For companies big and small, it shouldn’t only be about employing people. It should also be about getting people that match the jobs they get hired for. Whether a company has their own HR department or for a staffing firm like us, it’s our job to not just hire people because they need jobs – we need to be able to hire people who are qualified in whatever position they’re applying for.
It seems that companies and staffing firms alike have almost always been desperate for qualified job seekers. While yes, during the recession from over five years ago a lot of us may have had a difficult time either hiring without getting out of budget or getting hired without needing to do more than two jobs.
The thing about that time back then is that companies needed people and people needed jobs. Right now, for some reason, it’s more difficult than ever to find people. Back in March, the national unemployment rate was 5% which is nearly half of what it was at the same time back in 2010.
Is it a cause for alarm? Maybe not. However, it gets leadership thinking if there’s more their companies can and need to do in order to change this. Performance and cost don’t always 100% agree with each other – sometimes when you try to hire people, you do end up spending a lot just to get word out there.
Budget-wise, it can cost a lot more than it could bring back once you have actually hired people for those open positions. What then do we need to do to attract people that match whatever job openings available?
Companies and staffing firms everywhere have tried all sorts of rewards such as referral bonuses as a way to get attention for the open positions and network to other potential candidates that normally cannot be reached.
Such processes include having lots of ads in various media – radio, social media, SEO, targeted advertising, and the like. Old school methods like visiting high schools, job fairs, and even conventions in related fields have come to mind, spreading word though posters, business cards and flyers. The bottom line is getting involved in the communities where job seekers may potentially be present/
What more is there to do? That’s just the first part. Once you have gained the employees you need to fill the job openings, you need to be able to keep them around as well!
What is it that attracts potential employees? Is it just the money? When it boils down to it, no. While high salaries attract those who are just in it for the money, there are various other factors that contribute to it, and employers can use those facts to everyone’s advantage.
Development economist Frederico Finan and his colleagues conducted a study a few years back that show how above-average wage offers can attract the right kind of people – an amount somewhere between average and extremely high – a Cinderella zone of attractive starting salaries if you may.
Cutting the long story short, higher wage offers often help make up for various undesirable aspects of a job. This includes the discomfort of working far from home, or working in a relatively dangerous area. A good example of this is offering higher wages to doctors and health care professionals so they would accept jobs in rural areas.
Finan also concludes that according to the study, even jobs outside of government such as service jobs, higher pay is important yet costly. It is then, up to the management to determine how much it’s worth spending for, which largely relies on the company’s resources and values.
Other than assuring applicants about a culture of trust and recognized performance, there should also be career navigation that’s clear for employees. Remember that it takes two to tango, so hiring management that’s in the same mindset is just as important as hiring the right kind of employees who fit your culture and have the skills you require. Matching job openings to the right people means a stable foundation for setting up a lasting working relationship with the people you get.
Looking for someone to fill up your team? If you’re in search of people who are qualified for your open positions, we can help! Call us (559)579-1331
Also, we are now staffing throughout the Central Valley, with our newest location in Visalia!
Sources:
http://staffingtalk.com/what-more-can-we-do-to-attract-qualified-workers#sthash.EHD40JGT.dpuf
https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/frederico-finan-how-attract-more-qualified-employees
http://www.eremedia.com/tlnt/5-tips-to-attracting-and-retaining-the-best-talent/