It can be someone who lives and works in the same town or lives in another country.

When you outsource a task, you give it to an outside person or organization. When you outsource recruitment, you can use several different types of outsourced recruiting.

• Headhunters. This is the colloquial term for recruiters that recruit for specialized positions. They often work on a commission basis. While they can technically recruit for any role, they often have specialized areas. Headhunters increase their value by building relationships in their chosen industries. Companies, not candidates, pay headhunter fees (usually a percentage of the salary if they place a candidate). Some executive or highly specialized headhunter contractors are retainer-based. In this case, the recruiter receives pay for providing candidates and sourcing, and is not contingent on job acceptance.
• General recruiting. You can hire an outsourced recruiter or recruiting firm to handle all your recruiting needs, regardless of specialization. Again, the company, not the candidates, pays the recruiters.
• Staffing companies. These companies not only find people to work for you, but they hire them and pay them as well. Consequently, the employees work for the staffing company and not for you. This model is popular in industries with high turnover and low-skilled labor. It’s also popular for some IT roles, and larger companies, including Google, use this model.

When outsourced recruitment is good

Suppose you are a startup looking to hire your first of everything. In that case, it’s far better to hire a professional recruiter to help you find a CFO than to appoint your college roommate who majored in musical theater but never managed to get their big Broadway break.

For senior roles, the headhunter option generally remains a good idea, as these positions are highly specialized and critical to company success. If you get a mediocre junior analyst, it can get expensive (as bad hires tend to be), but if your newly recruited Chief Marketing Officer is a failure, it can tank your entire company.

You may also want to consider outsourcing recruiting during intense hiring phases, as your in-house HR may not have the bandwidth to take it on. For instance, if you are launching a new product and you need to hire 100 new salespeople across the entire country in a short time, your lone in-house recruiter may not be able to handle that added workload (although a great ATS can help alleviate that stress!).

You can, of course, use a contracted recruiter for all your positions, and some companies do this. Smaller companies can’t afford a dedicated recruiter or don’t hire enough people on a regular basis to warrant an extra employee for that task.

When outsourced recruitment is bad

Relying on someone outside the company to market your jobs, source candidates, and screen them, can be problematic in many situations.

If you want to build a specific company culture, you probably want to bring your recruiting in-house. An external recruiter generally has multiple clients at a time and won’t be able to dedicate themselves to the unique needs of your company as well as an in-house recruiter can do.

Because external recruiters typically get paid upon placement, there can be a bigger push to fill the role than to focus on finding the right person for the position.

If your turnover – whether voluntary and involuntary – is higher than the industry average, you may wish to take a look at in-house recruiting. People do leave when they feel that the company is a bad fit for them. You also need to fire people who turn out to be not a good fit for you.

If your turnover in either of these categories is too high, it could be due to wrongly or poorly targeted recruiting. There are times where assigning the recruiting to someone who knows the employees personally, who walks your warehouse floor every day, or sits in on exit interviews and sees the problems firsthand can result in a better candidate fit.

If you have the proper HR systems in place – a good applicant tracking system and a compatible HRIS – running the recruiting in-house can save you time and make your reporting more straightforward and more accurate.

If you choose outsourced recruitment

This is a path that fits some companies, and if you go in this direction, there are a few things you need to remember when you search for your recruiter.

• If employees work in the office, ensure the recruiter has visited and understands the working environment firsthand. There are different challenges in different businesses, and seeing the physical facilities can help the recruiter’s understanding.
• Go over the job descriptions with the recruiter in depth so that the recruiter understands the key points to look for. You can’t assume an external recruiter understands the unwritten rules of your business because she doesn’t work there.
• Consider the costs. If you hire more than one or two professional people per year with a headhunter, the associated costs can become higher than an in-house, salaried recruiter.
• Keep communication channels open. Hiring managers often change criteria during the recruitment process. If you aren’t communicating clearly, your recruiter will waste valuable time looking for the wrong candidates.
• Figure out how you will coordinate your onboarding process. Frequently, in-house recruiters handle that part of the process. If you outsource recruitment, someone in-house will need to process the paperwork and new-hire orientation.

In-house recruitment benefits

Whether you’re growing or in a high-turnover industry, you might consider bringing the whole thing in-house – the technology is there to help even the leanest hiring teams manage the recruitment process, and at cost. And the benefits of doing it internally can far outweigh the conveniences of outsourced recruitment.

Consider the following:

• Your recruiter can help identify internal candidates that may or may not apply for an open position. Someone with an intimate knowledge of the business will have powerful insight into people who can fill gaps when an external recruiter cannot.
• You can control costs. Many employers outsource recruitment to reduce costs, but filling two senior positions in a year with an external recruiter can cost more than a full-time salary for an experienced in-house recruiter.
• You have more flexibility. If you think you need to do a job fair, you can organize one. If you’re working with an outside firm, you may have to renegotiate the entire contract.
• An internal recruiter can help anticipate business needs. They can spot things before requisitions appear and plan ahead.
• Internal recruiters have a better understanding of company culture because they work there every day. They have a vested interest in getting the right people in roles because they have to work together.

Whatever you decide for your business, remember that good quality recruitment needs to be a high priority. Your business needs people to succeed, and that can’t happen without quality sourcing, recruiting, and hiring.

The post Why companies outsource recruitment (and why you shouldn’t) appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Jump straight into the podcast or check out the transcription here.

As a practiced expert in global talent management, Tony had a lot to say. Here are the top takeaways from our conversation:

Make the commitment, then make it work

Virgin mogul Richard Branson once said: ”If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!”

Tony would agree when it applies to the global talent market.

“My first tip here is to really focus on what’s really important, which is finding the best talent no matter where they are,” he says. “And worry later about these obstacles or these barriers that prevent you from hiring that talent.

Why? Because it makes sense

And forget whether your services are global or local. It makes a lot of sense to hire globally, because your talent market is much broader.

“If you were to say a startup in San Francisco or a startup in London, and you want to hire locally, what are the chances [that] the best talent will be in a 20-mile radius from your office? It’s like 0.1%,” Tony says.

“So how can you explain statistically that this is a good strategy for talent acquisition, where over 99% of the great talent is elsewhere?”

He points to hubs of engineering in areas such as Eastern Europe and Latin America that have a much higher representation of highly talented developers who specialize in specific coding languages – all of which presents an opportunity for smart companies who tap into the global hiring market.

Talent distribution aside, Tony points to other benefits:

1) Local connectivity makes better EX

There are huge benefits in the new reality of living where we work and working where we live – especially for the employee.

Tony shares his own example.

“Now my identity is work but it’s also family. I spend more time with my children, with my partner,” he says of his work-life integration. “It’s my community as well.”

He talks about an elderly neighbor in the small French village where he lives and works. “He can’t walk very well. And his chimney broke in the middle of the winter and he needed somebody to take him to the store, buy something to come and fix the chimney. So he called me at 2 in the afternoon, and I had a 45-minute gap in my schedule.

“So I was able to go and bring him to the store and build it. And I felt more connected to him.”

And what does that mean for the new working environment?

“If I was in the office,” Tony explains, ”I would have missed that opportunity to help him out. And so I feel much more connected to my local community. So that’s good news for the world. And that’s good news for people.”

And when employees feel more connected to their families and communities even when on the job, they’ll be happier. That speaks volumes for overall employee engagement (EX) and experience.

2) Remote can outperform office

Tony says that, if executed properly, a remote-work environment can actually be more productive and engaged than the alternative.

“For instance, a virtual environment requires you to share leadership more, so essentially because everybody is in different locations and the leader cannot do everything like they used to do in the office, then suddenly you have an opportunity for other leaders to come in and fill that gap. So it becomes a great place to grow leaders faster in the business.”

It’s not just about collective leadership. Remote also fosters a more equitable and democratic working environment that brings the best out of people.

“The best ideas win,” Tony says. ”[W]hen you used to work in an office and you go to a meeting room and usually the loudest person in the room monopolizes the discussion, but you have maybe this introverted, brilliant person on the side [and] they’re not sharing their ideas.”

And now, working online across locations, there’s a more collaborative spirit via a shared document where everyone is able to bring something to the proverbial table, and have a conversation, Tony says.

“The role of the leader is really to be aware of these superpowers and create an environment that actually facilitates and fosters these benefits.”

3) There are social and environmental benefits

There’s an added intangible that can speak volumes for your employer brand: the social impact that your organization has as a remote-first organization.

“If you remove the barriers to cross-border employment and enable companies to really tap into the global talent pool, you can reduce brain drain, which is really one of the major impacts of wealth distribution issues in the world.”

There’s also an environmental impact as well.

“Think about it; every year, we’re pouring the equivalent of four New York Cities in terms of concrete on planet Earth. And in many cities, it’s not a more livable condition.”

He notes the example of Delhi, where workers lose an average of seven hours of life expectancy due to the air pollution.

“I think the pandemic enabled us to realize that actually we are past that tipping point of sustainability of cities. And, I hope that the world will reverse that trend now that actually it’s not a necessity to be in the office to get the job done, at least for knowledge workers.”

Global talent market best practices

Convinced? Tony now has some best practices for you when executing on a global talent market strategy.

