It takes 36 days on average to fill an open role in a business. That’s 36 days that you’re going without the people you need.
Of course, you want to be sure you’re finding good employees. That can take time, even when you’re using the latest recruitment tools and the best techniques. Once you’ve found your team members, though, you want to make sure they stay with you.
These 10 tips can help. With them, you’ll not only be able to find great employees but keep them too.
1. Develop Your Company Culture
Before you even begin to look for employees, you want to take a look at your company. What’s the culture like?
You may not think it’s important, but having a handle on your own company culture is key to finding employees. Many people today say cultural fit is important to them when they decide to accept or decline a job offer. It may even be the reason someone decides to apply.
Knowing your own culture will help you discover the kind of candidate you’re looking for. Do you need an independent self-starter who can work remotely? You might find you’re looking for someone who is more of a team player.
2. Create an Employer Brand
The next step in how to find employees is to create an employer brand. This grows directly out of your company culture.
Ask yourself why someone would want to come work with you. Is it the spirit of innovation at your company? Maybe you have a great benefits package that includes unlimited vacation.
How you compensate your employees and the environment you provide reflects your values. You offer unlimited vacation because your team works hard and deserves time off. You also know how important downtime is for the creative process.
Once you have an idea of why candidates want to work with you, you can begin to build your employer brand. Like what you communicate to customers, an employer brand is for job applicants.
3. Finding Good Employees with a Wide Net
Now for the nitty-gritty details. Where do you find employees these days?
Once upon a time, you likely posted an ad in a newspaper or accepted resumes drop-offs. Maybe you were in touch with a local staffing agency.
Today, you may want to get in touch with a recruitment firm. As this link explains, recruiters will work with you to find the talent you need.
There are also plenty of places to find employees online. You can always post your ad on job boards. Don’t overlook the power of social media either.
Finally, employee referrals can lead you to some of the best hires you’ll make.
4. Streamline Your Application Process
Once you know how to look for employees, it’s time to review your application process. If people need to fill out an online form, how long does it take? Today’s job candidates prefer to keep things short and sweet.
If your application process is too lengthy or difficult, you may miss out on some of the best candidates.
See if you can simplify your form. LinkedIn allows candidates to apply with the click of a button. Your website form may not be quite that simple, but it should be as streamlined as possible.
5. Use AI and Keywords to Sort Candidates
Now you’re receiving applications. It’s time to start sorting through them.
Unfortunately, if you sort through by hand, you may miss some of the best candidates. It’s also time-consuming and tedious to sort through 100 applications or more.
You can make the process more efficient by employing AI. The right software will allow you to narrow the field quickly. You can search for keywords to find only those candidates who have certain skills.
6. Interview for Fit to Find Good Employees
Once you’ve sorted your applications, you’ll likely pick a few candidates to interview. Since you’ve narrowed the field by searching for skills, you can focus your interview on finding fit.
Tell interviewees about your company culture. Ask them about the environment they work well in.
By sharing this sort of information, you’ll be more likely to find someone who fits your company.
7. Focus on Onboarding Employees
Someone who fits with your culture is more likely to stay with your company long term. You still need to work to keep your talented team members.
One key to keeping good employees is having a good onboarding process. Onboarding technically starts when you offer someone the job.
Good communication and team-building are important parts of onboarding. You should provide new employees with a schedule for their first few days. Preparing their work station before their first day goes a long way to helping someone settle in.
8. Revamp Performance Reviews to Keep Employees
Today’s employees want to receive feedback on a regular basis. Some even want you to provide in-the-moment feedback so they can keep learning.
If you provide an annual performance review as your only feedback, it’s time to rethink your approach.
Employees who receive feedback on a regular basis are usually more engaged and productive at work.
9. Take an Employee Survey
The next step to keeping good employees is to let them give you some feedback. Taking a regular survey can help you see what you’re doing well and where your employees would like you to improve.
Be sure to take action when you receive feedback. Not all ideas will be something you can implement or change. You do need to show commitment to using the feedback you get.
10. Reward Employees
Finally, once you’ve found the people you want on your team, do what you can to keep them. That often means rewarding and celebrating the talent your team has.
Whether it’s offering training or saying “thank you,” be sure to show your employees you appreciate all the hard work they do.
Make Your Next Great Hire
With these tips, finding good employees and keeping them is simple. Try them out and discover the next talented member of your team.
With the right people, your business is ready for anything. If you’re looking for tips to lead your team through thick and thin, we have just what you’ve been looking for – keep browsing our blog.
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