Recruitment Archives

Where and How to Find Employees Who Value More than Pay

May 12, 2022/in Human Resources, Recruitment/by Brandon Wyson

One of the more frustrating rituals small business owners know all too well is putting out a job listing and finding no suitable candidates. Worse is finding a perfect candidate but not aligning on payment. Hiring has become a frustration, especially for small businesses who may not be able to compete dollar-for-dollar with corporate neighbors or other local competition. Instead of conceding to unrealistic rates for your business, consider that there are more than a few methods and strategies to pulling in competent and enthusiastic candidates. An essential element to “hiring around pay rates” is indeed, finding people to hire, so consider this collection of tips and inspirations to galvanize your hiring game and bring in staff who see your business as more than a paycheck.

Would You Work Here?

Before even considering how to attract enthusiastic candidates, you must ask if your business – in its current state – is worth getting excited about. No, this doesn’t mean you have to run a party rental company full of bouncy castles and clown makeup to have an exciting business. Instead, put yourself in the shoes of the candidate and determine if your business in its current state exudes an energy of Valuable Experience, Genuine Interest, or any tangible value add for the employee’s personal growth.

Employees who value more than pay value themselves, so while you may not be able to pay them competitively, there must be something else there. Or more specifically, candidates and employees must feel that something else is there. Industrious younger candidates are generally interested in jobs that continue their education in a certain field or could lead to more specialized work in the future; think hard about how your business can represent a prideful step on a young person’s employment journey.

Career Fairs

Speaking of young people, one of the most meaningful avenues to meeting young candidates are career fairs and employment fairs at educational institutions. Most career fairs allow you to spend longer amounts of time getting to know your potential candidates; this window of time is more so for you to sell the merits of your company to them rather than the other way around. Schools and college campuses are perhaps one of the greatest places to find enthusiastic, young candidates; and by having a physical presence as well as physical staff at the event, you can make an immediate and more positive impression than if those same people had simply seen your business on an Internet job listing. As the name says, a career fair is just that; a place for hopefuls to connect with a career. Be certain that your messaging and materials sufficiently reflect that candidates who choose to work for your business will find everything that comes with a fulfilling career and more.

Another unorthodox location to seek out candidates are rehabilitation centers and reentering the workforce centers. Both regularly offer job training programs for those within the centers. Reentering the work world with a criminal record or simply on the wrong foot due to past addiction and rehab is exceedingly difficult. By giving these unlucky people another chance, you are more than likely to find several people enthusiastic to work at your business.

City Hall & Community Boards

Many cities and townships would be enthusiastic to mention your business in community messaging if you approach them. Consider making a meeting with your local community board to see, first, how your business can get involved in the local community, and second, how they can help connect with other service-minded and industrious candidates. Make your business’s name known at charity events or local clean-ups. Making your name known, however, does not mean cutting a check and putting up a sign. If you are looking to convince people that working for your company will benefit the common good, you’ll need boots on the ground and ammunition to back those claims. By spending time at community service events, you’ll meet people who are personally driven and interested in communal good; these are the exact same people who will likely work at a business for its merits rather than its paychecks.

Assert Your Humanitarian Interests

As an extension of the previous point, meaningfully intertwine your business with one or several charitable organizations. Here’s an essential caveat, however: attach yourself to the charities you are already enthusiastic about. Don’t Google “charities to convince people my company is worth working for” because true humanitarians– as well the people who are likely to seek out a job on merit – can smell inauthenticity like sulfur. If people think you are using charities to pull in new enthusiastic staff, you’re sunk. This section, instead, is a reminder to remain authentic to yourself when making changes for recruitment. Wear your own interests on your sleeve and be your authentic self, good candidates will likely see this as a plus in itself.

They’re Out There, But Not for Long

Ponce de Leon would have done well if there was an article out there called “How to Find the Fountain of Youth,” and that can sometimes feel frightfully similar to “Where to Find Employees Who Value More than Pay.” Like good old Ponce, though, both answers are within you, the business owner. Employees value themselves and their happiness. In short, if your business can contribute to their satisfaction or overall happiness, you are more than likely to make a meaningful connection. So while the number of candidates seeking more than cash may seem slim, the reality is that those candidates are, instead, wildly driven and don’t stay unemployed for long. By making your business known and making connections with the right crowds, it is more than likely that your small business will be recognized for its merits over its ability to cut big checks.

Looking glass seeks the perfect candidate

Dos and Don’ts of Online Job Listings for Small Business Owners

May 10, 2022/in Human Resources, Recruitment/by Brandon Wyson

You’re likely familiar with the structure of modern job boards. Indeed, LinkedIn, and the several other major players in connecting employers with candidates have streamlined and centralized the hiring process but, in its wake, has created an incredibly competitive space… for employers. Prospective employees may scroll through thousands of job listings and only glance at yours for a few seconds before moving on. And beyond that, attracting the right talent is another battle all on its own. Job listings can be driven by more than just dollar signs; consider the following collection of “Dos and Don’ts” when putting together your future job listings to see if there is more you can do to pull in talent driven by a will to sow rather than reap.