1) Ensure equal opportunity and experience

When you have a distributed team, you need to align your company success with your employee success, Tony says. This ties into employee experience, which can differ across locations.

Tony shares the example of a contact center in India that worked night shifts to accommodate the US market.

“There’s something we don’t really talk about … this lifestyle disparity when it comes to working from anywhere. [A]s a leader of an organization, my recommendation is to create an environment and a culture that gives everybody an equal opportunity, no matter where they are.”

Balance out the opportunities

Also, when hiring for more senior positions in tech, you’ll also find that talent is more concentrated to specific locations. For example, Tony says, senior talent has been focused in the Western world in the last 30 years.

And that can lead to further imbalances when it comes to opportunity within a company.

“[It’s important] that you think about how you develop the younger talent that come from emerging economies and giving them the opportunity to grow with your company and with the opportunity,” Tony says, “so we can start building the next generation of tech leaders from all over the world and not necessarily focused or centered around certain technology hubs in the world, such as the Silicon Valley, or London, or China.”

This also applies to the overall nature of remote work, where it comes naturally to some and more of a challenge to others – again a recipe for imbalance and unequal experiences across teams.

“There are certain trainings [where] you can upskill your talent force on remote work. You can teach your team how to behave, how to be productive, how to take care of themselves so that they don’t burn out.”

Focus on the results

To ensure equal opportunity and growth across locations, Tony also recommends shifting to a results-driven model.

“We’ve seen companies that have this obsession with output rather than input. Essentially we don’t care how [many] hours you put in to get the job done, as long as you have clear goals and you’re delivering on your goals,” he says.

“That goes a long way to create a culture where there’s a high degree of trust in order for anybody, anywhere they are, to grow in and develop in your company.”

2) Establish a strong company culture

The reality of working across locations – and especially, across cultures – is that there will be some inconsistencies as colleagues of different backgrounds collaborate on projects. There are ways around that, however – and the first big takeaway from Tony is that a strong company culture is essential if you want to overcome these challenges.

In short – the collective vision can be very powerful. But, Tony says, it doesn’t happen on its own.

“My experience having led two companies in the last 10, 12 years is that [there] are people from all over the world. Company culture definitely trumps country culture. … But you have to manage it. It’s not like by default this is going to happen.

“So you need to really be clear about how you create a strong company culture that actually is stronger than in local cultural specificities.”

Learn how Belgium-based startup ProxyClick built a great company culture that unifies and inspires its employees.

3) Standardize and prescribe a virtual working system

Working in a remote working environment means you need to actively build trust among colleagues. In a physical workplace, Tony says, trust grows naturally, but in a virtual environment, you have to work at it.

He shares the example of working with his product team. Syncing in real time is needed to align on ideas around product development, but an equally strong element of building a strong virtual work culture is in carrying out the actual work as a team.

“[At Oyster], we call them ‘tools and the rules’,” says Tony, adding that while you can get away with lack of clarity if you’re working together in the same office, that’s not the case when working across time zones, cultures and backgrounds.

“You have to be very prescriptive of how you work together. What tools do you use? When do you use them? What different meetings do you have?” Tony says.

And this system can’t be dictated top-down. It needs to be mutually built across the team.

“And you, as a team manager, have to be the best remote worker in your team to show the example for your team that this is something that everybody needs to buy into, and it gets reinforced.”

4) Know how job attractors differ across cultures

Building a strong employer brand is essential to candidate attraction, of course. But that becomes a unique challenge when sourcing and attracting talent in different locations.

Tony agrees, sharing a hypothetical example of a person named Mary in Nigeria, who has the option to work at a local bank for a contract and the best benefits in the area.

“You want to be able to match that, you want to be able to understand what ‘good’ looks like in country X, and then extend a generous offer to that employee,” Tony says.

He adds the value of job security for someone like Mary.

“That goes to first hiring them as a full-time employee rather than a contractor, so that you can reduce their anxiety and provide them with the ability of having a stable job and a stable income. And then supplement that with whatever local benefits Mary expects to see from a top employer in that country.”

Benefits will be different as well

Tony then talks about other countries that put more weight on certain benefits, such as the United States where health insurance is an absolute must-have. In France, on the other hand, the expectation is more about restaurant vouchers, with health insurance more complementary rather than a core benefit.

In other countries still, health benefits are a non-issue because of a universal health care system.

There are also other elements at play in a global talent market, Tony says.

“[Maybe] there is a fear of cultural differences. Maybe people in that country think differently than people in that country. There are administrative and legal and tax challenges that companies have to go through. […] So every country is different and you have to navigate that.”

Adapt and thrive in the global talent market

“The war on talent is going distributed,” Tony says. “The companies that have thought about how to enable a strong culture, how to enable a distributed workforce to grow and develop – they are the ones that are going to attract the best and the brightest talents in the world. And there’s no going back on this.”

Employees have that expectation as well, and Tony says employers need to pay close attention to that.

“Employees are asking for an extra degree of freedom, which is location. [They] want to be able to live wherever they want to live,” he says.

“That’s hard for companies to manage if they want to go back to an office-only culture, because talent will go to wherever they have more freedom and that’s assuming equal pay and equal benefits.”

Tony adds that 1.5 billion knowledge workers will be entering the workforce in the next 10 years. He says this is the biggest labor democratic shift since the Industrial Revolution.

“We have that opportunity now as a world to rethink what work is and make it more sustainable and more focused on bringing that opportunity to people no matter where they are.”

Ultimately, the global talent market is about people and quality of life.

“We want to have a future where people have a choice in where they want to live. And they don’t necessarily have to live in the city. It becomes a choice if they decide to want to live in a city, but if they decide not to, they shouldn’t be forced to be living in a crowded space. And that’s the world that we want to portray [at Oyster].”

The post The global talent market: the new land of opportunity is anywhere appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

That’s not all. There’s the extra burden placed on your day-to-day with legal and moral expectations to meet diversity, equity and inclusion metrics, increased compliance obligations including data privacy, employee vs. contractor classifications, and wage regulations.

And all of that while working on the same hiring budget you’ve had on your desk since before the pandemic – but with one or two less people in your team. That’s a lot to ask of a hiring team – especially in terms of time.

So, to help you out, here are 11 recruitment time-saving tips to help you optimize your hiring process while working with a lean budget and lean team. Spoiler: Workable’s recruitment solution can help you with pretty much all of them.

11 recruitment time-saving tips to speed up hiring

1. Automate the process
2. Offer self-scheduling options for candidates
3. Take advantage of templates
4. Enable mobile-friendly recruitment
5. Introduce e-signatures
6. Utilize a user-friendly career page builder
7. Take advantage of AI
8. Clone the process
9. Post to multiple job boards with one click
10. Automate your reporting
11. Remote interviewing

1. Automate the process

When handling large numbers of applicants, it becomes nearly impossible to engage each and every one of them personally, even when shortlisted.

Luckily, there are tools available that allow you to automate different steps in the process. Steps that can be automated include:

• An initial thank-you email in response to an application
• A rejection message for those who are not the right fit
• Moving candidates through the pipeline based on assessment scores
• A calendar self-schedule link sent out to someone who’s been moved to the next stage (more on that later)

Remember, you’re still dealing with human beings in the process. An automated, impersonal, careless rejection email can be off-putting for the candidate and may even impact impressions of your company in their network. Ensure that the tone and style of the email is appropriate, and always prioritize that candidate experience!

Workable’s automated actions tool can help you preset emails and processes while providing the templates (more on that below) to help you get started on recruitment time-saving.

2. Offer self-scheduling options for candidates

Whether you’re a recruiter or hiring manager, you know how much time can be spent communicating back and forth when planning for a phone screen, a video interview, or an in-person interview at any stage in the process. Factor in the number of candidates involved, and you can see how you might be wasting time that’s better spent on other, more applicable tasks.

All of that can be eliminated, however, by giving the candidate the opportunity to reserve an available time slot right through a link to your calendar. Workable’s self-scheduling tool enables easy scheduling from start to finish – and is one of the leading recruitment time-saving tips in this list.

3. Take advantage of templates

Writing a job description or a series of interview questions from scratch for every job opening can be a time-consuming task, especially when you’re hiring en masse after a new funding round or expansion to a new market. It’s also potentially susceptible to bias in terms of the language used, job requirements listed, and questions asked.

Save your time by utilizing templates. Templates, of course, don’t need to be posted as is – rather, they provide a great foundation for you to start to customize to each job. Plus, they save you a lot of time in the workflow.

Workable has more than 700 job description templates, 390 interview question templates, dozens of company policy templates, checklists, emails and much more that can be imported right into your applicant tracking system.

4. Enable mobile-friendly recruitment

Recruiting is a full-time job for recruiters, but is an added workload for hiring managers and executives whose decisions are needed to move candidates through the pipeline. Bottlenecks will happen as a result.

You can alleviate those breakdowns by giving busy hiring managers and executives the option to sift through candidates on their smartphone. Think about it – they’ll be able to check in during their commute, while taking a break in their day, or when (ahem) taking care of other business. That’ll speed things along.

