To date, only 18% of baby boomers, a significantly important segment of the workforce, have reached the age of 65. Over the course of the next years, HR departments will have to multiply their efforts and be more creative to attract a new generation of workers who no longer use conventional methods of finding jobs. Have you ever wondered what you could do to improve your search for candidates to fill a job position? We have determined 5 components that are essential for increasing your chances of finding candidates and engaging with them in an attractive and efficient way; we call them the 5 C’s.
Culture
The first C of the list is the foundation of attracting candidates to your company, from which every other essential component will stem: the culture of your company. Sure, every employee (operational or managerial) has a different view of your company’s corporate culture, but has that ever been documented or measured? Culture goes beyond the company’s colours and the design of the office; it is also indicative of your management style and the beliefs held by your employees, which in turn affects overall performance. Is your corporate culture focused on people? In that case, it will probably emphasize employees’ career advancement, the importance of continuing education outside of work (some companies sponsor classes, such as language courses, taken by their employees) and the degree of independence an employee possesses in the company. Is your company leaning towards performance? In that case, your company might focus on performance-based rewards, will be data and sales-driven, and will unite people with ambitious yet rallying objectives for the whole company.
Communication
Creating a job offer and not posting it on websites is the equivalent of having a product and not advertising it. To be effective in the search for candidates, like communicating to potential customers, you must have an established plan of communication including various platforms and tools. To begin, take a good amount of time to compose your job description with details and accuracy. Its description should highlight the DNA of the type of employee you are searching for, including key competencies required for the position. It should also reflect your company’s culture to provide a vision of the workplace. When it comes to sharing the job offer, some job positions will be more easily filled through events and career fairs (such as jobs that require a large volume of employees, like call centers), whereas some might be better off on websites dedicated to job offers (positions that have more specific requirements). If you do post online, which every company should do nowadays, don’t hesitate to post on different websites (including your own)! The more ground you cover, the better your chances of finding the right person.
Contribution
One of the most powerful trust-based tools which convinces people at a highly effective rate is word-of-mouth. In the context of hiring, word-of-mouth is spread through employees – that’s why you need their contribution. When your corporate culture creates a healthy environment that condones happiness in the workplace, you will most likely have the support of your employees for tasks outside of their day-to-day activities. Employees will want to help the company succeed and share the job postings on social media and refer people they trust to your company; they will tend to recommend good candidates as their own reputation is on the line if their contact isn’t good. And since your employees already work for your company, they will provide a realistic job preview to people who might be interested in the job offer. Referral programs are a great idea as well– it demonstrates the value you put in the trust between you and your employees.
Collaboration
In the process of recruiting, you might need an extra push to reach out to the ideal candidates. That’s why you might need to collaborate with external resources. In this step, participating in programs and partnerships will provide you with alternate ways to reach out to the job market. Have you ever considered partnering with a college or university for internships? This option is a great opportunity to test out the potential of students freshly out of school who are eager to start working and put their knowledge to use. After all, it is less costly and less risky than starting right away with a permanent employee. And who knows, maybe the intern you host will turn out to be the perfect fit for the position!
Compromise
Finally, you’ve found the right potentials, and now you want to engage with them. Today’s work reality is not the same and you must show compromise and demonstrate your interest for their well-being, starting with the interview process all the way up to the job offer negotiation. Most candidates already work or study full-time. Showing up for interviews within a specific time frame might not be easy, especially when they must travel a fair amount of distance. Have you ever thought of performing an online interview? Online interviews allow both you and the candidate to be flexible since it can be done at home and be viewed at any time by the recruiters. It also is more time-effective since the overall hiring process becomes quicker. And now that you’ve chosen the right candidate and are about to make a job offer, don’t be closed-minded to proposals that might be brought to the table by the candidate, such as working from home. By being too rigid, it may come off as being insensitive to personal needs, such as balancing personal life and work, which may make the candidate hesitant of accepting your offer.
References
McFarland, J., McKenna, B., & Parkinson, D. (2015). Boom, bust and economic headaches. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/retirement/the-boomer-shift-how-canadas-economy-is-headed-for-majorchange/article27159892/
Barrick, M. R., & Zimmerman, R. D. (2009). Hiring for retention and performance. Human Resource Management, 43(1), 188-189
