10 Takeaways From the "Attract and Retain Top Talent" Live Stream by Kristy Dolihite, on July 20, 2021 In today’s “employee-driven” market, now is the perfect time to reassess and improve your company’s hiring, onboarding, engagement and retention strategies for both your current workforce and new hires. If you missed our recent live stream panel discussion with our recruitment and retention experts, here are 10 highlighted strategies for attracting and retaining top talent. You’ll notice a key theme across all these strategies is having consistent communication and transparency. Be intentional about your recruiting and hire with your IDEAL (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Authentic Leadership) workforce in mind. DE&I greatly impacts business outcomes such as innovation, talent retention and employee engagement. It is important to have intentional recruiting efforts that attract a diverse candidate pool. LandrumHR purposely recruits former military members and has membership in local military organizations. We also participate in a variety of job fairs and CareerSource programs targeted to minorities and diversity work groups. Companies should research and identify community hiring events to help generate brand name recognition locally. This recognition will help raise awareness and increase the number of job applications. Check out hrQ’s upcoming IDEAL Roundtable Webinars or watch them OnDemand to uncover thought-leader insights surrounding DE&I in the workplace. Leverage LinkedIn and networking groups to identify individuals with highly specialized skills. LinkedIn and membership in niche networking groups or professional associations allows you to connect with and potentially source passive candidates who otherwise wouldn’t be aware of the job opportunity you have available. Write job descriptions that include as much information as possible. To attract “perfect match” candidates, job descriptions should have as much information as possible about what you are specifically looking for to ensure the candidate is a good fit for the position and the company and vise versa. Job descriptions should contain key words that are repeated throughout and the following information: A link to your company’s website The responsibilities of the job Any training opportunities Compensation Benefits Company culture Company strengths Any “fun” aspects of the job Any experience or education/training requirements Additionally, refreshing and reposting your job description is a great way to help your job show at the top of many job boards. Simplify the application process. The employee experience begins at the job application. Less is more when it comes to the application process: onboarding paperwork, drug testing, etc. Once the application is submitted, it is important to start building a connection with the candidate and provide a clear path of the hiring process, including information on next steps and what’s expected of them. It is also important to keep in mind that candidates are more likely to apply for future opportunities if they have a great experience with the application and interview process, even if they don’t get the job. Hire for transferable skills that suit the role you’re filling. Don’t get caught up in only hiring candidates with previous job or industry experience. Candidates who don’t have experience directly related to the position they’re applying to may still have valuable transferable skills that can lead to success in the role. If candidates have any of these transferable skills or soft skills that are applicable to the job, they should still be considered. Once hired, on-the-job training will help the employee achieve success and create employee engagement and retention by providing them the opportunity to develop within the company. Improve candidate onboarding experience with clear communication and transparency. Always make sure new hires feel welcomed, supported, and have access to ask questions and receive timely answers, especially when it comes to remote work. Make a concentrated effort to provide consistent, clear communication and have frequent check-ins initially. It is also a good idea to invite the new hire to various meetings with different departments so they can meet everyone and get a feel for the company culture. To learn more about improving the onboarding experience, check out our blog How to Improve the Employee Onboarding Process. Small acts can make a big difference when it comes to employee engagement. Having internal employee recognition programs can help boost morale and engagement. Some examples include a “Kudos!” page and an “Employee of the Month/Quarter” recognition and certificate, which can highlight people who have gone above and beyond. Having ice cream socials, volunteer events, attendance incentives, quality incentives or out-of-office lunches also help generate engagement and culture. It is a good idea to survey your employees or host a small roundtable for people to share thoughts on the company culture and employee engagement. These surveys will help identify what your company is missing and can improve on when it comes to retaining talent. You may foster a culture of collaboration and innovation by having consistent and transparent communication. This could be in the form of regular team meetings and/or one-on-one meetings that discuss short-term and long-term goals, objectives, tasks, roadblocks, ideas or concerns. Leadership can also create transparency and a positive company culture by having regular “town hall meetings” to share the latest news about what’s going on with the company. Create opportunities for a flexible work schedule/hybrid work environment when possible. The number of jobseekers interested in remote work opportunities has significantly increased as a result of the pandemic. If it is possible to offer a remote or hybrid work environment for certain roles, that may help improve the quality and quantity of candidates applying for your job openings. A benefit for hiring for remote positions is that you may recruit talent from throughout the country, which will help expand your pool of candidates. However, it is important to note that anytime you hire out of state, it is vital to check the state’s drug testing laws and payroll taxes to ensure you are aligned with all compliance requirements. If you decide to offer remote work opportunities, it is important to ensure people feel connected by doing what you can to cultivate creativity and work-life balance. Mentor and train employees. Many employees value skill advancement opportunities within their company, which helps them trust their role is a good fit. Mentorship and training opportunities allow employees to realize there is opportunity to learn and grow with the company. Mentorship, safety trainings, and skill training help employees build confidence in their abilities, which also ultimately furthers their careers in the long-term. Employee benefits are a must and wage increase pressure continues. Employee benefit options along with compensation are important elements of attraction and retention. LandrumHR is proud to offer health insurance to eligible employees as well as a 401(k) plan with a vested company matching contribution. The 401(k) plan is a great way for employees to save and prepare for the future. Additionally, we are in an “employee-driven market” where pressure to increase wages continues across all industries nationwide. If it is possible, consider increasing the hourly pay rate of a jobs that’ve been hard to fill to attract quality candidates and to stay competitive in the market. For immediate entry-level or semi-skilled jobs, sign-on bonuses that are conditional upon attendance may attract a larger quantity of candidates as well. LandrumHR is here to help. LandrumHR Workforce Solutions connects hundreds of companies with talented job seekers. If you are seeking employees, or looking for solutions related to high turnover, hiring, recruiting, safety, or managing multiple labor suppliers, LandrumHR can help you improve retention, engagement, production, safety, efficiency and reduce labor cost per unit. Watch the "Trouble Hiring? Strategies to Attract and Retain Top Talent" live stream here. Kristy Dolihite Kristy is the Branch Manager of Workforce Solutions at LandrumHR. She has over 23 years of staffing industry experience that includes recruiting, sales, and operations. She has been with LandrumHR for over 20 years and has a passion for helping others. She lives with her husband and two children and enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Her hobbies include swimming, cooking, visiting new places, and watching Auburn University sports. View more blogs by Kristy Dolihite 0 Employment Law Compliance Updates for Small Businesses How to Discover Your Dream Job.