Workable’s mobile-friendly app enables all of that, and more. Ben O’Mahony, from Cytora, commented on why the mobile app is awesome for busy hiring managers:

“They don’t need to see the entire recruiting pipeline at all times. They just need to see who they’re interviewing. And this is quickly done through the Workable app.”

5. Introduce e-signatures

Getting candidates to sign that job offer so you can close the books on the process is easier said than done, especially when it’s a remote hire or a new employee from another location. Having contracts delivered to and from the new hire is a time-consuming process, and that piles up when you’re handling multiple hires at once.

E-signing can solve all of that hassle. Everything’s going digital now – especially as the work world becomes increasingly remote. That includes all the legal stuff, like contracts, in a fully secure online environment to boot.

Workable’s ATS comes ready-made with its own e-signature tool to meet those important signature needs and is a small but important recruitment time-saver.

6. Use a user-friendly career page builder

Careers pages, like anything else in your website, can involve a lot of design work involving a team that’s already busy working on marketing and sales materials day in and day out. Plus, there’s a lot of back-and-forth involved where you have a ‘perfect’ careers page in mind and you’re working with design to make that happen.

You can skip all of that by bringing in a feature that enables even the least tech-savvy HR manager to build an impressive careers page using click-and-drag options.

Workable has its own advanced careers page builder built into its software. And this tutorial can help you whip together an amazing careers page in a short time, putting your employer brand on a pedestal and attracting the very best candidates to your company.

7. Take advantage of AI

We’re now in a strange time where many companies are experiencing difficulty finding the right candidates – or even a satisfactory number of candidates – for specific job postings. This especially applies when you’re hiring in a hyper-competitive space, such as developers or software engineers, or when looking to fill a niche role – both situations that often result in a shortage of candidates. This can put the onus on the recruiter to seek out potential applicants – including passive candidates – which involves a lot of legwork and time invested.

But there are ways around that. Artificial intelligence, when used in the right way, can seek out and find great candidates for you based on your job description and other parameters that you set – including specific keywords, qualifications, and other directives.

Workable’s AI Recruiter was introduced specifically for this purpose. And it can come in especially useful for you right now.

8. Clone the process

When someone – especially one of your top employees – puts in their notice, it feels like you have to start all over again. Not only is it like capturing lightning in a bottle, it also takes time to set up a new job ad, put together a new series of interview questions, create a new assessment, etc., etc., etc.

What if you just went back to that original process that led to the hire of this amazing employee, and simply cloned it? Not only can you replicate what was successful before, you can skip those steps doing this for high-turnover roles such as in sales and hospitality.

9. Post to multiple job boards with one click

Your job description is approved and you’re ready to distribute. Next steps:

• Step 1: Post job ad to LinkedIn.
• Step 2: Post job ad to Facebook Jobs.
• Step 3: Post job to Indeed.
• Step 4: Post job ad to Glassdoor.
• Step 5: Post job ad to Monster.
• Step 6: ….

You get the point. Doing that over and over and over again can eat up all the hours in a day, and that’s just for a single job opportunity. Although it’s standard to expect an ATS to deliver job ads to numerous job sites automatically, you want to be sure you have the right ATS to post to not just the most job sites, but the right ones.

Check out the list of Workable’s existing job site integrations to get an idea of how many job sites you can post to with one click using our recruitment software.

10. Automate your reporting

Reporting on recruitment metrics is crucial to successful hiring, but it can take quite a bit of time to analyze data and then break it down into reports for the C-suite who are most interested in how your hiring process impacts the bottom line.

There are many different reasons you need reports in hiring, such as:

• Identifying breakdowns and bottlenecks in the process that can prolong time to hire and time to fill
• Understanding where your best candidates are coming from
• Tracking diversity metrics in your candidate pool
• Staying compliant with government-mandated requirements, including EEOC, CCPA, and GDPR protocols

All that data in your recruitment process can be automatically turned into reports to benefit all of the above, including having reports sent directly from your software. Workable’s software has reporting functions to meet each of the above needs.

11. Remote interviewing

While it’s not necessarily time taken out of your own work day, you’re asking a lot of a candidate when you schedule an in-person interview. Assuming the commute takes an hour each way door-to-door, you’re making the candidate spend three full hours – or more – for a one-hour interview. Not only that, it doesn’t bode well for candidate experience, especially in an increasingly digital work world. A recruitment time-saving tip here will be invaluable.

With a few exceptions – such as the more intensive later-stage interviews – do your candidates a favor and carry out your interviews via phone or, ideally, video. There’s a multitude of tools out there that can help you – including Workable’s one-way video interviewing tool which can take care of the screening stage and even that first “interview” stage in one step.

Optimize and grow

Of course, these time-saving recruitment tips won’t free up your entire day – but they can free up a good number of hours in your workflow that can be better spent on the more in-depth work.

You can now invest time and energy into branding yourself as an employer, meeting with hiring managers to best understand what they want and need in a new hire, and overseeing new employee onboarding.

Not only do these increase your profile within the company as someone who can do the job without fail, you can better participate in more high-level discussions around workforce planning. It’s a win-win all around – for yourself, for candidates, and the company as a whole.

The post 11 recruitment time-saving tips for the overburdened recruiter appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

• What is Upwork?
• How much does it cost to post a job on Upwork?
• Upwork job posting reviews
• How to post your job on Upwork
• Frequently asked questions about Upwork

What is Upwork?

Upwork is a platform that pairs freelancers with employers searching for assistance on projects that vary by time commitment, industry, and skill level. Employers post job listings with an in-depth description of their project and the type of freelancer they’re looking for. Upwork provides a matching service that automatically suggests qualified freelancers for your project.

Freelancers can also send bids or proposals for your project. Either way, you end up with a selection of qualified freelancers who are interested in working with you.

How much does it cost to post a job on Upwork?

Upwork has both free and paid plans for employers, depending on your needs. The ‘free’ plan still involves small fees to Upwork for administration, but it won’t cost you anything to list your jobs. Their paid plan, starting at $49.99/month, gives you all the benefits of the free plan but with advanced Upwork support, and more opportunities to connect directly with freelancers. If you’re a larger company looking for a bulk posting plan, you can contact Upwork for a custom pricing plan.

Upwork job posting reviews

Upwork reviews are generally positive. Because Upwork connects freelancers with companies, reviews come from both freelancers and their clients. Each of these groups has a different perspective on the pros and cons of Upwork.

Positive reviews say that Upwork helped them find great freelancers to help them complete their projects. Freelancers say that Upwork connects them with clients and helps them make a living. For freelancers just starting out, Upwork offers the advantage of holding payment in escrow, so that they don’t fall victim to scammers or phony clients. The sheer number of companies looking for freelancers on Upwork is also an advantage.

Negative reviews say that Upwork customer service can be poor. For freelancers, Upwork generally offers bottom-of-the-barrel pay and for that reason, many highly qualified freelancers choose not to work on the site. This means that quality of work may be lacking for companies hiring on Upwork— as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Upwork also charges fees, and many freelancers are turned off by having to share a cut of their revenue.

How to post your job on Upwork

Join Upwork as an employer

To post a job on Upwork, you first need to create an employer profile. Use your professional email address to create an account and fill out relevant information about your organization.

Share details about your job or project

Click ‘create a new job listing’ and fill out the form with information about the job you’re hiring for. Keep in mind that these details will be shared publicly, so be honest about your project and share any relevant information that your future freelancer should know.

Once you’ve filled out the basics of the job listing, you’ll want to select a category and set requirements for experience, resume, and other criteria.

Post or save your job

Review the information for accuracy and style. When you’re satisfied with your job listing, you can post it or save the draft for later.

Frequently asked questions about Upwork

I’m looking for a full-time employee. Can I hire candidates on Upwork?

Unless you’re looking for a full-time contract employee for only a short, predetermined period of time or to complete a specific project with clear milestones, Upwork is not a good fit. It is a job board for freelancers, which means that candidates on Upwork will be looking for short-term or part-time projects. If you are looking for a full-time, permanent employee, try checking out a different job board like Indeed or ZipRecruiter.

Is Upwork legitimate?

Yes, Upwork is a legitimate site for freelancers and companies looking to work with contractors. They take steps to vet freelancers and companies, and can hold payment in escrow until the project is completed. That being said, as we discussed, some users do have complaints about Upwork customer service and how those complaints are resolved.

Is Upwork free?

Yes, you can post jobs or look for work on Upwork for free. Upwork does charge fees, which some users are opposed to.

Is Upwork international or limited to U.S. freelancers only?

Upwork is an international site, so freelancers from around the world are permitted to search for and accept work through the portal. If you prefer domestic freelancers only for language or time zone reasons, Upwork does offer you the option to specify U.S.- only candidates in your job listing.

Want to know more about posting jobs? Take a deep dive with our Ultimate Guide to Job Posting.

The post How to post a job on Upwork appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

• What is Trovit?
• How much does it cost to post a job on Trovit?
• Trovit job posting reviews
• How to post your job on Trovit
• Posting to Trovit using Workable
• Frequently asked questions about Trovit

What is Trovit?