Dos

Create a Specific, Tangible Job Title

This may sound obvious, but more times than not, listings titled “Part-Time Help” or other nonspecific labels find their way onto job boards because of the nature of smaller businesses. While the justification for a more handyman-ish title may make sense to a business owner, consider the people scrolling through job listings. It is much more difficult to picture yourself as “Part-Time Help” or “Front of House Worker” compared to “Cashier,” or “Houseman.” Consider, as well, that there is a fair amount of anxiety that comes with working an unspecified job; a job with a vague title has vague responsibilities.

If you genuinely need a “Jack of all Trades” type for your business, there are more than a few means to make that selling point. Phrases like “wearing many hats” are so corny that your prospective employees will certainly read that as “overworked and underpaid.” Consider instead asking for a “Front of House specialist” or specifically explain what experience would best help that candidate if they were to get the job.

Keep your Descriptions Brief, but Detailed Where it Counts

There is a fair amount of research that says there is something of a sweet spot for job listing word count. This ranges between 300 and 800 words; listings should only ever reach that high point for technical or highly specialized positions. As to what those words should say, that’s a whole different question. Here is a good rule of thumb: get as specific as possible when describing job responsibilities and be as concise (but complete) as possible when describing other aspects like performance expectations. When building your listing, ask yourself “what exactly do you want potential employees to know about the job and about your business?”

Be Upfront About Pay

There is intense debate about whether online job listings should show compensation outright (and in some states, it has been made a requirement to show compensation in a listing). While listing pay may draw candidates away from the opportunities at hand in a listing, this guide is about attracting the right candidates for your business. Trust your candidates to know how much money they require to live their lives; if you interview a candidate and find a perfect match only for them to turn you down for the pay, you’ve both wasted time.

Focus on Skill Requirements Over Education Where Possible

Once again, this article is about finding the best candidates for your business. If you want to find an employee who can confidently do the work you need done, find someone who has done it before. If you need someone with electrical engineering experience, ask for it. Request portfolios for creative roles and experience-based references from fields that justify it.

If you find a candidate that checks all the boxes except the one for a college degree or even a high school equivalent, ask yourself how genuinely important that box is in the first place. Plus, you’re even less likely to reach that stage if you turn perfectly acceptable candidates away before they have the chance to impress you simply because they haven’t gone to college.

Don’ts

Don’t Let Your Writing Get Away from You

Ask trusted employees and managers to proofread and edit your listing for language. Especially for smaller businesses who don’t have on-call writing teams, getting a second opinion is the basis to making a compelling job listing. Just as well, creating listings in the first place ought to be a collaborative process between you, the business owner, as well as staff who may have insight into the prospective listing’s requirements. And who better to write up the language of your company and its culture than the employees and managers who embody that culture.

Don’t Bury the Lead for Job Responsibilities

Being that whomever you will eventually hire isn’t even being interviewed yet, it is more than possible that that eventual employee’s responsibilities are only about 90% clear. That’s fine but be certain that the language you use to describe responsibilities in your listing doesn’t alienate prospective employees. Here’s an example of a weak responsibility description: “Will oversee multiple departments during special projects.” While that may be true, this means nothing to a prospective employee. In that case, it is far less important to focus on the departments at hand and more important to explain “special projects,” as language like this doesn’t explain what that employee will be doing day-to-day, nor whether they have the experience to tackle that responsibility. This example would read better as: “Manage inter-department brand awareness initiative.”. The point of your listing isn’t to trick your prospective employees. If you want them to know how to use Microsoft Excel, say it outright; the same can be said for any given skill.

Don’t Overlook the Importance of Company Culture

If you truly want to attract candidates who see your business as more than a dollar sign, prove to them that it is through detailed and poignant descriptions of your company culture. This, as well, is likely an exercise in brand and marketplace awareness. Defining a company culture doesn’t happen by decree, but rather through paying attention. Before you can concisely explain your company culture, you have to know what it is.

If you don’t feel capable of defining your company culture, this is a great example of where consultants can help quite a bit. Being that consultants work from outside your company structure, their unbiased view of your company from inside and out is more likely to reflect the view of job candidates. Consider working with a marketing or brand specialist to better understand and investigate what makes your company yours. Better yet, make the self-discovery a group experience for your existing team. Perhaps ask your current staff to define your company culture in their own words, even anonymously if that makes employees more comfortable.

