Standing out to potential employees
The success of any company is carried by the people who work there. In today’s competitive job market, it can be hard to attract and retain top talent – a foosball table and a well-stocked drinks fridge no longer cut it for the most desirable candidates. Standing out to potential employees is central to growing your team, and your company. So how should you do this?
Build a consistent employer brand
Employer branding is your identity as an organization. It’s your reputation – the image of your company – in the eyes of current and prospective employees, and wider public too. It’s a way to communicate your values, management style, and company culture.
Employer branding and talent acquisition go hand-in-hand. Candidates pay attention to the image a company projects: 84% of candidates said an employer's reputation was an important consideration when deciding where to apply. Not only does a strong employer brand help companies appeal to talent, but it limits employee turnover. Investing in employer branding can reduce churn by 28% at an organization.
A strong employer brand tells candidates why they should want to work for you. What does your company offer that people can’t find elsewhere? Why does your team want to show up at work each day? What can prospective employees look forward to – in terms of culture, opportunities, experiences, and benefits?
Put your mission and values into action
Once you’ve defined your company’s mission and values, let these shine through at every level – from recruitment to management. If you’re committed to diversity, the makeup of your team should show this. Is sustainability one of your core values? Then your business practices had better reflect this.
Embodying your values in everything you do will attract employees who share these principles. Employees are more engaged when they share a company’s values. And engaged employees are happier, healthier, more productive – with the most highly engaged teams showing 21% greater profitability – and they’re less likely to be tempted by offers from recruiters.
If you claim to care about issues of sustainability, this should be reflected in every decision you make.
Create a strong candidate experience
Candidate experience is made up of every interaction a potential new employee has with your company, at each stage of recruitment. The application, interviews, and communication with hiring managers between each step – all of these interactions create an impression of your company.
This is important for prospective talent, whether you end up hiring them or not – and offers another opportunity to further your employer brand. Candidates are likely to tell people not to apply at a company, if they had a bad experience themselves during the recruitment process. Clear communication is at the heart of a positive candidate experience.
Pay attention to every step of the recruitment process.
Set up hybrid working
Working from home is one of the few changes brought on by COVID-19 that people want to keep up when the pandemic is over. A recent poll found that more than half of British workers (57%) want to continue WFH – at least some of the time. Companies that offer hybrid workplaces will attract new recruits, and show existing employees their opinions are valued.
The post-COVID hybrid working model doesn’t signal an all-out shift to home office, but rather encompasses a range of flexible practices. As well as allowing your team to balance working remotely and from the office, this might include compressed hours, no set start and finish times, or working different days each week. Flexibility is one of the most important factors that prospective recruits look for at a company.
Making a successful shift to hybrid working involves more than a change to company policy. As well as providing your employees with the hardware they need to work remotely, communication is central to an effective hybrid workplace. Creating a sense of community and inclusion with hybrid woking will be one of the main challenges. Company-wide meetings, regular check-in, and team-building events can all help your teams to feel connected while working flexibly.
Hybrid working allows for employees to combine work and family life more easily.
Diversify your employee perks
Employee benefits are a great way to set your company apart from the rest – and not just for big players. From flexible work schedules to plant subscriptions, there are many workplace perks that smaller companies can offer prospective recruits, without breaking the bank. A diversified employee benefits package will give your company an edge when competing for the best talent.
If you’ve set up a hybrid working model, make sure your perks will also benefit employees who choose to work remotely – like online fitness courses, snack box or coffee subscriptions, and plants to beautify their home offices. Be sure to share these benefits when hiring new recruits, to help your company with standing out to potential employees.
Attractive employee perks don’t need to break the bank.
This calathea set is available for employees in the Plant Store.
Plantclub.io provides you and your colleagues with the benefits of plants, wherever you work. Rent office plants and transform your space into a green oasis, with flexible monthly membership options to suit your size. Diversify your employee perks with a dedicated company store, where you can give green gifts and your team can buy plants for their home office. Book a time to chat with us today.