The Rise of Ghosting in Recruitment

Ghosting in the hiring process refers to the sudden and complete disappearance of communication by recruiters or hiring managers after initial contact with a candidate. The reasons for this are varied: a lack of human connection due to the shift to virtual recruiting, discomfort in delivering rejection, or simply being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of applicants. With the number of candidates per hire having increased significantly, it’s easy to see why communication might fall through the cracks. However, this does not justify the harm caused. 

Related: Making Human Touch Part of the Candidate Experience in A High-Tech World 

The Negative Impact of Ghosting 

Ghosting can have severe consequences for both the candidate and the organization. For candidates, the lack of response can lead to frustration, decreased motivation, and a negative perception of the company. Statistics show that 72 percent of job seekers share their bad experiences online, which can tarnish a company’s reputation. Moreover, nearly 40 percent of applicants would be less inclined to engage with a company in the future if they’ve been ghosted. This not only affects the candidate pool but also has the potential to impact customer loyalty and brand perception. For organizations, ghosting doesn’t just harm their reputation—it can come back to haunt them in unexpected ways. In today’s interconnected digital landscape, word travels fast, and companies that mistreat candidates may struggle to rebuild their reputations. 

When a candidate ghosts a company, it can have several negative impacts on the hiring process. For the company, a candidate disappearing without notice causes delays in filling critical positions, which can disrupt team productivity and project timelines. It also leads to wasted time and resources, as recruiters may have invested significant effort in reviewing the candidate’s application, conducting interviews, and extending an offer. Additionally, candidate ghosting can force the company to restart the hiring process, creating frustration for hiring managers and potentially causing them to miss out on other strong candidates who have moved on. Repeated ghosting incidents may also lead companies to adopt more cautious and rigid hiring practices, which can affect the overall candidate experience for future applicants. This breakdown in communication not only damages the company’s workflow but can also create long-term trust issues in how they approach candidate engagement. 

The negative impact often extends to career prospects when a candidate ghosts a company. By cutting off communication without explanation, candidates risk burning bridges with recruiters and hiring managers, which could hurt their chances of being considered for future opportunities at the same company or within its broader network. Ghosting can lead to a tarnished reputation within professional circles, especially in industries where word travels fast. Additionally, by not providing closure, candidates miss out on valuable feedback or networking opportunities that could have benefited them in the long run. It can also create a sense of unease for the candidate, knowing that their professional behavior may come back to affect them later, particularly if they apply to companies with shared connections or industry overlap. In a competitive job market, maintaining open communication is key to building a strong professional image. 

Preventing Ghosting: The Power of Communication 

Preventing ghosting starts with creating efficiencies in the hiring process and maintaining open lines of communication. Simple steps like sending automated emails acknowledging the receipt of an application or promptly informing candidates when they are no longer in consideration can make a significant difference. Setting clear expectations and providing timelines can help manage candidates’ expectations and reduce the likelihood of ghosting. 

When it comes to delivering rejections, professionalism, respect, and kindness are key. Avoid using harsh or dismissive language; instead, frame the communication positively. Even if a candidate isn’t a fit for the current role, providing constructive feedback can leave a lasting positive impression, making them more likely to consider future opportunities with your company. 

The Broader Implications of Ghosting 

Ghosting isn’t just a problem in the hiring process; it reflects broader issues of self-awareness, courtesy, and professionalism. The behavior and decision-making associated with ghosting can spill over into other areas of a person’s life, potentially sabotaging future opportunities. Whether you’re a hiring manager, recruiter, or job seeker, it’s important to remember that your actions—or inactions—can have far-reaching consequences. 

In a world where digital footprints are permanent and professional networks are interconnected, ghosting is not just an isolated incident but a decision that can impact your career for years to come. The simple act of maintaining communication, even when delivering unfavorable news, can preserve relationships, uphold your reputation, and open doors to future opportunities. 

A Call for Professionalism in the Hiring Process 

As we continue to adapt to the evolving landscape of virtual recruitment, it’s essential to prioritize professionalism and communication. Ghosting might seem like an easy way out in the short term, but it’s a practice that can have lasting negative consequences. Whether you’re a recruiter, hiring manager, or job seeker, taking the time to maintain open, respectful communication can go a long way in ensuring a positive and productive hiring experience for all involved. 

