As you know, talent acquisition is challenging right now for a number of reasons.
In today’s competitive job market, attracting and retaining top talent is more important than ever. Businesses must have effective talent acquisition strategies in place to identify, attract, and hire the right people for their organization. From high demand for skilled talent (and a talent shortage) to remote work preferences, changing candidate preferences, and digital transformation, you know it’s not easy to get the attention of the best candidates.
To stay ahead of the game, businesses must adapt and implement new and innovative strategies to secure the best talent.
Here are 3 tips:
Encourage employee advocacy. You’ve invested time and resources into hiring the right people, so you should trust them to advocate on your behalf. People trust recommendations and reviews from real people — especially employees — and when your workers share company content or say positive things about their work experience, it can pay dividends.
Research shows real people posts get eight times more engagement than brand posts. And they increase your brand’s reach by 500%. And when it comes to talent acquisition, employee advocacy tops the list because when your people praise their workplace and share open positions, those job postings go further and carry more weight.
Incentivize employees to make referrals. A strong employer brand and team members actively advocating for the company means you’re likely already bringing in those valuable referrals. But there’s another step you can take as part of your talent acquisition strategy, and it’s not complicated: Incentivize employees to refer others. Employee referrals, done correctly, are an effective way to source top talent. Reward the behavior of quality referrals, not retention.
Employees who refer candidates tend to understand the company culture and the skills required for the job, making their referrals more likely to be a good fit. Retaining employees for 90/180/365 days is the employer’s responsibility. Try paying $50 with a personal thank you for 10 referrals instead of $500 in a paycheck in six months for one hire. Recruitment is akin to sales; we’re all in sales, and today, we are all in recruiting. Ninety-six percent of companies with 10,000+ employees — and 80% of those with fewer than 100 — say referrals are their top source for new hires.
Ask yourself: Are 50% or more of hires coming from referrals?
Proactively nurture a talent network. People who have applied for jobs at your business in the past and candidates who are interested in working for you and are waiting for an opening that matches their skill set are all part of your talent network. Also, candidates, you tried to get – but weren’t ready yet – can be engaged over time. And since they already have a relationship with the company or an interest in becoming part of your team, they’re a vital component of your talent acquisition strategy.
Think of an email list of people who’ve opted in for hiring updates or your social media followers. Give your talent network information about what it’s like to work at your business, share employee-generated content, and encourage two-way communication. Even if they aren’t the right candidate for you, they might know someone who is.
Attracting top talent will continue to be a challenge in the short and long term. By focusing on building a strong employer brand, leveraging social media, and developing an employee referral program, you can improve your chances of attracting and retaining the best candidates for your business.
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