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One might assume that coming up with a profitable business idea in this day and age is the greatest challenge any entrepreneur can encounter. While it is true that innovation has become the core of professional success for most modern-day businesses, especially with competition rising in every single industry, there are other equally powerful elements at play. For example, even with the most brilliant business idea, you still need the finest possible employees to bring that idea to life and communicate it to the world every day.
Suddenly, as challenging as it is to start a business today, sustaining it is even more difficult in the current climate. The greatest race of all in the business world has become the race for finding, impressing, and retaining top talent. Employees are the most valuable brand ambassadors your company can have, and your reputation in your industry can greatly impact their desire to stay on your team and grow your business through their talent and hard work.
Here, we’ll cover a few of the most effective ideas and solutions for attracting top talent no matter your industry, and for retaining your most valuable assets over time.
Establish and Define Your Core Values
The reputation you build for your company will be the key reason many candidates will even consider working with you. That said, your reputation is based primarily on the values you stand for and the values you live up to – not just the ones you list on your website to impress.
Values should be lived and epitomized in your actions every day. Through your brand guidelines, directives, and all the way to charity work and employment practices, your business actively represents those specific values. It’s not enough to simply state that you care for the environment – you need to set an example by donating to organizations that protect the environment, or organize green initiatives as your team-building events.
It’s these values that will define your identity, differentiate your brand from the rest, and ultimately attract the best talents that share those values.
Foster Company-Wide Transparency
Running any business comes with plenty of risk, and it’s inevitable for any leader to face challenges and make mistakes. What makes a great leader is their ability to learn from those mistakes, embrace the learning curve, and enable the business to grow even from those setbacks. For such growth to happen, you need to be able to build a transparent business culture in your organization.
For one, you need to enable a healthy feedback loop among your teams to encourage collaboration, brainstorming and constructive criticism. Active mentorship among your teams should also be empowered, while you, as the leader, should keep an open mind to improve your own skills, as well.
How you communicate with all of your employees will set the tone for your culture. Keep everyone informed on the latest company news and changes, even if not all of it is positive. Encourage participation, not just with office parties and events, but in crucial business decisions. Most of all, act on the feedback you receive: simply asking for their opinions won’t matter much if you’re not ready to adapt your company based on what your employees need.
Transparency also enables clarifying and managing expectations. If one of your employees feels overwhelmed, they’ll know they can always voice their frustrations and seek help. While there’s no perfect work environment, enabling transparency helps you create the kind of relationships that all employees will benefit from.
Work Flexibility and Remote Collaboration
For most employees seeking a new professional opportunity, the salary isn’t the only potential deal-breaker. People want to feel valued and their contribution recognized, they want the finest healthcare, and that their employer respects their personal time and work-life balance. While many companies have switched to remote work in the past few months due to the pandemic, this has become one of those major factors for employees to choose your business over other companies.
Greater flexibility in setting up their work schedule, independence, and of course, remote and home-based work allow versatile candidates to reach out. From single parents, those who have a compromised immune system, all the way to people who simply prefer the flexible nature of working from home, this makes your business a much more relevant opportunity.
To enable remote collaboration, most companies today use VoIP-based tools so that both internal and external interactions are seamless and secure. Voice over internet protocol helps companies connect not just via phone calls, but also with video conferencing, texting, faxing, emailing, live chat, and other useful features, depending on the provider. Effortless collaboration and a well-managed workflow with VoIP and similar tech solutions help any company create a much more appealing work environment for their candidates.
Emphasize Perks and Benefits
In addition to flexibility and remote work, employees today genuinely value that extra mile any employer is willing to go for their wellbeing. Especially in the current situation, people want to feel safe and taken care of by their employers.
Both in your ads, other content pieces, and within your HR strategy, emphasize specific benefits employees get from joining your ranks. Be it comprehensive healthcare, ample vacation time, or fitness passes and versatile wellness programs, you should always go beyond the paycheck and share how their role within your business is rewarded.
● Discounts and bonuses are always great incentives for hard workers, and should be included when you talk about any job under your wing.
● Employee training helps your candidates feel that there’s a road ahead within your organization, growth opportunities, not just in terms of salary, but also responsibilities and advancement. Offering education within your business reminds them that you appreciate them as professionals as well as people.
● Childcare is a crucial perk for many parents, so do list all the ways in which you empower parents in your business.
● Substantial retirement plans are not a thing of the past, in fact, they are more relevant than ever, as you will show that you plan for your employees’ future and financial stability in their silver years – and most of all, that you’re in it for the long haul.
Don’t Neglect Your Job Ads
Online ads have become the primary way of attracting top industry talent for most companies today. Still, too many businesses spend very little time on developing ad content that will truly inspire candidates to get in touch.
● Keep your content simple and use common phrases to describe the job at hand. That will make it easier for candidates to recognize a position they’re interested in when they’re perusing online.
● Use language that resonates with your brand identity. There’s no need to make your ads sound too impersonal and cold if your brand is youthful and quirky. Striking that fine balance will help you attract the best talents.
● Make sure to post your ads on platforms where your employees can leave reviews, so that potential candidates can research your brand right there and then, and find out from other people under your wing just how amazing your brand truly is.
Nurture Your Employer Brand and Culture
Although no one can dispute the importance of a competitive salary, modern-day employees no longer chase after the highest number of zeroes on the check. Much like they focus on your values, they also appreciate long-term investments in your company culture.
Developing your employer brand and your company culture work towards more than just increasing candidates’ interest in your offer. These two factors of your business help with boosting employee retention for the long haul. You can follow in the footsteps of some of the most successful employer brands out there such as Google.
Their efforts to increase employee satisfaction by building a transparent, collaborative culture can help you do the same within your own organization. Whether you’re a small business or a large-scale corporation, you can learn from the best and adapt your strategy to mimic their efforts. By introducing, for instance, smarter collaboration tools, regular one-on-one meetings with employees, healthy lunch options, or a recreation room in your offices, your work environment can become much more productive, and your employees happier over time.
Candidate-Oriented Content Matters
Most businesses today create entire strategies to regularly publish content that will help with SEO, customer engagement, as well as brand awareness and visibility. However, your content marketing strategy should encompass another perspective of your business, that of your employees and potential candidates. Candidate-oriented content to help your HR find the most suitable talent should extend beyond those job advertisements.
● Live-streams from your office can help potential employees get a much more in-depth look into your company culture first-hand.
● Publishing employee-created blogs are a perfect window into your company life and brand values.
● Talking about your brand from that employer perspective can help increase your visibility and relevance in the eyes of your most valuable talent.
● Use your content to share what you do for your teams, from team-building events, remote working tips, all the way to empowering equality in your HR strategy.
● Employees should be your brand advocates online, so enable and empower them to share their experience with your business on a regular basis and help establish your reputation over time.
Attract Top Entrepreneurial Talent for Your Company
Running a business means so much more than having a stellar website focused solely on your customers, or regularly posting on your social media pages to boost customer engagement. In a world overflowing with new businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs, your own business will only be able to stand out with a dedicated, talented team of individuals who share your values.
It can take time to refine your hiring and retention strategy. By focusing on the listed aspects of your business development, you’ll stand a much better chance of attracting the most suitable talent for your brand.
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