In the end, ghosting isn’t just about missed opportunities—it’s about missed connections, lost trust, and the potential for long-term career damage. By committing to transparency and professionalism, we can build stronger relationships and create a more respectful, effective hiring process. 

To learn more about how Acara can help streamline your hiring processes, contact us today.

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What is an EVP?

An EVP is essentially a promise made by an employer, to an employee, in exchange for his/her commitment to both the company and the role. Strong EVPs are essential to cultivating a diverse workforce and critical to retaining employees that are needed for future success.

To put it simply, an EVP is the total value an employee will receive from the company they work for. This goes beyond benefits such as pay or allotted vacation days. It includes career progression, development of the employee, and overall company culture.

Today, more than ever, an effective EVP is essential as potential employees typically form opinions about a company based on the information available about the organization online.  Studies show that 75 percent of employees research a brand’s EVP before applying for a job. A strong EVP attracts the talent your company wants and differentiates your brand from your competition, especially important in today’s era of the” war for talent.”

How to develop the right EVP for your company

Two practices make up the crux of developing an EVP:

1. Surveys and listening tours: It is important to go right to the source. Ask employees questions like why they chose to work for your company, their perception of the company before accepting their job and whether that perception proves to be true, and what differentiates their employer from competitors. Additionally, employees across all levels of leadership and experience should be asked for the most useful and beneficial results. A critical part of developing an EVP is to ensure that it represents and attracts underrepresented or minority groups—whether they are employees or potential employees. For example, when rewriting its company’s EVP, Lattice ensured that each listening group had at least three or four minority members. This practice confirms that everyone can connect to at least one, if not more, aspect of a company’s EVP. A representative statement will connect most closely with your employee base.
2. Molding data into an authentic statement: The results of these surveys and listening tours might not always be pleasant. However, it is important to keep in mind that these kinds of results are essential to ensuring company growth and development. Finding common denominators among answers will help form a condensed, yet truthful value statement.

Critical features of a successful survey

• Anonymity: Employees should feel safe to express their true feelings or concerns without fear of receiving repercussions. The threat of receiving backlash will make the results of this survey not useful and a strong EVP statement will not be developed.
• 360 degrees visual of roles: Surveys and listening tours should cover every aspect of an employee’s job. This includes their workload, relationships with managers and colleagues, DEI efforts, compensation, and expectations versus reality. Transparent reflections of any aspect of a job that your company has deemed important to be included in an EVP should be asked about. Leaving out significant aspects of a job will not aid in constructing a universally applicable EVP.

Different EVPs based on region and division

Many organizations might wonder whether different EVPS are necessary for different company divisions or branches/headquarters. In short, this is not necessary. Your EVP should be one document or statement applicable to all locations and departments of your organization. All pillars of your EVP should speak to all offices. It is helpful to use other regions or departments as “checks and balances” to ensure that you have a collective and representative voice, despite global location or company department.

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Changes in employee demand over the last decade

Employee expectations have modified in the last 10 or so years as employees now have autonomy in terms of when, where, and how they choose to work. Due, in part, to the pandemic, gone are the days of each employee arriving at the office at nine in the morning and leaving at five in the evening. Now that employees have experienced this dose of independence, the odds of returning to the former office dynamic are slim.

More than anything, employees want to be heard and understood. As the United States has begun to pay strong attention to the importance of an individual’s mental health, business leaders must provide their employees with the resources that they need to be effective in the workplace. Strong employee engagement is fueled by the connection that people have to both their roles in the workplace and their colleagues.

Why is employee engagement important for your business outcomes?

Each day, your employees take action and make decisions impacting your organization. Disengaged workers place your business at risk and hinder your growth and success. A Gallup study found that when comparing employee engagement levels, the top and bottom-quartile business units and teams had the following differences in business outcomes:

Decrease in…

• absenteeism (81%)
• accidents and safety incidents (64%)
• product defects (41%)
• turnover for high-turnover companies (18%) and low-turnover organizations (43%)
• theft (28%)

Increase in…

• profitability (23%)
• sales (18%)
• customer loyalty/engagement (10%)

How to measure engagement

Simply put, employee engagement is done by listening. However, to listen to your employees’ feedback, they must be given the opportunity to provide it. This can be done in two ways:

