What Employees Want – How to Attract and Retain Talent
In the competitive world of attracting employees is today’s job market, there is definitely something to be said for considering your employee packages. With this in mind, its time to rip up the standard job description – and get creative!
Be flexible
One silver lining of the Covid pandemic has been the normalisation of flexible working and remote working. Employers that did not offer such options pre-pandemic will have had to adapt and find ways to incorporate them into working practices. Although lockdowns are (hopefully) behind us, a flexible approach is now often expected by employees – both existing and prospective.
Businesses that are not able to offer remote working due to the type of industry in which they operate will also need to think about flexibility – be it offering flexi hours, compressed hours, or different working patterns.
Don’t assume – ask!
There’s little point spending time putting together a package of employee benefits that you think will be of interest, especially if you’re a different demographic to those you employ. Instead, why not find out from them! The best place to start is with your existing employees; it’s easy to set up an anonymous survey or suggestion box that allows people to put forward ideas of workplace perks they would like to see.
Not all employers like working with recruitment agencies. However, they deal with employers and candidates on a daily basis and can provide a barometer of the jobs market and the types of things that are piquing the interest of potential employees.
Work on your reputation
A reputation can take years to build but can be damaged in a fraction of that time. Employers that have a high turnover of staff will quickly become known in their industry. To avoid getting labelled as ‘one to avoid’, businesses will want to keep hold of good staff, for longer. Looking to recruit employees that seem a good fit in the first place is the first piece in the puzzle. Being open and honest with employees, encouraging a culture of good communication, having a structured appraisal process in place and following through on your side of the deal so far as career progression or promotion are concerned, are all good ways to keep staff happy.
Research pay
Despite everything that’s written in this blog, having an attractive rate of pay is still important as without it, you won’t get a chance of getting in front of the best people for the job. Be sure to research comparable jobs and the rates of pay that are being offered.
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