By Holly Black
Nearly every industry has struggled with the challenges of a time that has been coined, “The Great Resignation.” In this article, my aim is to shift our focus away from this overused word and instead shine a spotlight on what I affectionately term “Recruitment,”
You’ve heard the saying, “Three’s a crowd?” Well, during a time of labor shortages, a “crowd” is what we are all looking for. In shifting our focus from the negative terminology, resignation, and instead, spending our valuable time on renovations, we allow ourselves to create new avenues for growth and transformation within our organizations, fostering a brighter, more sustainable future for both our employees and our overall business success.
My aim is to delve into recruitment, recognizing it as the most challenging aspect, particularly here in the North Country. To navigate these challenges successfully, we are going to look at some new and creative ways to renovate our current recruitment strategies so that way we may better attract and retain the talent we need.
Renovating Your Recruitment Strategy
It is time to don your virtual hard hats and channel your inner renovator. We are about to tear down the old, mundane walls of traditional recruitment practices and erect the pillars of creativity, innovation and inclusivity to attract and retain the best talent. We are going to look at how to reconstruct our dull job postings into engaging job advertisements, while simultaneously modernizing our conventional interview process to create a more inviting and stimulating environment to encourage prospective employees to join our dynamic teams.
First: Job descriptions are not job advertisements. I know for the sake of time management it is easier to just get a job description from the hiring manager and pop that up on Indeed, LinkedIn or whichever recruitment platform you use. Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that you shouldn’t post a job description; however, we need to take that monotonous list of responsibilities and reconstruct it into a captivating job ad that sparkles with personality.
In today’s social media-dominated landscape, our world has become a place where people constantly swipe through content with most of the population’s attention span lasting approximately 15 seconds. This trend has given rise to the popularity of platforms like Instagram and TikTok, which feature short, captivating clips. Creators on these platforms understand that if they fail to pique their audience’s interest within those initial few seconds, viewers are likely to move on to the next video.
I’m not suggesting you turn your job ads into Tik Tok video’s (though if that’s what your inner renovator is telling you, go for it!), what I am saying is that you need to separate your advertisements from the rest of the job descriptions out there. So, let’s swap those dull bulleted lists for engaging narratives about your company, your company culture and, let’s face it, to your awesome benefits package because that’s what your prospective workers care about. That’s what will make job seekers excited to join your team.
So, remember, when you are renovating your job postings, you are not just attracting candidates; you are inviting them to join a dynamic, forward-thinking team. So, grab your writing toolkit, refresh your vocabulary and job posting mindset, and breathe new life into your job descriptions with a captivating makeover.
Next, let’s tackle those stifling and daunting interview processes we all agonize about, yet continue to endure. Let’s face it, interviews are stressful for both the employer and the prospective employee. Instead, let’s create a more inviting and inclusive atmosphere so that both parties are more comfortable to be themselves. How else are we going to know if someone is a good fit for our team? Let’s swap out stuffy conference rooms for cozy coffee shop chats to create a more neutral ground. For interviews that need to be on-site, instead of throwing your candidate into a conference room with a panel of strangers (talk about intimidating), let’s take them on a tour of your facility, show them what excites YOU about working for this dynamic and exciting company, get them intrigued and inspired about wanting to be a part of this team.
When it comes to the questions portion of the interview, rather than grilling candidates with the same old traditional interrogations, create some fun and fresh questions that will ease the atmosphere and break down intimidating barriers. Instead of asking “What’s your greatest strength,” surprise them with “What’s your Superpower?”
Lastly, to the best of your ability, try to encourage panel interviews that involve diverse team members. Not only does it give you a broader evaluation of the prospective employee, but it also creates an inclusive environment for the candidate. By incorporating these innovative approaches that not only assess skills, but also engage candidates in a more enjoyable, relaxed way, you will see your interviews transform from stagnant monologues to stimulating dialogues.
Conclusion
Renovating your approach does not have to be a daunting task. With the right strategies in your tool belt, you can boost employee engagement, create a dynamic workplace and ensure a sustainable future. Start by saying goodbye to the old and embracing the new by remodeling your recruitment processes. It’s time to build a workforce that is not just prepared for the future, but destined to shape it. So, let’s get out there and make your business an awesome place that candidates want to be a part of!
Holly Black is the president/owner of HURDLE Group, Inc dba Crossborder Development Corporation and Labor Quest USA.
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