There is a talent war going on – and it can be deadly. The great influx of manpower could mean a promising and ready pool with a mix of raw and seasoned talents available but this is not always the case. There is a manpower shortage but this does not mean you can hire just about anyone.
This shortage can be mainly because of some flaw in the hiring process or that there might not be enough competent people out there that would be an asset to the company. This can be both factors really. A lot of companies believe that they can stand their ground and applicants would be lining up anytime and anywhere. But, in reality, the seasoned and competent ones know how to cherry-pick.
You would think – how should I hire then; should it be internally or externally? You can do both ways but still have the same mediocre results if you are low in engagement tactics. Your manpower would keep looking around or jump into other or greener opportunities if you don’t know how to keep them comfy in their posts or workplaces. Yes, you should be able to motivate and engage your talent pool to keep their attention on you and you alone. And yes, this can be frustrating and difficult – but doable.
Hiring With Innovation And Creativity
More companies now realise that they must integrate creative and intuitive ways to make the hiring process effective. Spotting the right talent is easy but attracting and keeping them in your doorstep could be tricky nowadays. Yes, as mentioned, there is a huge talent war going on between brands. This makes hiring strategy an important aspect for many businesses today. As much as client engagement is important, this speaks the same way as talent engagement.
If you want to find the right manager or leader then you have to be competitive enough. Yes, that also means having to offer competitive or high salaries.
A lot of mega-companies in the United States have lost a number of competent managers to competition because they are unable to keep up with providing high salaries.
This puts much pressure on the Human Resources department because they need to fill and replace lost manpower fast. They also find it difficult to find qualified candidates that can replace people who have left the company and avoid ultimately burning out what remains of the workforce. Yes, if you are serious about your business, then by all means, don’t think twice with your investments specifically in making sure that you have the right leadership hiring strategies in place.
Any small, giant, or midsized company should know better where to cut the edges and where exactly to invest hard-earned money that generates the most profit. Invest in leaders and you’ll rake in the moolan. You should have deeper pockets to get the best people aboard. Further, it’s not just the money or compensation that talents are looking for when weighing in their options.
More so, if there is an opportunity for advancement or promotion along the way. Practically everyone has become more skillful in talent acquisition but needs more practice with retention.
Tapping into social media is a popular vehicle for hiring the right people but you also have great competition in these platforms. Yes, the so-called talent war is seriously brutal.
The hiring challenges faced by many employers or companies are real. So, you should contemplate more on thinking ahead and out-of-the-box rather than complaining that there are not enough good talents around.
You might think, are we supposed to woo candidate now? This depends actually. If they are the right people – then by all means, yes. Here are some of the most creative leadership hiring strategies that you can start with today:
Create An Engaging Workplace Culture
You will be working with a diversified manpower. Now, keeping them engaged could be a lot of guesswork; but not really. Your brand will speak volumes of how you treat both clients and employees – make sure that you get the right message loud and clear. Brand awareness and recognition is important – choose the right voice that will attract the right talent.
Make sure to provide real value to your clients and employees. Applicants will usually do their homework and research on their target company before actually sending their resumes. It’s like finding a dream home or a dream guy of sorts. The leaders of any industry would actually look into a company at face value first then sort out details looking if it’s a good catch or they should start looking the other direction.
Perks Are Everything
You will see companies offer gadgets like new tablets for their new hires. Now, while this may sound like cheap perks, this can be effective. Some companies could offer gym memberships, a fridge for booze or other drinks, profit sharing, or even a ping pong table at that. According to Forbes, “More than money, title, or anything else we traditionally believe matters, attracting (and keeping) rockstar talent depends on your company culture.”
Offer A Competitive Pay Plus Benefits
Yes if you want to hire and keep a rockstar, then you must be ready to offer a competitive pay plus benefits package. More than anything else, this bears most weight than the perks practically because this is an individual’s bread and butter. An applicant would often weigh the compensation package offers and see what is well worth it.
With the competition around and your need for the right talents, you will really have to rethink on your traditional ideas on leadership hiring strategies.
In Conclusion
Creating a good balance or mix of monetary and non-monetary perks help you attract the right talent while also keeping current employees engaged. Building a good relationship with employees and connecting with recruits is important. Most of the really good recruits know the biggest brands like IBM, Twitter, Google, HP and the like – and would instinctively and strategically keep their expectations and goals aligned with these.
You should look into the age group and even locality that you are targeting to know exactly what keeps them engaged. Some companies would even offer telecommuting jobs to those who would want to work from home or right about anywhere.
Offering people flexibility or flextime, financial freedom, and career growth; plus fun is what makes your manpower feel that they are one with the company and that you value their happiness and growth.
[This post by Tonmoy first appeared on Mettl’s Official Blog and has been reproduced with permission.]
