Recently, I've had the luxury of the company of several bosses over a quick drink.
Everyone faced a common problem - they can't seem to hire really good people.
That got me interested and I came across this article online talking about the different perks that appeal to the average worker and a great performer.
(http://blog.1-page.com/forget-perks-heres-what-the-best-of-the-best-really-look-for-in-a-job-offer/?utm_content=bufferf3016&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer)
Sure, it is very important to know what appeals to each kind of employee, and employers have been trying all sorts of schemes such as:
One particular company I spoke to was especially intriguing.
They are profitable, shares a percentage of their profit with their employees, pays above the market rate and offers a real career path.
The boss even shared a story of his staff (let's call her Lynn for convenience).
Lynn joined the company as a service staff and was a silent contributor, never going against the management nor tried too hard to go beyond her duties.
Unbeknownst to the rest, Lynn was a fantastic cook and regularly whips out chef grade meals for her family.
One day, the company was looking to hire a new chef and one of the managers recommended her for the position.
"Lynn is a really good cook, why don't you ask her to try?"
So Lynn was asked to prepare a few dishes and the boss was so impressed that he made Lynn one of the key chefs in the company.
She still is there and got promoted with a bigger paycheck.
I thought it was unusual that a boss would care so much about his staff, so I spoke with him to find out more.
Turns out he too worked his way up in an organization and he strongly believed in promoting from within, so he is putting his money where his mouth was.
Doesn't this sound like a great company and team to work for?
But they are still unable to hire effectively because potential employees do not know that they are such a GREAT EMPLOYER.
Consider this scenario instead.
1. The applicant finds the job advertisement attractive and can get the important information such as wage, application method easily.
2. The applicant is able to apply immediately with his mobile phone when he is free, even after office hours.
3. The applicant gets a relevant reply instead of the indifferent "Thank you for your application. We will contact you if you are shortlisted."
4. The applicant receives an update regardless of whether it is a successful or unsuccessful result.
5. Successful applicants receive a reminder for the interview details (date, time, venue, who to look for...etc).
6. When lost, applicants can get a set of instructions to get to the venue.
This allows the company to be there at every stage of the application process and in doing so, presents a very caring image.
It makes the applicants feel valued and becomes more interested to find out even more about the company.
Moreover, this sets the bar for the level of service expected of the company's staff.
Wouldn't you agree that this is powerful employer branding?
The bad news here is that most companies are still stuck at merely listing job requirements in their job postings and most are unable to handle applications as the HR team is overloaded.
The good news is if you come up with ways to overcome this challenge (such as automating these processes which you may want to chat with myself or anyone from my team), you will be a few steps ahead of your competitors.
Get the corporate image you deserve.
Happy hiring.