Trovit is a job board aggregator, which means that instead of hosting original job listings, it collects job listings from many other websites and presents them together in a large, international database. Because of the sheer number of job boards Trovit pulls from, Trovit jobs can number more than 200 million at any given time. Job seekers can use Trovit to search across a number of job boards simultaneously.

How much does it cost to post a job on Trovit?

Because it is a job aggregator rather than a job board, employers cannot post jobs directly on Trovit. If you want your ad to appear in a Trovit job search, make sure you post it on a compatible job board or manually connect your company’s job board to Trovit’s database.

Trovit job posting reviews

Unlike some other job boards, Trovit is best suited for job seekers rather than recruiters or other HR staff. For this reason, reviews tend to focus on the user experience for job candidates.

On the positive side, Trovit has the advantage of size, housing millions of jobs for candidates to search through. It’s also an international site, so users can sort jobs by their country of origin or where they’d like to work. Positive reviews say Trovit helped them find a job.

On the negative side, many users report spam listings and scammers on Trovit. Because of Trovit’s sheer size and the fact that listings are hosted on other job boards, it can be a challenge for it to verify every single job listing that appears on its site. If you’re a job seeker using Trovit, it’s a good idea to use internet safety best practices and stay skeptical of any job that seems too good to be true.

How to post your job on Trovit

As we’ve discussed, there is no way to post a job directly on Trovit. However, there are still a few steps you can take if you want your job listing to appear in Trovit job searches.

Post your job on a compatible job board

Jobs listed on Trovit are pulled from many different job boards. If you’d like your listing to appear on Trovit, you can post it on an eligible job board such as ZipRecruiter or Jobleads. Trovit recommends searching on their website to see which job boards promote jobs in your area of interest, so that you can get a better idea of where exactly to post your listing.

Sync your native job portal with Trovit

If your organization has its own feed of job listings, you can arrange for your feed to sync with Trovit and automatically post new jobs to their site. Just follow the instructions on their Partners page. You can also use this option to promote certain jobs.

Posting to Trovit using Workable

The easiest and most effective way to make sure your job posting appears on Trovit is to use Workable. Workable allows your organization to post the same job across multiple free and paid job boards simultaneously. Posting your job with Workable saves time and maximizes candidate exposure, increasing the chances that the best candidate will come across your job listing.

Even better, Workable collects and sorts candidate responses from many websites and presents them to you in one user-friendly, searchable database. There’s no easier way to find the most qualified candidates.

If you’d like to learn more about how Workable can simplify your recruitment process, click here.

Frequently asked questions about Trovit

Is Trovit free to use?

Trovit is free for anyone searching for jobs. For organizations looking to post jobs on Trovit, costs may be incurred from posting on a compatible job board or while advertising, but you don’t technically have to pay in order for your job to appear on Trovit.

Is Trovit legitimate?

Yes, Trovit is a legitimate website and not a scam. That being said, watch out for fishy job listings or anyone looking for your personal information. Trovit monitors jobs posted on its site and you can report any ad or posting that looks suspicious.

I live outside the U.S. Can I find a job on Trovit?

Yes. Trovit is an international job board aggregator. On Trovit’s home page, you can refine your search to your country.

How do I find a job on Trovit?

Use Trovit’s search features to look for job titles you think you’d be qualified for, or browse by category or region.

Now you’ve got everything you need to post your job on Trovit! If you prefer a simpler way of sharing your job to job boards across the internet, contact us for a Workable demo.

Want to know more about posting jobs? Take a deep dive with our Ultimate Guide to Job Posting.

The post How to post jobs on Trovit appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

• What is CareerBuilder?
• How much does it cost to post a job on CareerBuilder?
• CareerBuilder job posting reviews
• How to post your job on CareerBuilder
• Posting to CareerBuilder using Workable
• Frequently asked questions about CareerBuilder

What is CareerBuilder?

CareerBuilder is a website devoted to connecting candidates with their perfect job. For job seekers, CareerBuilder offers access to one of the largest job boards online, as well as visibility to recruiters looking for new talent. The site is also home to a number of useful resources for job applicants, such as a salary comparison tool and other reference materials. For recruiters and companies, CareerBuilder is a source of millions of qualified candidates actively seeking employment.

How much does it cost to post a job on CareerBuilder?

CareerBuilders job posting pricing is available on a number of different payment plans. You can pay per job, which is the priciest option. Your first job will cost you $375; each additional job will be $250. If you’re posting more jobs or want a more affordable plan, CareerBuilders also offers monthly and annual plans that are more cost effective.

CareerBuilder job posting reviews

As is true with any large job board, candidates and recruiters have mixed opinions. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using CareerBuilders to post a job or find a job.

On the positive side, reviewers say that CareerBuilders has lots of active jobs posted on the site. Some share that they’ve successfully found a job on the site, or that it is useful for helping them find qualified candidates.

On the flip side, some reviewers take issue with the way their personal contact information and data is treated once they share it with the site. Some candidates received spam emails or phone calls. As is the case with many other job boards, reviewers say that a portion of the jobs on the website are fake.

How to post your job on CareerBuilder

Navigate to their For Employers section

Once you click on For Employers in the upper right, go to Post a Job. This will take you to a page that lays out the details of their pricing and terms.

Choose a pricing plan

Though they do offer a free demo, CareerBuilder does not have a free trial for employers. In order to post your job, you’ll have to choose a pricing plan. Prices range from cost per job listing to a monthly or annual fee. Once you pay, you’ll have access to empty job listings for you to fill out and post.

Post your job

Fill out all the applicable information and submit your job. Now you’re ready to receive applications from qualified candidates!

Posting to CareerBuilder using Workable

If you are a recruiter or HR team member looking to post jobs across many different job boards, the prospect of going through and posting on each one individually is overwhelming. With Workable, you can save your time and energy by using our seamless CareerBuilders integration.

Workable can post your job simultaneously across up to 200 of the major job boards with no hassle. Once you start receiving responses to your job listing, Workable can sort and prioritize your candidates, freeing up valuable time for what really matters.

Now that you have the information you need, you’re ready to post your job on CareerBuilder and get hiring! If you’d like to learn more about how you can simplify your hiring process with Workable, click here.

Want to know more about posting jobs? Take a deep dive with our Ultimate Guide to Job Posting.

The post How to post a job on CareerBuilder appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

• What is Dice.com?
• How much does it cost to post a job on Dice.com?
• Dice.com job posting reviews
• How to post your job on Dice.com
• Posting to Dice.com using Workable
• Frequently asked questions about Dice.com

What is Dice.com?

Dice.com is a job board and networking site for professionals in the tech industry. It hosts over nine million active profiles for tech professionals in the United States. For tech workers, Dice provides networking opportunities and a rich, up-to-date job board. For recruiters and companies, Dice offers access to a searchable database of tech talent.

How much does it cost to post a job on Dice.com?

Dice.com has a tiered pricing structure for employers looking to post jobs on its site. The more jobs you post, the less you pay per post. One job will cost you $395, two jobs $325 each, three jobs $305 each, and so on. They also offer special pricing for those looking to post in high volumes.

Dice.com job posting reviews

Dice.com has a reputation for being one of the best tech-specific job board and recruitment sites out there.

Positive reviews say that Dice job postings attract qualified candidates and simplify the recruiting process. Reviewers like how customizable the search features are on Dice.

Negative reviews say that the site can be buggy and difficult to use. Some find that Dice contains fake candidate listings, or incorrect candidate contact information. There’s also the price point, which makes Dice cost prohibitive for some employers.

How to post your job on Dice.com

Dice job postings can be a bit tricky to get uploaded to the site. Here’s what you need to do to list your job there.

Navigate to the employer portal

You’ll need to log in with your employer information; if you don’t have this info yet, you’ll need to sign up. Once you’re logged in, click Jobs and then Post a Job.

Fill out job posting information

Fill out the Dice job posting form with specific information about the position, such as title, salary, education experience, and so on. After you fill out this information, you can also link your recruiter profile to the job posting so candidates can contact you.

Post your job listing

Once you’ve shared information about the job and specified how candidates can apply, you’ll want to make your listing public. You can click Post as Active or save the listing as a draft to come back to later. If you haven’t pre-purchased any job credits, you’ll have to do so before posting your job.

Posting to Dice.com using Workable

Posting your job listing directly to Dice.com can be time-consuming and complicated! Workable makes things simple with an easy-to-use Dice integration. Workable works seamlessly with over 200 job boards, including Dice, to push your job listing out to all the relevant boards. Once you start receiving responses, Workable collects and organizes candidate profiles from many sources into one searchable database, even pulling out the top candidates for you.

If you’d like to learn more about how Workable can simplify your hiring process, click here.

Frequently asked questions about Dice.com

How can I find a job on Dice.com?

If you’re a job seeker, you can look at open positions on the Job Search tab. Be sure to check out their career development resources as well.

I’m not in tech. Can I still find a job on Dice.com?

Dice job postings are specific to folks in the technology industry. If you’re looking for a job in a field other than tech, you’ll want to check out a general job board like Indeed.

I’m a recruiter. Can I find tech talent on Dice.com?

Yes! You can search the Dice database for relevant individuals, but in order to do so you’ll need an official employer account.

