Traditional job advertising attracts the bottom third of the candidate pool by using traditional techniques of job advertising. Learn how to improve your job advertisements so that you can begin to attract top talent for every role in your organization. Discover the power of a Compelling Marketing Statement to bring outstanding candidates to your doorstep the next time you have an opening. Replace your outdated and ineffective job descriptions masquerading as classified job advertising. In this radio program, Brad and Barry walk you through the key elements of replacing your traditional job ads with a Compelling Marketing Statement.
To listen to or download this recording from our audio library CLICK HERE. Then scroll down to the recording.
1) Turnover often starts with a bad hire. Often a bad hire results from a poor hiring process. In many companies the hiring process is random, unstructured and riddled with incompetent people. Hiring managers usually wait until they need someone before starting the hiring process. After two or three months of interviewing they have one or two good solid below average candidates, but won’t make a decision until they at least three good solid below candidates. By this time they are desperate and we all know what kind of decisions we make when desperate.
Couple that with most hiring managers are not really competent or comfortable with interviewing and is it any wonder why hiring often fails? A few hiring managers are really good at hiring, but most simply ask the same questions they were asked when they interviewed. Few probe deeply into the candidate’s ability to deliver the performance the hiring manager expects. So the candidate’s expectations once on board do not align with the hiring manager’s. Leaving the hiring manager to think, “You’re NOT the person I hired.” (A great name for a book).
There are many more reasons for the hiring process to fail but these are two big contributors.
If your company wants to reduce turnover the first step is developing a structured, repeatable process with trained competent people. To see a list of steps in an effective hiring process CLICK HERE.
2) Lack of effectively training new employees. This is not an orientation program. It is formal training program to ensure the person is well trained in the tools, resources, industry jargon, processes or regulations, and systems necessary to deliver the performance standards the hiring manager expects.
Too often hiring managers can’t find the right person so they hire a lighter person and “will train them once on board.” YEA RIGHT. Even entry level employees need some structured training program to come up to speed. If the company doesn’t provide effective training the highest potential employee will become frustrated and eventually quit. Nobody wants to come to work every day frustrated because they were not properly trained.
3) A boss they can respect. We often hear how candidates put on their best face during the interview. Candidates are on their best behavior so it is hard to get to the real person. This is also true of hiring managers. Once on board candidates often think, “You’re NOT the person that hired me?”
If the hiring manager is not respected by the employee turnover is only a matter of time.
If you have a hiring manager with constant turnover it may be time to focus on the hiring manager. Are they possibly the problem. Training them to be an effective hiring manager maybe necessary. We recommend that all companies should require all their managers and any future manager to read the book, “First Break All The Rules.” The subtitle tells the real reason, “What the world’s greatest managers do different.” If you want to know what the world’s greatest do to become a world’s greatest managers this is the book to read.
Most studies show this is the biggest reason people leave. There is a saying, “People don’t leave the company, they leave their boss.”
4) Culture of non-performance. Top talent want three things in a position to stay motivated. Since your top talent usually leave before the below performing person that has been on your staff for years, top talent should be the focus. The bottom 10 to 20% never leave (another blog article for later). To retain top talent your company must provide top talent; 1) an opportunity to learn, 2)the opportunity to make an impact, and 3) the opportunity for them to become something better or grow. When any one of these three is eliminated top talent starts the job search.
By having monthly or at least quarterly private and regularly scheduled one-to-one’s with your best people you will find out if any one of the three is diminishing or been eliminated. At least then you can address the issue. Without the one-to-one few managers ever realize their top talent is lacking one or all three of these.
Turnover is one of biggest hidden costs that most companies never address. It is one of those things that we know is costly, but so hard to measure, so let’s ignore it. You can download for free our, “Cost Of Turnover Worksheet.” It lists the categories of turnover, direct and indirect. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD. You can input the cost for your organization. CAUTION, don’t do this unless you are ready for really bad news about the cost of turnover.
Once most companies realize the real cost of turnover then these four won’t seem like such a burden.
We offer a wealth of free resources for companies to improve their hiring process. This include an audio library from our talk radio show, numerous templates, free services and our hiring managers blog. To view the resources that will best benefit your company CLICK HERE.