Don’t Leave Candidates in the Dark About Application Process Timelines

Candidates expect to have multiple interviews, but the difficult part of a job listing is explaining to candidates how long it will take from the first interview to a potential offer. This number of days isn’t likely to be a certainty, as business owners have no means to know how many qualified candidates will apply for each position, but giving a general timetable for a best-case scenario can be extremely helpful in expediting the process for both business owners and candidates. Imagine this: you find a candidate that matches your needs seemingly well and impresses you on the first interview. Interviewing the remaining candidates and conferring with relevant staff takes perhaps 30 days to pick that first candidate but, in that time, they have already picked a new job, as they fully intended to find work before 30 days. Generously calculate how long it will take for you to potentially evaluate all potential candidates and advertise this number prominently on your job listing, it may save you from having to pick a second-best down the line.

Convincing the Perfect Candidate

Connecting your business with the right staff is increasingly difficult in the digital world. While, of course, it is easier than ever to show your listing to hundreds if not thousands of candidates through major job boards, this also means that you, the business owner, will have to sift through an ungodly mound of irrelevant applications. There are, however, still genuine, quality employees searching for work online; it’s up to you and your business to prove that you can offer what they need to not only pay the bills, but be a source of their pride as well.

How to Make the Perfect Hire This Summer

March 20, 2017/in Human Resources, Recruitment/by Wil Rivera

From finding new lifeguards for the pool, hourly workers for the drive-thru or getting a stellar intern for the office, making a hire for the summer may feel complicated for older employers who are still trying to figure the best way to communicate with younger employees in this I-text-more-than-I-talk digital world.

Ryan Jenkins, a speaker and corporate trainer who helps organizations engage younger employees, says younger generations not only want opportunities to advance their careerss, they also want to make a difference in the world. But these young workers are skeptical of companies after seeing their parents and others go through multiple layoffs.

Here’s the good news for those looking to make summer hires. Many employers, according to Jenkins, are predicting more students — as early as age 16 — will start internships and apprenticeships, opting to go to school online instead of traditional higher education routes.

To make a great hire this summer consider these tips:

1. Make a mobile-friendly job application.

Younger applicants move easily between smartphone to tablet to laptop. Monster.com says to make sure the job application is tailored to any digital device. Need another nudge? According to a Pew Internet study, 43 percent of smartphone owners used their mobile to look up information about jobs. Companies like HubSpot are even encouraging job applicants to apply via Snapchat.

2. Create job flexibility whenever possible.

According to PwC’s “NextGen: A Global Generational Study,” most millennials do not believe that productivity should be “measured by the number of hours worked at the office.” Instead it should be measured “by the output of the work performed.” Not every job can do this, but if you have the ability to offer flexible work hours this can help keep recruits happy.

3. Tell job candidates when the job closes and post a salary.

This is a pet peeve of many job candidates according to The Savvy Intern blog. Especially for temporary and seasonal work it can be important to set expectations clearly so applicants have a good understanding.

4. Give feedback frequently and often.

Find out what interests your potential job hires and continue asking them to give them the freedom they desire. All the while, give them a feeling of accomplishment. Just make sure to ask how your younger hire would prefer feedback suggests David Van Rooy, Vice President, Executive Development at Walmart.

5. Spend time educating.

Even if it’s for only just a few minutes. Give job candidates some background history into the company. Explain the rationale behind why things are the way they are. This way, summer hires don’t feel like they are being told do something because, “this is the way we’ve always done it.”

6. Answer questions.

Prepare to take the time to answer any and all questions; even if it takes more time than you anticipated. Unanswered questions can be annoying to new candidates and new hires.

7. Text often.

It’s a lot easier than you think. Roshini Rajkumar, a speaker, coach and author of “Communicate That, Your Toolbox for Personal Presence,” suggests keeping communication brief, but meaningful while providing details, and not making jokes about age when talking with younger generations. In an interview with Inc., Rajkumar suggests that using a mobile app or an online team portal for collaboration is probably more effective than face-to-face meetings and conference calls. If you want to be in communication with your employees, be prepared to text. They don’t use voicemail, they hate email and many think Facebook is for “old people.”

8. Be rigorous in your selection process.

Based on surveys done by Glassdoor.com which annually posts “Employee’s Choice Awards for Best Places to Work,” there’s a strong correlation between finding the right candidate to attract other talent and creating a positive place to work, says the Human Resources Management Center.

9. Make it an entrepreneurship.

Since many potential younger hires eventually want to run their own business someday, according to NPR, if you tailor your summer hiring program towards an entrepreneurship you may be more likely to attract talent. Just make sure you give them actual work to do, and not shuffling papers and getting coffee. There should be real meaning behind the position. It will make for a great working experience for your summer hires. It will also help you attract other younger talent in the future.