Workers are quitting en masse in the wake of The Great Resignation. In fact, 55% of the workforce reported intentions to leave their jobs within the next year, according to an August job seeker survey by Bankrate. Among those resigning, 56% cited flexibility as the primary reason for seeking new employment, while job security and better pay followed. For recruiters, these numbers are as much a warning as they are an opportunity: workers aren’t leaving because they’d rather not work. Workers are leaving because they want to be treated fairly. Therefore, small business recruiters hoping to attract top talent need to emphasize the value and benefits that their companies can provide future employees.
Match the market rate for salaries
An employee hoping to snag a managerial position would not settle for hourly wages at $15 if companies recruiting for the same position offered hourly wages at $20. Thus, employers need to pay attention to market trends when determining salaries for open positions.
There are lots of salary information websites out there designed to help employees evaluate job offers, but they can also be used to determine what the market considers as fair rates. Popular job search websites like Glassdoor and Indeed can show users salaries offered by competing companies, while Payscale, SalaryList, and SalaryExpert can provide average salary ranges for specific positions.
Understand what applicants are looking for
For many employees, salary is only one part of the equation. When similar positions offer the same rates, the next deciding factor would be the benefits provided. PetalCard’s list of the key benefits employees should consider highlights that workers prefer companies that offer health insurance, retirement benefits, vacation time, and the option to work-from-home. When companies extend benefits that improve their employees’ quality of life, they get to differentiate themselves from their competitors and prove to future employees that the company values them.
You can also design benefits according to what’s relevant to the position. For example, if the open positions in your company mainly require digital skills, such as graphic design, video editing, or programming, you might attract more applicants if you offer remote work opportunities. Or, if your field involves health-related risks, like in healthcare or construction, employees would feel safer working with you if you offered extensive insurance coverage. If the position needs employees that can stay long-term, incentivise loyalty by providing retirement benefits.
Write clear job descriptions
Job descriptions outline how a position will fit into an employee’s day-to-day life. You need to clearly communicate what is expected of future employees. To do this, help employees visualize what a typical workday would look like. Break job responsibilities down into concrete tasks. For example, if you’re looking for multimedia artists, don’t just say, “you’ll be responsible for creating promotional content.” Instead, outline the specific tasks they might need to accomplish, such as:
• Work with clients to translate marketing campaigns into visual output
• Design promotional materials, such as social media ads, posters, and videos
• Deliver quality work within a strict timeline
Business News Daily’s guide to writing better job descriptions notes that the majority of today’s job candidates use their mobile phones to scan job boards. Because you’re competing with limitless streams of information, you need to write job descriptions that are easy to read. Be sure to keep sentences short and summarize key information using bullet points.
Your job description should also show what value your company can bring to an employee’s life. Outline the benefits the company offers. If you want to attract long-term employees, also list any opportunities for advancement within the company to give them a clear picture of how the job might affect their future.
Leverage niche job boards
On popular job boards like LinkedIn, Glassdoor and Indeed, you’re competing with thousands of companies for an applicant’s attention. To increase your chances of standing out, you can also post job listings on niche websites. These websites focus on specific industries or locations, so they narrow the candidate pool down to a select group of candidates that possess the specific skills, interests, or qualities relevant to your available position.
For example, tech companies can post listings for programmers and engineers on Stack Overflow, while marketing agencies or media companies can scout skilled writers on The WriterAccess and Content Writing Jobs. Some colleges and universities might even offer job boards for their graduates, which you can use to find entry-level candidates from schools near your area.
A business is only as good as the people in it. As we outlined in our post ‘Things a Small Business Needs in Order to Succeed’, the success of a business hinges on its ability to attract, manage, and retain workers that possess the work ethic and communication skills necessary to accomplish company goals. Therefore, when recruiting, take a lesson from The Great Resignation: employees will only value their companies if their companies prove that they value their employees.