Do Dice job postings come from other job boards?

Only if they are cross-posted by the employer. Dice is not a job board aggregator.

Now you’re all set to post your job or find suitable candidates on Dice.com. If you want to learn more about how Workable can improve your recruitment process, click here.

Want to know more about posting jobs? Take a deep dive with our Ultimate Guide to Job Posting.

The post How to create a job posting on Dice.com appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

• What is Juju.com?
• How much does it cost to post a job on Juju.com?
• Juju.com job posting reviews
• How to post your job on Juju.com
• Frequently asked questions about Juju.com

What is Juju.com?

Juju.com is a job aggregator that collects job postings from many other job sites and presents them to site visitors as an easy, searchable database. Unlike some other job posting aggregators, the main source of Juju’s web traffic comes by referral rather than direct search. Juju receives traffic from thousands of job candidates each month.

How much does it cost to post a job on Juju.com?

You don’t have to pay to post your job on Juju. Juju jobs are job listings which are automatically pulled from other job boards like Monster and Indeed. As long as you list your job on another common job board, free or paid, your job posting should appear in searches on Juju.com

That being said, if you want to be certain that your job will show up to candidates searching on Juju, you have the option of paying to advertise your job to job seekers.

Juju.com job posting reviews

Because Juju is a less popular job board, there aren’t too many reviews. Instead, here are some pros and cons of using the site.

On a positive note, Juju receives a good amount of web traffic. It allows users to search through jobs from many different job boards at once, rather than just one. That improves the chances of the right candidate coming across your job.

As for downsides, Juju is still far less popular than large job boards and even some other job post aggregators. Its web interface is dated, and just like any job post aggregator, a certain portion of the jobs listed there may be stale or expired.

How to post your job on Juju.com

As was previously mentioned, it isn’t possible to post your job directly on Juju. If you want your job listing to display there, you have two options.

List your job on another job board

While it’s not completely foolproof, listing your job on another job board is the best way to get your job listed on Juju for free.

Pay to advertise your job on Juju

The more reliable way to get your jobs to appear on relevant searches is to advertise your job on Juju. Sponsored posts on Juju send candidates directly to your company’s career site, and they offer advertisements on a pay-per-click basis, making this a highly scalable option for companies of any size.

Frequently asked questions about Juju.com

Can I post my job on Juju.com?

You can’t post your job directly on Juju.com. The best way to get your job posting to appear on Juju is to post it across the web simultaneously with using Workable.

Is Juju.com a scam?

No, Juju.com is not a scam.

How can I find a job on Juju.com?

Juju.com’s homepage hosts a simple search, where candidates can search by title and location, or filter by more advanced criteria. If you find a job that interests you, click on the relevant search result, and you’ll be directed to the website that hosts that listing, where you can apply.

Why should I promote my job on Juju.com?

As one of the oldest job boards on the internet, Juju has credibility with search engines, and around 800K site visits to date. It remains one of the smaller players in the job aggregator space, but the site does receive regular traffic and click-throughs on job postings and links.

By posting your job to Juju.com using Workable, you access a market of potential candidates that may not be looking elsewhere. With the simplicity of posting your job synchronously across many platforms using Workable, there’s no reason not to put it out there and see how it goes.

Want to know more about posting jobs? Take a deep dive with our Ultimate Guide to Job Posting.

The post How to post jobs on Juju.com appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

• What is Jooble?
• How much does it cost to post a job on Jooble?
• Jooble job posting reviews
• How to post your job on Jooble
• Posting to Jooble using Workable
• Frequently asked questions about Jooble

What is Jooble?

Jooble is a job-post aggregator that collects job postings from many websites across the web and presents them to you in one searchable web database. For companies that hire primarily international candidates, Jooble’s large percentage of international web visitors is a plus.

How much does it cost to post a job on Jooble?

Because Jooble is primarily a job vacancy aggregator, nearly all of the jobs visible to candidates on the site are taken from other job boards. There is no free option to post jobs directly on Jooble. If you want to be sure your job posting appears on Jooble, you’ll want to manually post the position on another job board, and then pay Jooble to promote your posting in response to certain search keywords.

Jooble doesn’t share information publicly about how much they charge for sponsored search results and email placements, but they do operate on a PPC, or pay-per-click model, similar to much other internet advertising.

Jooble job posting reviews

Reviews of Jooble seem to be mixed. On Trustpilot, where users can submit reviews of websites, Jooble has an average of 3.3 stars, with 51% of respondents rating the site as ‘excellent’ and 44% rating it as ‘bad’.

Positive respondents say that Jooble helps them find qualified job candidates. There don’t seem to be many positive reviews from job seekers themselves, and since they’re the primary users of Jooble, this could be a red flag.

Negative reviewers say that Jooble overwhelms your email inbox with spam, that Jooble allows fraudulent job postings to be listed in its database, and that many of the job listings on the site are old or expired.

How to post your job on Jooble

As we discussed, there is no way to post a job directly on Jooble for free. Here are two other ways you can post your job on Jooble.

Post to another job board

One way to post your job on Jooble is to post it on another common job board like LinkedIn, Indeed, or ZipRecruiter. Jooble should update and start showing your job posting in response to relevant searches on its site.

Sponsor your job post on Jooble

The other way to post on Jooble is to pay to advertise your job on the site or to their newsletter subscribers.

Posting to Jooble using Workable

Instead of hassling with posting to job boards one by one and wondering whether your postings are reaching qualified candidates, simplify your hiring process with Workable. Workable is seamlessly integrated with more than 200 job boards, including Jooble. Workable lets you simultaneously post to multiple job boards so that you can save your time for what matters: quality face time with candidates.

Contact us today to learn more about how Workable can make your hiring process easier and more efficient.

Frequently asked questions about Jooble

Can I post my job directly to Jooble?

No.

How much does it cost to post my job on Jooble?

If you post your job on a free job board that syncs with Jooble, it doesn’t cost anything to list your job posting. Otherwise, you can pay to sponsor your job listing on Jooble on a pay-per-click basis.

Is Jooble a scam?

No, Jooble appears to be legitimate and has significant traffic from job seekers. However, keep in mind that some users have concerns about email spam and stale job listings.

Is there an easier way to post my job on Jooble?

Yes! Workable is an ATS that makes it easy to post your job listing to many job boards simultaneously. Workable also lets you sort resumes from job applicants so that you can quickly find the best person to fill your role.

Now you’ve got everything you need to post your job on Jooble’s job aggregator. If you’d like to simplify your recruiting process and easily find the best candidates, contact our team today to learn more about what Workable has to offer.

Want to know more about posting jobs? Take a deep dive with our Ultimate Guide to Job Posting.

The post How to post jobs on Jooble appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

How to scale up your hiring: 13 features for rapidly growing companies

1. Hiring Plan
2. Department Hierarchy
3. Access rights and permissions
4. Integrations
5. Compliance
6. Interview self-scheduling
7. Automated actions
8. Bulk actions
9. One-way video interviews
10. Mobile app
11. Customer support
12. AI Recruiter
13. People Search

Maintain transparency, accountability and control

When you scale up your hiring in a company that’s growing aggressively, that hiring process no longer involves just the recruiter or hiring manager. There are other stakeholders involved, including those at the executive level, department heads, finance managers, and others. Plus, the recruitment process grows in complexity as you’re no longer hiring just to fill a seat.

For that, you need to have a recruitment system that maintains transparency to all interested parties, holds them accountable to their respective roles in the hiring process, and is controllable all in one place. The following features will enable you to have such a system in place.

1. Hiring Plan

Rapid growth requires a strategic hiring plan that’s as dynamic as your company. You might be able to manage requisition approvals manually for one or two employees, but certainly not two hundred at a time. When you’re hiring at high volume, you need an organized approach so you can prioritize requisitions properly, budget them accurately and maintain visibility at all times.

With Workable’s Hiring Plan, you can track requisitions, manage approvals and review budgeting data, all in real time. Hiring managers create requisitions when they need to hire, and follow standard or custom approval workflows. As roles are opened and filled, your Hiring Performance report updates automatically, so you can track changes, make adjustments and forecast your hiring budget for the year.

2. Department Hierarchy

As your organization evolves, so does your organizational structure. As teams change and expand, you need a system that makes it easy to adapt.

Enter Department Hierarchy. This centralized department management makes it for you to manage custom departments and hierarchical structure — meaning, as your company grows your hiring structure does, too.

Filter your careers page, dashboards and reports based on the departments you’ve set up and organize key features of the hiring process by department and location. Super admins control every aspect of department management and setup, so you can maintain strict control and organization as you scale up your hiring process.

3. Access rights and permissions

When you grow from five to 500, the number of people involved in the hiring process expands exponentially. With more users and varying degrees of seniority, it becomes more difficult – and more essential – to protect sensitive data. Control who sees what, when with Workable’s roles and permissions.

User roles define which hiring tasks team members should (and can) perform, and user permissions ensure they get just the right amount of access to get the job done.

4. Integrations

Growing companies usually don’t depend on just one system to get their hiring done. From SSO to background checks to HRIS and onboarding Workable connects with the tools you rely on.

