Finding the right staff members can be difficult in a competitive environment, but there are a few things you can do to make your business more attractive to potential employees.
Many potential employees will look at an entire organisation before deciding whether they want to work for them, and elements such as company culture, social conscience, and employee benefits programs can be deciding factors.
So how can you present your business to best appeal to future employees?
Corporate social responsibility (CSR)
If your business is involved with any charities, or does work in the not-for-profit sector, it is a good idea to advertise this on your website. Incentives such as paid volunteer leave can be very attractive to future employees. Most potential employees will research your business before they attend an interview, or even apply for a job, so make sure they can easily find out about any community projects, charity involvement or environmental initiatives. This can help to present a positive view of your organisation.
Promote employee benefits programs
Employee benefits and reward programs can be useful in motivating staff, and can assure them that you place importance on high performance and company loyalty. Employee benefits programs, including extra parental leave, salary sacrifice options and corporate health insurance, demonstrate to prospective employees that your business values its employees.
Additionally, reward programs such as corporate memberships to gyms or other facilities, tickets to sporting events or other forms of entertainment, and vouchers for things like appliances, sporting goods, or luxury items can show that you value effort and achievement among your employees, and that their efforts will be recognised and rewarded.
Develop your company culture
Many businesses now provide a brief description of their company culture on job advertisements, and this is because a positive company culture can be attractive to prospective employees. Promoting your company culture can also be a good way to find employees that will fit in with your business on every level, and hopefully remain with you for a long time. Many job seekers have a clear idea of the type of organisation they would like to work for, and making it clear from the start can help you avoid wasting time, or hiring someone who doesn’t fit with your business.
If you aren’t sure what your company culture is like, consider whether you are a small or large organisation, fast-paced or more relaxed, sociable or quiet. It might be worth putting a brief description of your culture on any position descriptions you circulate, as well as on your website.
This way, employees will know what to expect when they start working for you.
Your company culture should also be supported and reinforced by your HR systems such as performance reviews and reward structures. Through these systems, the behaviour that fits with the values of your business is rewarded and recognised, and other behaviour is discouraged. Ensuring that potential employees have an understanding of your values and culture before they accept a position with you can lessen the chance of a clash of values, and help ensure they are a good fit for your organisation.
Attracting the right employees isn’t just about providing a high salary. Many employees look at an entire organisation before they commit to working there, and presenting your business in the most positive way you can is the key to attracting and keeping high-quality employees.
