As many as 64% of US workers say they are looking for a new job or would consider changing jobs if approached by other companies. The numbers are even higher for younger workers. Those under 30 said they are looking or open.
That creates both opportunities and problems. There may be more workers that are open to working for you, but it also might mean your top performers are considering leaving you, too. When looking to attract top talent for your workplace, make sure you shore up your relationship with your top performers first.
This does two things. First, it keeps your best talent engaged and productive. Secondly, your top performers can be one of your best recruiters. When you find a prospect you want to pursue, letting engaged, excited employees help in the recruiting process can be a significant asset.
Here’s another reason today’s employment environment may be working in your favor. As people have worked from home during COVID, many learned they liked it. The majority say they want to continue to work remotely on a permanent basis. Yet, 79% of companies surveyed said they plan to return to on-site work as soon as it’s safe to do so.
That’s a big disconnect. Nearly 30% of working professionals said they would quit if they were forced to return to the office post-COVID. For IT and knowledge workers, that number grows to 35%.
If you are willing and able to accommodate remote workers, you have the biggest opportunity to recruit top talent to your organization that you’ve had in years — especially if you need to hire engineers, developers, IT workers, or other knowledge workers.
Attracting Top Talent for Remote Jobs
If you’re not willing to let some of your employees work remotely, you’ll be missing out on a huge talent pool. You’ll also be in the small minority. 82% of company leaders say they intend to allow remote work for some employees. 47% say they expect to shift some employees to remote on a full-time basis.
Remote work opens up the talent pool in new ways by reducing geographic limitations. If you’re trying to hire a full-stack developer or another specialty knowledge worker, what are the odds there’s a high-quality employee living nearby? In addition, experienced developers are opting for remote work instead of an office cubicle. Here are some strategies to attract top talent for the new remote work environment.
Showcase Your “Remote-Friendly” Policies
Make sure your job ads, your job listings, and the career section of your website make it clear that you provide flexible work arrangements for top talent. Whether it’s a full-time remote position, a hybrid environment, or flexible hours, you need to highlight to attract those in the marketplace.
While not every position will lend itself to remote work, if they do, make it obvious. Also, if there are expectations that put limits on this, you need to spell them out as well. For example, if you expect employees to work in the office at least some of the time during the week or attend in-person meetings at intervals, candidates need to know that up front.
Tell Your Story
Beyond noting remote opportunities, you also need to tell your story. Candidates are considering leaving their current positions because they’re not fully satisfied with the work environment there. So, you need to show them why your company is a better choice. Consider having your remote employees tell their stories and how the company has supported them in their role.
The days of posting a job and waiting for top-quality applicants to roll in are over (and have been for quite some time). Yet, some companies still operate that way. Just look at most job postings and they’ll talk about the expectations and qualifications required. What they’re not doing is trying to sell job seekers.
Think about all the activities you undertake to sell your products or services. Imagine what would happen if you stopped selling and just waited for people to buy. If you want top-quality candidates, use the same strategies you do to market your company. Sell them.
Remote Interviewing
More people than ever are being hired without ever meeting face-to-face. It’s now expected that you’ll at least do a video call before sitting down with them.
What we’ve found is that video calls save time for everyone and they can also tell you a lot about a candidate. Can they handle the technology? If they want a remote position, they better be able to use a webcam, microphone, and navigate a video platform.
When you’re doing the interview, remember it’s a two-way street. While you’re trying to figure out if you want them to work for you, candidates are assessing whether they want to work with you. Even in the tightest job markets, top performers always have choices. In today’s environment, recruiting has to be a courtship.
Leveraging a top staffing agency’s network can help remove some of the initial interviewing steps since they have already done that work for you. As a company, your job comes down to showcasing why top talent should want to work there and that process needs to be done when and where the candidates chooses.
Do Detective Work
If the people you’re targeting for jobs aren’t happy with their current work environment, you need to find out what’s missing. It can be as simple as asking.
You can learn a few things by asking. If it’s not something you can provide, then it isn’t likely to be a good match anyway. If it’s an unrealistic expectation, it’s better you find that out now. If it’s something you can provide — such as more remote work or flexibility, career advancement, ongoing training, better benefits, or a higher salary, it can give you a competitive advantage over other companies they may be talking to. For example, many of the younger talent in the job market are looking for benefits that align with their vision of the world. One of these benefit areas is having creative 401k plans such as using a mixture of digital currency since crypto prices have exploded and young professionals see it as a long term store of wealth.
If they’re active in the job market and talented, they’ll be in demand.
The New Perk: Remote Work
The stories of perks for tech workers are legendary: ping pong and foosball tables, snack bars, isolation pods, unlimited vacation, and free beer Fridays. Forget it. It’s all about providing a perk that benefits the employee and the company.
Studies show remote workers are happier, more engaged, and more productive. If you’re able to create the right environment for remote work, you’ll attract more top performers to your company and everybody wins.