With Workable you can transfer candidate data seamlessly and safely or connect to your business intelligence suite to access robust analytics and measure custom KPIs. Need to go custom? With Workable’s open API and world-class Tech Solutions team, nothing is out of reach.

Check out Workable’s extensive list of integrations.

5. Compliance

Managing compliance can get more complicated as your business grows. As you expand across countries and continents, so does the list of regulations and laws you must comply with.

Workable helps you navigate local, national and internal regulation – no matter where you’re operating. Our suite of automated compliance features make it easy to manage and demonstrate compliance. Whether it’s GDPR, CCPA or EEO – Workable has you covered with features like automated data deletion, candidate opt-out links, and anonymized candidate surveys and reports.

Save time, automate admin and hire at scale

When you’re processing hundreds of applications for a single job opening, that’s a lot to manage. That number grows exponentially when you’re filling multiple positions at once and on a regular basis. The following features will help optimize the process in a scalable way, and avoid lengthy delays in the recruitment process.

6. Interview self-scheduling

It can take days to coordinate scheduling for just one candidate — imagine trying to do it for one hundred! At a rapidly scaling company it’s downright impossible to schedule interviews the old-fashioned way — 100% admin and 0% value added.

With Workable’s self-scheduling option, you can eliminate the back-and-forth and book timely, convenient interviews with just a few clicks. In your initial outreach template, simply include the self-schedule link. The candidate can view the available slots on your calendar and book on the spot. All you have to do is show up!

7. Automated actions

Stuck doing the same old boring hiring tasks over and over again? They’re not just tedious, they can also cost you serious time and effort when multiplied over hundreds of open positions. What seems like just two minutes can easily turn into two hours of admin work per day as candidates and open roles pile up.

With Workable’s automated actions you can increase productivity and speed up time to hire by automating repetitive tasks, emails and invites. Develop custom email templates and create automations by job, department or hiring stage.

Whether you’re sending an assessment test, self-schedule interview links or disqualification emails – Workable makes it easy to set up, cancel and edit automations.

8. Bulk actions

At a rapidly scaling company, you’re likely dealing with hundreds or thousands of candidates. Taking basic actions like sending emails or disqualifying applicants, can take ages if you’re forced to do it one-by-one.

Luckily, Workable’s bulk actions make it easy to take action with just a few simple clicks. In Workable, you can use templates with bulk emails to email sourced candidates or send mass rejection emails to disqualified applicants.

Simply open the hiring stage, select the candidates you’d like to email and click ‘send bulk emails’ from the bulk actions menu. Workable even has built-in duplicate detection to prevent candidates from receiving emails twice.

9. One-way video interviews

When you’re scaling up, you need your time-to-hire to go way down. You need tools that will help you screen at scale, and more easily identify qualified candidates. Enter, Video Interviews. Video Interviews reduce the time you need to spend communicating, scheduling and carrying out the screening process.

Workable’s one-way video interviews are built with the candidate in mind – there’s no messy tech, no downloads and no leaving the application form. It’s all built into the Workable platform, which also makes it easier for the hiring team to collaborate and compare feedback. And since hiring teams can review responses and provide feedback at any time, from any device, you’ll identify your best candidates faster, too.

Engage the entire hiring team

Hiring may be in your day job, but it’s not always in the day job of the hiring manager or executive. Nevertheless, to do your job well, you need their active participation. The following two features will help you make their part in the process easier – which in turn makes it easy to do your own job even at scale.

10. Mobile app

The hardest part of hiring at scale can be getting hiring managers on board and engaged. The mobile app makes it easy for hiring managers to stay connected, no matter where they are.

The mobile app acts as your personal assistant giving you an overview of upcoming events, overdue tasks and all the helpful context you need. You can screen, communicate, evaluate and even hire, all from your phone.

Learn how a Workable sales executive hired 20 salespeople in three months using her smartphone, despite a packed schedule.

11. Customer support

When you’re at a high growth company, you can’t get hung up on a tech question. You need real answers from real people, real fast. Workable’s global support team has you covered, no matter what timezone you’re in.

An agent is never more than a simple call, chat or email away. And, with a 95% customer satisfaction rating, you could say we specialize in solving problems.

Fill your (rapidly growing!) talent pipeline

Finally – talent shortages and niche roles often pose a challenge to recruiters who need to attract the best and brightest candidates to your company. This feature will help you.

12. AI Recruiter

When you’ve been tapped to help your company double in size by scaling up your hiring, the best place to start is with a healthy talent pipeline. But instantly filling your pipeline with a host of diverse, qualified applicants is easier said than done.

Until now. With Workable’s unique sourcing toolkit you won’t need external recruiters or additional sourcing software to get a leg up in the talent market. With AI Recruiter you can take sourcing into your own hands. Get a list of the top 50 passive candidates for every job in your account, instantly. Add them all into the sourced stage with one click.

13. People Search

Already know what skills you’re looking for? Leverage the power of the internet in an instant. Be as specific or as general as you like while running a full boolean search based on experience, keywords, location, education, etc. You’ll get matching passive candidates with their best contact info.

Learn how an insurance startup tripled their employee base in 2.5 years, hiring for difficult-to-fill niche roles using People Search.

The post How to scale up your hiring process: 13 features for rapidly growing companies appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

The post Mental Health at work: Fostering an authentic workplace culture appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Dragging applicants over the coals

The post tells the story of one jobseeker who graduated into the workforce in 2001 into a standard recruitment process – you apply, you go through a few interviews, you talk awkwardly about salary, and then finally, you get the job offer, all within a few weeks.

But now? In that jobseeker’s own words:

“Interviews upon interviews, frivolous personality quizzes, unscheduled hour-long calls to discuss said quizzes, team/roundtable interviews with a half a dozen people grilling you and throwing you curveballs, creative submissions galore (requiring substantial unpaid work or ‘spec’ work), additional references from each company, drug tests, background checks, etc.”

While they understand that the point is to eliminate risk in taking on a new employee, they add:

“Some sort of risk is involved. You simply have to take a chance on the potential employee. You have to be able to determine if someone is a fit without building a comprehensive profile fit for the CIA.”

Plus, that burden of risk is being shifted to the candidate.

“It seems like it’s getting to the point where companies are seeking to eliminate all risk on their end while dragging applicants over the coals, subjecting them to endless hoops to be jumped through.”

In short: overanalyzing your job applicants will ultimately lead to a poorer candidate experience.

It’s not just one candidate complaint

There were more than 3,500 comments in response to this post. We’ve broken them down into five major candidate complaints, direct from the source:

1. Long game for the short job
2. Poor communications across the board
3. Duplicated efforts when applying
4. Making it unnecessarily weird
5. The job bait and switch

1. Long game for the short job

The gripe: The recruitment process takes much longer than what feels necessary. This is understandable if you’re evaluating candidates for a higher-lever position (director, VP, C-suite), but when you’re hiring for entry-level or relatively rudimentary roles, it can feel excessive, especially when there’s little payoff at the end.

Bkiersta: “My 19yo daughter had 3 interviews over several weeks to be a clerk at a local smoke shop. 3 interviews. 3 weeks to hire. For a $9.75 cashier job. It’s ridiculous!”

NimbyNuke: “I had to interview 3 times for a job [at] Subway like 6 years ago. Gave me immense pleasure to tell them on the last callback that I had already been hired somewhere else that didn’t need 3+ weeks to decide.”

MicrowaveEye: “Yes. Yes. Yes. Some of the things these employers do should be illegal. I recently had an interview process roll on for 8 weeks. They had me do countless long Zoom calls and create difficult portfolios I would normally do for big bucks. I interviewed with people that didn’t know about my job, people who were emailing the entire time I talked, and entry-level people that didn’t even understand my work. In the end, they said I was their top choice but they were going to create two new positions instead of one and wait for a few months because of covid. The nerve of these places.”

Guideinfo: “I recently spent 6. SIX. Siiiiix hours interviewing for a level entry hr position. Three separate interviews. Met the owner. Toured the grounds. Saw the cafeteria options. Was introduced to several different people and departments. I didn’t get the job.”

The lesson to be learned:

Your time to fill metric isn’t just for your own benefit. It also helps you see how much time candidates spend in your pipeline. What you don’t want is for your most prized candidates to self-select out of the process, get hired elsewhere, or complain publicly because you took too long for a decision on their status.

What you can do:

Do a deep audit of your recruitment funnel, using your applicant tracking system’s reporting tools. Look for the bottlenecks in the process where candidates spend most of their time. Identify the  causes for the delays, and correct them.

Try these solutions:

• Improve communications with hiring team members when their input or action is needed to move candidates through the funnel.
• Introduce tools to speed up the process, such as self-scheduling options and email triggers.
• Reassess whether you really need that additional interview or evaluation stage for certain roles.
• Spend more time developing your new employees and less time on hiring the “best” one. Having a great employee isn’t just about finding them; it’s also about developing them.

2. Poor communications across the board

The gripe: Candidates are often left in the dark in the process. While updating every single candidate is a lot to ask, jobseekers still need to decide whether to pursue another opportunity or just to know where they stand. Internal communications within your team are also a common candidate complaint.

