60% of job seekers stop in the middle of filling out an online job application due to its length or complexity.
Will you be able to attract top talent with your current processes or are they outdated? It is essential to think about the hiring funnel from a holistic perspective; from applicant to interviews, to offer through employee on-boarding.
Hiring in a competitive job landscape can be tricky, candidates expect compensation that includes a comprehensive benefits offering and flexibility in their roles. It is important to create a seamless process to ensure you will take a great candidate from applicant to new hire.
So how do you attract these gems and get your organization known in the marketplace?
Below are 4 things to consider to position your company as a “stand-out” in a competitive hiring landscape:
Develop Your Employer Brand Story- It’s ok to not be Google, Apple, LinkedIn, or Facebook. While these companies have strong corporate cultures and are the penultimate goal for many job seekers, there are other ways to compete including – developing your company brand story. Reframe your thought process on how candidates will find your job listings and begin to think like your CMO. Create a clear brand with strong core values that showcases how you compensate your team, both monetarily and with recognition. Employee ambassadors are great representatives to help tell your brand story via social media and your company website. This will give candidates a first-hand look at what its like to be a part of your team.
Redesign the Candidate Experience- As the workforce becomes more comprised of Millennials, it is important to rethink the experience for candidates. Millennials want a great user experience. This begins with their first encounter with your brand, likely your website, to careers page, and online applications. Does your application allow integrated with LinkedIn? Are applications optimized for a mobile experience and share via social media? Consider your prospective candidates experience applying to a job at your company – if you go through the process, does it feel seamless or clunky?
Pre-boarding: Engagement Before the First Day- Put yourself in the new hires shoes. Anticipate their needs from the time they accept your offer to their first day on the job. How can you help with the learning curve to allow your new hire to hit the ground running? Use media to introduce the company and core values to new hires or as a “mini-orientation” so the first day isn’t too overwhelming. Additionally, if possible coordinate introductions with key people from the new hires team to help them better understand the position and feel more prepared their first week of work.
Reshape the New Hire Experience- Rethink the 1st day, the first 90 days, and the first year for new hires. These markers can all have a lasting impact on new hires and their perspective of the company and culture. First impressions do count. Each touch-point with new and potential hires must be positive as they set the stage for employment at the company. Set milestone check-ins, eg – Day 1 – on-boarding package with tools to perform job (computer, software, etc); Day 90 – check-in to see how well the employee has gotten acclimated to the team; 1 Year – provide some level of recognition as appreciation for their hard work.
There are many strong candidates in the job applicant pool and you want to ensure that your company and its job opportunities stand-out. Think about what makes your company and its culture unique and promote it to both prospective and existing employees.
