Be an employer of choice!
Being an ‘employer of choice’ puts an organisation in the driving seat when it comes to retaining and attracting top talent.
An employer of choice wins the hearts and minds of its people by recognising that it’s not always about salary. The overall employee value proposition (EVP) is key and should go above and beyond basic terms of employment.
People are your most valuable asset and in a fiercely competitive marketplace, your EVP must reflect what is important to them. A strong EVP will help you retain your best staff whilst simultaneously enticing much needed top talent.
What can you do to become an employer of choice?
- An attractive culture and employer brand are key
Candidates will extensively research your organisation, its values, its reviews by both previous employees and customers and its corporate and social responsibility activities well before they even consider applying for a position. Your online presence (website, social media platforms and review sites) must be up to date, informative, appealing, values-driven and dynamic if they are to compel a potential candidate to join you.
- Offer flexibility, encourage worklife balance and promote wellbeing
There has been a seismic change in people’s attitude to their work life balance since the outbreak of the pandemic. Most have come to love the calmer working from home routine, no stressful and expensive commute and the ability to spend more time with loved ones.
Be flexible with your approach to working from home/site based. You will have far fewer candidates to choose from so get into dialogue early with them as to what their preferences are, rather than having fixed ideas. A hybrid combination is becoming the norm, with many candidates preferring a 3 day/2 day model for example.
Wellbeing has come to the top of many candidate’s priorities, preferring to stay away from stressful environments and choosing to work with those employers who clearly value employee mindfulness and protecting mental health. Make sure your employer brand is fully aligned with promoting employee wellbeing and consider offering alternative benefits such as counselling, a wellness programme or an employee assistance scheme.
- Foster personal growth
One of the main reasons people decide to leave an organisation relates to lack of growth opportunities. This could relate to climbing the ladder, taking on more responsibility though to training and development. Organisations should demonstrate that they are invested in their people by offering a structured development plan, defined career paths and the necessary support to upskill individuals.
- Demonstrate strong leadership
Trusted, organisational leadership sets the tone and is highly valued. People feel secure when they trust in those that lead and make sound decisions for the organisation. People feel engaged when their work in meaningful and they have clear direction. They feel inspired to want to do a great job when they respect the people who lead them.
- Show appreciation
Another reason an employee may be dis-engaged and wish to leave an organisation relates to not feeling valued and appreciated. The best organisations are good at recognising and rewarding employees through clear and strong performance management systems balanced with the softer incentives such as paid lunches, drinks etc.
- Be prepared to listen and act
Quite often, an employee will withdraw from an organisation if they feel that they are not being acknowledged and listened to. Research has shown that if an employee is given the opportunity to have regular one on one time and to offer ideas and suggestions that are taken on board, they are far more likely to feel satisfied and content.
Contact JS Recruitment
Whether it’s simply advice on the current market or a live vacancy to recruit for, our team are ready to support you.
To speak to a member of our team simply contact us on 01977 269069 or info@jsrecruitmentuk.com.