ZipZopZoopittyBop: “The thing that blows my mind is that almost zero companies call you back to tell you that you didn’t get the job, even after you’ve interviewed one or multiple times. They seriously don’t give a single [expletive] about you as a person.”

ChairmanJawa: “Also add, not informing the applicant that they weren’t chosen. So you’ve just been waiting for months to hear something only to realize you’ve been ghosted.”

SeaKingDragon: “I had an interview booked for this week, it was a telephone interview but I took the day off work so I could focus on it. The designated time came and went without a word from them, I tried contacting them but have been ignored. I waited all afternoon for nothing and wasted a holiday day but get no apology or even an explanation as to why they stood me up. I’m expected to want to give my all to your company solely out of my own drive to see it succeed (because God forbid I want to work to earn money), yet they can have me chasing my tail and treat me as if my time is meaningless.”

Cjandstuff: “My now ex-wife actually got a job at Best Buy. Goes in for training. No one knew she was supposed to be there. After spending about an hour trying to find out what’s going on, she leaves. A month later the store manager calls her and asks how she likes the job.”

The lesson to be learned:

If you ‘ghost’ candidates when you’re no longer interested in them, if you don’t respond to requests for an update, or if your hiring team doesn’t seem aligned, it sends a message that you’re poorly organized and you don’t treat your people well. Candidates will call that out in their various networks – including Reddit and LinkedIn. This hurts your employer brand, and can lead to other jobseekers deciding not to apply for other roles with your organization.

What you can do:

While personal emails and phone calls for shortlisted candidates is ideal, that’s obviously not feasible for every situation. But ensure that every candidate gets notified whenever an action has been taken on their application.

Try these solutions:

• Set up an automated email system with trigger points.
• Keep your hiring team communications transparent and in a single place.

3. Duplicated efforts when applying

The gripe: Candidates spend hours crafting a solid resume and cover letter, only to have to reenter all their information again via the online application process.

Jim_from_snowy_river: “Do you also forgot the whole input your resume and cover letter and then spend the next hour answering the questions that are already answered on your resume and cover letter.”

Mycatiswatchingyou: “Don’t forget how they ask you for a resume with recommendations and a cover letter, only to have you type ALL of that information into their poorly-crafted online application. And no, don’t type ‘see resume’ because they explicitly say that typing that will get your application thrown out.”

The lesson to be learned:

One of the key aspects of entering candidate information into your ATS is so you have a standardized and scalable system making it easy to compare applications. Fair enough. But when your process requires reentering information that candidates have already shared with you, all you’re doing is handing off the hard work to them. That sets a poor candidate experience from the get-go.

What you can do:

Remember the candidate experience. Their resume has all the needed information already, and they’ve already shared that. Find a way that works for both of you.

Try these solutions:

• Invest in a “smarter” application system that allows resumes to be properly parsed with minimal additional maintenance.
• Add an “Apply with LinkedIn” button so that people can submit their LinkedIn profile as part of their application.
• Introduce a seamless application process that values the candidate’s time as well as the recruiter’s.

4. Making it unnecessarily weird

The gripe: Some parts of the hiring process are uncomfortable for some people, for example, an introvert who’s required to face three interviewers in a single setting.

BenAdaephonDelat: “As an autistic person, I hate the hiring process in IT. I hate the need to bull[expletive] about myself. I hate having to mask in an interview to seem like a ‘team player’. I hate getting asked questions that they don’t want honest answers to. … And even after all that, 9/10 you’re looking at a contract-to-hire position for a company that probably wants you to do 5 jobs for the price of 1, has no flexibility, and no respect for the fact that programmers need different office environments than most other people (especially when 90% of your employees are extroverts and you hire largely introverted developers).”

The lesson to be learned:

Not all jobs require all of the traits or skills that you’d love to see in a candidate. Some jobs, such as the above-mentioned developer roles, may have some collaborative element to them but that’s not the core criteria for success in a position. When you push a candidate through these seemingly unnecessary steps, you’re hurting the candidate experience again.

What you can do:

Go through the job opportunity with a fine-toothed comb. Look at each of the requirements and determine whether they’re really needed or just “nice to have”. And even for the “nice to haves”, think about how much you really need them for the role.

Try these solutions:

• Put your candidate at ease by telling them exactly what they can expect at each stage.
• Communicate openly about the purpose of each stage of the process as it pertains to the job itself.
• Don’t forget that you’re ultimately hiring for a job, not for a personality trait.
• Train your hiring managers on proper evaluation techniques so they’re not focused on areas not necessarily tied to job success.

5. The job bait and switch

The gripe: Candidates go through a lengthy process only to find out at the end that the job isn’t what they applied for, or it was changed at some point.

Belatorius: “It’s the same even for a technical degree. I just graduated for automation technician and I’ve had interviewers lie saying they were looking for maintenance only to turn around and state it was for a operator position. I’m still looking and the amount of experience asked for entry level is insane and often the titles are misleading. Came across several ‘automation technician’ job postings only to have the description describe it as a production gig. It’s a [expletive] storm. Companies bitch about not having enough skilled workers but they don’t want to take the time to train fresh grads for 6 months – 1 year.”

CatelynsCorpse: “My husband was laid off from his job of 14 years (20 years experience total as a graphics designer). Most of the local places that are hiring graphic designers want to pay $12/hr. AND they want you to have a bachelor’s degree. They all use the same personality tests and basic graphic design tests, and they all want you to do work for them (for free) to ‘see what you can do’. Half the time when he does get an interview, he arrives only to find out that WELL… ’I know that the job posting was for a Graphics Design job, but it’s not really a Graphics Design job, per se, it’s more of a Receptionist/Assistant/Salesperson/Assistant Manager job where you’ll have to do Graphics Design stuff from time to time.’”

Deepestbluest: “holy [expletive], I’m experiencing nearly the same thing right now. One particular position I’ve been in the interview process for (going on about a month now) has had me do multiple creative submissions to prove my ‘chops’ and now they’re asking me for something that would require a literal CREW of people and equipment I don’t have. I told them this and they’re like ‘well we’re looking for someone who can do it all’.”

And take another look at MicrowaveEye’s complaint in the first subsection above.

The lesson to be learned:

As above, your candidates are your customers. If you market a job falsely, it’ll antagonize them and hurt your employer brand. Just don’t do it.

What you can do:

Any reasonable candidate will understand that the role may not be the ideal fit for them, but will go ahead anyway because it’s mostly a good fit. They can also work with adjustments in the role based on their own qualifications. That’s fine, but stop the changes there. Also, candidates will respect you more if you set expectations from the get-go even if the job isn’t that clear.

Try these solutions:

• Meet with the hiring team and make sure you’re all aligned on the job description before posting, and stick to it.
• If something has to change, communicate that earnestly with the candidate as early as possible to respect their time and commitment.
• If you’re indeed looking to fill a utility, lower-paid position in your team because you’re a fast-evolving startup, be honest about that in the job ad and even the careers page. Candidates who opt to keep going are the ones you want.

And now, candidate attitudes are changing evolving

These candidate complaints make it clear: jobseekers are fed up. They’re deciding it’s just not worth going through a toxic evaluation process just to get a job.

For instance:

Katieleehaw: “Something has switched in my brain in the past few years, I think from a combination of the changing landscape of our world and also from, for the first time in my almost-40 years, I have been working for an employer that treats me with respect and is the opposite of a toxic environment. If I went to a job interview now, my attitude would be very different than it once was. I used to go in, like most of us, and basically try to politely beg/simper/people-please my way into the job, not because I particularly wanted it, but because I was desperate and they were the gatekeepers. Now I just don’t have time or energy for this [expletive]. I am an extremely capable person who can be a huge asset to any employer – I want to know what they can do FOR ME in exchange for that. Considering starting to interview just to practice this.”

You know what you have to do

We’ll let another Reddit commenter take it home:

WorkingContext: “It’s a good point that you bring up the risk, because it is a risk to hire someone, but if it doesn’t work out you let them go and hire someone new, if they’re worried about how hard it is to hire someone new, maybe rework your hiring process so it’s not that hard haha”.

Let’s repeat that: “Rework your hiring process so it’s not that hard.”

So, how does reworking that process look? Well, shorten that time to fill, for starters. Optimize the process. Keep communications alive and engaged. Make it an inclusive, fair experience for all applicants. And survey your candidates regularly – they are, after all, your target audience. Be sure to establish a baseline by tracking key metrics so you know where to improve.

The end result? Fewer candidate complaints. Impressed candidates who will apply again and tell their friends about it on Reddit and LinkedIn. That’s what it’s all about in the end, isn’t it?

The post 5 candidate complaints on Reddit and what to do about them appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

Leaders must think about the employee experience in the same way they do the customer experience. In order to create win-win scenarios, they must become truly inclusive leaders, and listen to the diverse voices inside their organizations and take time to understand what’s important to them in order to unlock valuable insights that will inform future successes.

Bridge the gap between office and home

As the world reopens, competitive advantages will need to be leveraged in order for organizations to bounce back quickly. Creative problem-solving, innovative thinking, and seamless collaboration across teams will help them authentically communicate in a voice as diverse as their audience. All of this requires a different approach to leadership in the new world of work.