To retain your top talent it is absolutely critical to ensure they are motivated. In difficult times that is often not on many hiring managers or CEOs list of top ten things to accomplish. Most people are working long hours, doing the job of 2 people, stress is at an all time high, fear of lay offs is reality, salaries are frozen, pay cuts have been implemented and forget about any bonus. For many companies this is their current culture.
So how do you motivate your top talent to reach the company’s goals?
How do you keep them from contacting recruiters?
How do you keep them passionate about coming to work?
How do keep them engaged day after day?
The answer to all of these is “Culture.” Even in difficult times top talent, by definition, will always rise to the occasion. They will always strive to be the best. If they don’t, they aren’t top talent. However, even top talent can burn out, get frustrated, not see the light at the end of the tunnel or wonder if they are really contributing.
It is the role of all CEOs and hiring managers to ensure these don’t happen. As an executive recruiter I have recruited thousands of candidates over the last 30 years. There seems to be a consistent theme what great companies do in difficult times to hold on to and even attract top talent.
In our recent talk radio program we discussed four areas companies must focus on to ensure they keep their top talent motivated. You can download the audio for free. Just click here.
1) Companies must have a performance based culture. Even in difficult times there must be clearly defined goals for the company. These goals must cascade down to your top talent. They must have quantifiable objectives that motivate them, so when reached, they feel a sense of accomplishment.
2) Dysfunctional Culture. Probably the biggest reason top talent gets nervous and begins to think outside your company. Do you know your company’s culture? Can you define it? Will your executive staff define it the same way? Will the in-the-trench worker bees define it the same way? We developed a Culture Assessment Tool for you and all your employees to take. Once completed see if aligns with the culture you want? If not, this is the time to begin working on it.
3) Non-monetary rewards and recognition. The least expensive and least used method to retain top talent. How many timeswe’ve heard from candidates,”No matter how much I contributed, how many times I went above and beyond what was expected, or all the times I missed my kids activities, it always seemed just part of the job. Never even a thanks, appreciate the effort, even a small pat on the back.” Consider building a culture of rewards and recognition that makes your top talent feel appreciated. Top talent does not want to be taken for granted.
4) Consistent feedback. Similar to above but more formal. This includes regular and structured 1-on-1 feedback sessions. Not passing in the hallway. Actually sitting down and focusing on them. Giving them feedback, encouraging them, listening to what their needs are (even if you can’t meet them, just listening), taking an interest in their career and building a shared bond.
Consider these four things as a way to motivate your top talent. There are others and we encourage you to consider anything that will help you attract, hire and retain your top talent.
If you want to attract top talent you have to understand what motivates top talent. There are three things that all top talent is looking for:
Top talent always want to be learning. They thrive on expanding their knowledge. Growth is not just moving up in a company. Growth has to be personal. They have to be challenged, given opportunities to learn, take on new projects outside their normal function, be stretched and be learning something new.
Top talent needs to make an impact. Maintenance roles are not for top talent. Companies have to ensure that top talent have the opportunity to really impact the company. They want to improve earnings, open new offices, introduce new products, grow a business to new heights or take on a project that will change the company.
Top talent want to become something bigger than what they are. Maslow came up with this in the 50’s. He called it self-actualization. Top talent strive to be something more. They want to be all they can be. Personal growth is critical and if their personal growth flattens out they immediately start seeking a position that will continue their growth.
What this means is if you want to attract top talent you have to motivate them. Posting a boring job description doesn’t address any of these issues. Instead, consider posting a Compelling Marketing Statement. You need to think like a Madison Ave. advertising company that knows to display the benefits to the reader. Here are three things you can do to motivate top talent in your ad:
Include the vision of your company. The goals, objectives, and where the company is going. Top talent want to be apart of a growing, energetic company that has a vision.
Don’t list duties and responsibilities. Instead discuss how they will contribute to the vision, how this role will help reach those goals. This is what excites top talent and differentiates you from the 1000 jobs listed on the board.
Challenge them with specific objectives they will accomplish. This is the learning and growing that all top talent want to achieve.
Top talent will then read your ad and think to themselves “That’s what I’ve been looking for. That is what is missing in my current position and company.”
Remember top talent could care less about what you want. They are interested in “what’s in it for me.” Post an ad that demonstrates that and top talent will start responding to your ads.
Never blast your #resume out to recruiters. It is a complete waste of money. Few if any recruiters read them. It is just plain SPAM.about 19 hours agofrom HootSuite
