Attracting & Keeping Employees

It seems like everyone I talk to has a problem right now. The problem is finding and keeping employees. Many call it the Great Resignation – a flood of job seekers, some unemployed but many with jobs – are moving on to greener pastures. That, combined with a rebounding economy, has resulted in signs everywhere – Help Wanted. In our tight labor market, the competition for the best workers is giving many current staff and job seekers the opportunity to rethink their priorities. That includes where and how they work, and for how much and with what benefits.

This situation puts employees or those searching for work in an enviable position. They can find roles that give them not only great compensation, but flexibility, support and sweet perks. So employers need to put their company’s best foot forward and find ways to appeal to what job seekers want right now. Here are some ideas to do that.

Create the culture. A Harvard Business Review analysis found that CEOs are now discussing equity, inclusion, and fairness 658% more now than they did just 4 years ago. Employees want to work for a company that places importance on these values. Can you demonstrate an inclusive, welcoming environment where the color of one’s skin, gender or sexual orientation is valued and appreciated? 

Be a great place to work. Are your current employees engaged with meaningful work? Do you fully embrace remote/flex or hybrid working environments? Do your employees like working for you? Think about ways to let them know you appreciate them – weekly catered lunches, after-hours events (dinners, ballgames, movie nights), etc. And if you can’t think of how to accomplish this, ask your current staff. They will have plenty of ideas to make your place a great place to work.

Emphasize skills, not experience. We all want to hire someone who can immediately hit the ground running. Try focusing more on skills and less on the resume to bring you the perfect candidate. Today’s job seekers likely won’t have the “perfect” resume experience, so look beyond the employment gaps, education, and years of experience for someone who is eager to learn and with the skills to perform the job effectively.

Rethink compensation. Businesses that want a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining workers have to rethink what compensation means. For some it means a higher salary, hiring bonus or tuition reimbursement. For others, it means generous time off. For others, it means health insurance or a retirement package. Consider any or all of these to make working for your company more attractive than your competition. 

Wellbeing is a priority. One of the top trends of the past year is a renewed focus on employee wellbeing. Have you established or expanded your benefits and perks designed to address the health – physical and mental – of your employees? This might include gym memberships, mental health days, programs that promote healthy work/life balance, parental leave, training or ways to reduce burnout and stress. 

Improve your technology. There’s no excuse these days for outdated tech, whether that’s cell phones, computers or the means to do collaborative and/or remote work. In fact, more than 85% of jobseekers consider technology when evaluating a potential job. So get up to date and provide training on how to use the latest technology. 

Enlist your current staff. They say birds of a feather flock together. So the best advertisement for your company might be your current employees. Are you incentivizing them to find others like themselves to work for you? A referral bonus or other signs of appreciation when a new staffer is brought in by a current employee might just do the trick.

As we employers adjust our selling points for hiring and retaining employees, we might just find the perfect ways to improve our workplaces, enhance the employee experience and become more attractive companies to work for. Just sayin’.

Published: New Mexico Apartment News Magazine – May/June issue 2022