Before the pandemic, leaders focused on how their employees performed in the office. It took a global pandemic to break the disconnect between work and home life and give people permission to bring their authentic selves to work. Video conferencing calls have allowed us to witness how our colleagues interact with family, pets, or an inconvenient parcel delivery during an important meeting. In this way, we are now better able to empathize with each other and build trust within our teams.

Leaders now need to embrace this opportunity to lead the whole person in order to help both their teams and organizations achieve more.

Why managers need to lead the whole person

Employees look to leaders for guidance to help them overcome challenges. A caring leader understands that they will get more from their team by building relationships with those they lead. But to do this, they also know that they need to look beyond performance reviews and life inside the workplace. To lead the whole person, leaders must consider the mind, body, spirit, and emotions of those they lead.

By investing the time to see the world through your employees’ eyes, rewards can be unlocked via increased performance across your organization. But before you can lead the whole person, you need to build a safe space where every employee can feel comfortable sharing their fears, questions, and concerns without judgment.

There are many ways in which you can build a culture of listening. You can empower teams to create open forums like roundtables or coffee hours to connect at a deeper level with their people.

Whole-person leadership in the hiring process

It doesn’t matter if you are working in a B2C or B2B environment. We are all in the people-to-people business. Every organization must be as diverse as its audience to thrive and survive in an increasingly competitive environment. These changes also demand a different approach to recruitment.

The ROI of a diverse workforce that ensures everyone feels included and a sense of belonging will transform your culture and pave the way for your future success. By contrast, departmental silos and HR technology that feels dehumanizing to prospective candidates looking to join your team will stop any progress in its tracks.

Whole-person leadership is also critical in the hiring process, especially when recruiting new managers. If we fail to communicate trust and authenticity and set those expectations as we advance, leaders won’t like the reflection of themselves that they see. The bottom line is that employees that aren’t growing feel unappreciated and don’t feel safe or mimic the poor behavior of a bad leader will quickly result in low morale and a toxic culture.

Phil Cohen, founder and president of Cohen Architectural Woodworking, addressed the leader’s responsibility to lead the whole person with me: “We have to be cognizant that people present with their own unique lenses based upon their background. We take that in when we bring them in as an employee. They don’t just leave that at the door.”

The understanding that there’s a gap in perception between how the employer perceives the employee experience it offers compared to the employee feedback they receive is just the first of many stages of your journey of continuous improvement. Leading the whole person is not a scalable concept. It is building individual relationships with our people and paying close attention to the details of their lives.

We can now work from anywhere and everywhere. How we define the workplace has completely changed in just one year. From the recruitment and onboarding process to managing the entire employee experience, it’s time for a caring leadership style to bridge the gap and empower managers to lead the whole person.

Heather R. Younger — author of The Art of Caring Leadership — is an international speaker, consultant, adjunct organizational leadership professor, and facilitator who has earned her reputation as “The Employee Whisperer.” As a champion for positive change in workplaces, communities, and our world at large, Heather founded Employee Fanatix, a leading employee engagement and leadership development consulting and training firm, to inspire others by teaching the kind of caring leadership that drives real business results.

The post Whole-person leadership: Lead your employees as people appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.

• What is workforce planning?
• What is involved in workforce planning?
• How to create a workforce plan

What is workforce planning?

Workforce planning is the people side of planning, but some businesses skip it, thinking that people will just appear when needed. Workforce planning aligns core business goals with people strategy. It makes no sense to plan on a new product launch next year without thinking about R&D, supply chain, and sales staff.

Workforce planning is the tool you use to ensure that alignment.

What is involved in workforce planning?

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) identifies the critical points of workforce planning as follows.

1. Reduce labor costs in favor of workforce deployment and flexibility
2. Identify and respond to changing customer needs
3. Identify relevant strategies for focused people development
4. Target inefficiencies
5. Improve employee retention
6. Improve productivity and quality outputs
7. Improve employees’ work-life balance
8. Make recommendations to deliver strategic value through talent

This article will break down these points and how they apply to your business.

1. Reduce labor costs in favor of workforce deployment and flexibility

Labor is often the highest cost for businesses outside of manufacturing. Some estimates put labor costs at 60% and even 70% of expenses. With these costs, planning to reduce costs while increasing flexibility is critical to continued success.

This isn’t advocating for low-balling employees or providing rotten benefits for employees. It’s about getting the right people in the correct positions. An engaged, competent, happy employee will cost less than an unhappy, unqualified employee. Remember, turnover is expensive as well.

2. Identify and respond to changing customer needs

The classic case study of a company that didn’t respond to customer needs is Kodak. As the king of film, Kodak had digital technology early but decided to focus on film, thinking digital was a fad. It wasn’t, and the company struggled for survival, dropping from a peak of 145,000 employees to 5,000 as of August 2020.

Human resources departments need to be a bit of a fortune-teller to accurately predict workforce needs. Because SHRM doesn’t issue crystal balls, HR needs to work closely with each department to help predict needs and create plans for meeting these. Open communication between HR and each department is critical.

3. Identify relevant strategies for focused people development

The very premise of workforce planning is that business changes, and because business changes, people need to change. Figuring out talent gaps and plans to fill those gaps is a core function of workforce planning.

People development needs to happen before the need exists. Remember, you can go out and search for the “unicorn” candidate to fill a need immediately, but it’s often more manageable if you plan and develop an employee to take care of that specialty skill gap – if you do it right. This can mean training classes, graduate programs, or stretch assignments.

4. Target inefficiencies

If you’ve ever heard “we’ve always done it that way” as an explanation, then you know that the business has inefficiencies that can be rooted out. Good HR will ask; “What should we stop doing?” as well as “What should we do?”. You can find inefficiencies in all areas of the business.

5. Improve employee retention

Turnover is expensive – not only does it take time and money to find, interview, and onboard a new employee, training them can take months. Good HR focuses on retaining employees who have potential. (You shouldn’t retain just to retain – if someone is a toxic employee, giving them more technical skills won’t eliminate their toxicity.) Creating career paths within the company can be an excellent workforce planning tool to aid employee retention.

6. Improve productivity and quality outputs

While managers need to figure out how to improve productivity and quality, HR can provide support. For instance, are there policies and procedures that can increase productivity and quality? What support do employees get for reaching their goals? When HR takes a look at the workforce, they can spot problems that decrease productivity. For instance, an employee who bullies their coworkers can destroy productivity in a department.

HR needs to plan to find, coach, or remove such employees, as well as helping managers find better ways to do things.

7. Improve employees’ work-life balance

Employees are at the center of workforce planning – without employees, all plans are worthless. You can increase your productivity by requiring everyone to work 80-hour weeks, but your turnover will shoot through the roof, and your quality will collapse.

Through making sure that employees have sufficient downtime and are supported at work, your workforce will be a lot more stable.

8. Make recommendations to deliver strategic value through talent

Sometimes managers can undervalue employees – they think if they can get someone cheaper, they should. But, good workforce planning demonstrates that you pay for top skills. While we use the word talent often in HR, you really should think about it in terms of skills. What skills do these employees have that can make a difference in your business?

Remember that treating employees right is a lot easier than trying to squeeze value out of people who are exhausted and burnt out.

How to create a workforce plan

This is more than just figuring out who you need to hire. There are many ways to approach this, but here are four critical elements that will make your workforce planning a success.

1. Understand the company’s mission and goals

Workforce planning doesn’t exist in a vacuum – it needs to support the company’s goals. Are you looking to expand across North America? Well, that’s quite different from a company that is content operating out of a single location.

The company’s mission matters as well. What’s the most important thing to the CEO, shareholders, employees, and customers? Make sure you have that answered before you move to step two.

2. Conduct a present gap analysis

This is a systematic method of understanding the gaps in the organization. What is missing? While workforce planning focuses on the people side of the business, keep in mind that a gap analysis looks at all business areas, not just skills and talent.

People aren’t at their best unless they have the equipment, training, and support they need. This is looking at the situation now. Remember all the points above – you need to look for improvement in all these areas.

3. Project for the future

This involves speaking with company leadership and involving every unit in the business. You’re looking for where the growth will be and where the workforce will shrink. You want to determine what skills the company will need in the coming years, not just now.

4. Conduct a future gap analysis

Knowing what you do about the current employment situation and the business’s goals and projected path, put together what the workforce will need and look at your gaps:

• What do you need to reach these goals?
• Do you need more employees?
• What type of training will your current staff need?
• Can you conduct this training in-house, or do you need people to receive formal training or even degrees?
• Do you have a formal employee training and development company policy in place?

Make sure you look at external trends as well. In 2019, no one would have guessed the massive shift toward remote work, but now, you’d be remiss not to consider where the workforce will be in the future. Will employees continue to work remotely or will they expect to? If so, is your company prepared to support people in other states? Or do you want to limit hiring to your local area, regardless of where they work?

Of course, there are many more things that you can do to plan for your workforce’s future, but these will get you a solid foundation. And, one last note: remember to be flexible. Plans change, and your workforce planning documents need to flex as the world changes as well.

The post What is workforce planning, and why is it important? appeared first on Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better.