Recruiters have their work cut out for them this year when it comes to filling open positions. Regardless of the time and effort that recruiters put into attracting and screening new applicants, they often find positions unfilled.
Given the current employment landscape in the US, where unemployment reached a 17-year low in 2017, and the fast-changing career climate, hiring professionals must get savvy if they want to find and retain top talent. Below are two easy tips that can improve recruitment and retention outcomes in 2018.
1. Lean into the digital dependence. Today’s talent generation is constantly checking their cell phones, whether they’re posting pictures of avocado toast during Sunday brunch or snapping selfies to their friends, but they’re hitting ignore the moment a call is coming through, even when a recruiter is on the line. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, especially given recent research from the KPCB 2016 Internet Trends Report states that only 12 percent of millennials and 29 percent of Gen Xers favor the phone for business communication.
Recruiters should utilize tools that imitate the ease and convenience of social media that today’s talent generation feels so comfortable using. One unique method of intentional communication includes screening candidates via text, which can help organizations more easily and quickly fill open positions. A recent survey by Yello indicated that out of the 1,461 young adults (ages 18-30) polled, 86 percent of respondents felt positively when recruiters utilized text messages during the interview period, a 7 percent increase from 2016.
Not only does this method resonate with millennials, but texting is now a prevalent form of communication across all generations. According to Mobile Marketer, 60 percent of individuals over age 45 say they are just as likely to use texting as voice calling. In addition, Club Texting reports that 98 percent of people between ages 30 and 49 years old text, and 92 percent of those over age 50 text.
In addition to meeting the communication needs of today’s talent generation, text-based interviewing platforms, like Canvas, provide a myriad of benefits to recruiters, including machine learning that automatically suggests resource and response recommendations. These algorithms can generate pre-built interview questions to increase applicant quality and reduce time to fill.
Now is the time to implement better talent acquisition technology – before your competitors do. According to research by Deloitte, 41 percent of surveyed companies said they’ve fully implemented or made significant progress in adopting AI technologies within their workforce, and another 34 percent are currently developing and implementing pilot programs.
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2. Meaningfully engage employees and potential talent. Employee engagement is discussed frequently in the HR world today, but may not be completely understood. Engaging employees doesn’t refer to the happiness or satisfaction of an employee but rather the emotional commitment the employee has to their organization and its objectives. It means that employees feel inspired by the organization’s goals and work on behalf of those efforts, instead of simply looking for their next paycheck or promotion.
Engaged employees improve office morale and are good for business. Research from Gallup indicates that teams with high employee engagement rates are 21 percent more productive than those with low engagement.
Here are a few simple suggestions for engaging employees:
- Encourage more consistent career conversations. Supervisors should sit down periodically with employees to discuss their projected career path and plan for professional development. Take into account the aspirations of each employee. They’ll greatly appreciate the support and personalized attention.
- Institute surveys. Surveys are an excellent method for gauging how employees are feeling. Make it easy with a one-question survey, for example, that allows employees to answer quickly, and gives executives a view into employee engagement, or lack thereof.
Consider what aspect of recruiting is your biggest priority (perhaps it’s sourcing or onboarding) and work on improving just that. Over time, these improvements will layer upon each other and your organization will be well on its way to attracting and retaining top talent.
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