In my conversations with clients over the last couple of months, there seems to be one common theme that runs through the discussions around staffing. It is that many of the companies are complaining, in one way or another, that they simply cannot recruit the staff (whether it be the calibre or volume) they need for their business,without having to pay high agency fees (which many say are getting to high for them) and they can't seem to understand why.
This is where I get frustrated because in the majority of occasions these companies are simply just not helping themselves, when it come to recruitment. They are simply resorting to agencies and alike to recruit staff for them, when with a little effort they could actually start to recruit some of these people directly themselves. To build a house you need to put foundataions in place, and recruitment is no different. You have to put some basic things in place within your company to give you the opprtunity to recruit and retain staff cost effectively.
I have listed four areas that I feel would help companies with their recruitment, before they even need to start looking at spending large recruitment fees.
1. Company website - the primary tool.
Is it appealing to prospective employees?
Does it want to make people work for your company?
Do you use it to aid your recruitment, and if so do you have a career/jobs page (however simple)? If you have jobs placed on your site, are they selling the job or is it simply a job spec?
Looking at your website is the first thing a prospective employee will do these days, to ascertain what you are like as a company, and whether they want to work for your company - after all good candidates will have alot of choice!!
2.Your Staff - the best sales tool
Do you have an employee referral scheme in place? If so does it work?
Do you inform staff of the positions you are recruiting for? Do you recruit internally?
Do you encourage your staff to network amongst their peers? and then do you use that network to recruit through?
Your staff can be the best (and the worst) sales tool for your company, but if you trust in them and reward them accordingly (and I don't just mean cash), they will recruit people for you.
3.Sell not tell - creative writing.
Do you ever place adverts either in the press or online?
Do you simply use the job spec as the basis for the add? (don't worry most companies do!!)
Have you thought of writing an advert to actually sell your company and the role? Why don't you be different for a change?
Have you tried online advertising before? (go on it does work!)
Candidates are getting choosy, so if they simply see a job spec in an advert, do you think that it will get their attention? No of course not, but an advert that makes itself appealing and inviting will!
4. Keep what you have got - far easier to retain than recruit
Do you actually think about the staff you already have?
Do you make sure they are happy working for you? (when was the last time they were asked?)
Do you develop and train them? Do you give them the credit where they deserve it?
When was the last time you had a company night out?
Do you encourage regular feedback from your staff?
A happy workforce is a productive workforce, so make sure you think of them first as it is so much easier than having to find new staff!!
There are many other ways companies can start to be clever, but they do need to be thinking about getting some basics right first !!