1. Surveys: Surveying employees periodically from the very beginning of their employment. As Jill puts it, “people make a decision in the first 30 days regarding their expectations and perceptions of the company that affects their employment long term.” These surveys are hugely helpful in determining issues employees are having early on in their role and whether expectations are being met, in addition to general insights into company culture and role responsibilities. Results are transparently shared, typically at a company town hall meeting, where employees can see what actions are being taken based on the feedback received. Jill cited an example to prove how effective surveys can be: Aleron’s 2021 survey results showed a large desire for more flexible work arrangements. In turn, this was implemented in 2022 to attract and retain more employees.
2. Employee listening strategy: This is a form of collecting information that can be done quickly and more frequently. Employee feedback can be collected on a large scale via surveys, and results should be in real-time with appropriate actions taken based on the data. Employees are often asked about their opinions on “hot topics” and new or existing initiatives or norms in the workplace or the role of the individual. These continuous conversations with employees offer a long-term perspective, allowing leaders to identify areas of successful engagement and those needing improvement from all aspects of the employee experience.

Ways to improve employee engagement 

Jill offered the following tips to improve employee engagement:

• Start with where you’re at: Yes, surveys can be intimidating. They are personal and can contain feedback that can be hard to read. However, it is better overall for a company to be aware of any issues than to ignore them and risk losing valuable employees. An organization can never improve engagement rates unless they know where they stand in terms of employee satisfaction, to begin with.
• Walk the talk: An organization must follow through with the promises they have made to its employees. A company should communicate to its employees that they recognize the desired changes are coming. A mutually beneficial employee-manager relationship cannot exist without accountability.
• Technology is key: In summary, technology enables both direct and contractor staff more self-service options. Practices as simple as using technology to customize onboarding processes, client handbook human resource policies, allowing clocking in via mobile phone geotagging, or automated messages regarding documents needed or policy changes offer employees the autonomy they want by having the opportunity to communicate with the necessary department themselves. Additionally, technology platforms, like the ones the Aleron Group uses, utilize artificial intelligence as a customer service tool. Artificial intelligence analyzes the sentiments of open-ended survey questions, eliminates any potential bias from a human receiver of feedback, and directs the data and sentiments to the proper department. Optimization of technology for these purposes not only promotes the desired employee autonomy but also allows for the discovery of trends, whether positive or negative, among employee opinions.

Watch the entire video here.

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If you are seeking to hire qualified job candidates, then you already know the pain points associated with the recruitment task at hand. As unfilled job positions and lackluster hires can cost your organization tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on just one hire, HR and TA teams are facing increased pressure to find suitable talent.

To help improve your recruitment strategy and candidate quality, here are six proven solutions that can help to mitigate common talent acquisition challenges.

1. Focus on your 5 Cs

Challenge: Due to the incredibly competitive labor market, your organization needs to identify the right recruitment strategies to attract and hire top talent.

Solution: Enhance and advertise your 5 Cs:

1. Credibility: Good character and reputation
2. Compensation: Competitive salary and benefits
3. Culture: Shared mission, vision, and perks
4. Commitment: Shared plan and strategy
5. Challenge: Challenging yet achievable goals and outcome
6. Utilize social media

Challenge: Hiring managers are forced to rely on saturated job boards and transaction-based recruiting agencies.

Solution: 86 percent of job seekers use social media in their job hunt to search for relevant jobs, apply to jobs directly, and engage with job-related content. Enhance your recruitment efforts on social media by using some of the following hashtags:

#jobopening  /  #nowhiring  /  #hiring  /  #jobsearch  /  #jobs  /  #careers  /  #employment

Related: Leveraging Social Media for Recruitment and Branding Efforts

3. Lend help to overburdened HR teams

Challenge: HR departments are often overworked and understaffed, leading to hastily made last-minute recruitment, hiring, and onboarding decisions.

Solution: By finding the time to interview/onboard your candidate shortlist, you can:

• Have honest and upfront conversations
• Set reasonable expectations
• Express your culture during onboarding
• Establish a learning plan to expedite both employee understanding and production

If you don’t have the time for these critical tasks, consider partnering with a dedicated recruitment firm that does.

Related: [E-book] Interview Guide for Hiring Managers

4. Experiment with different methods of engagement

Challenge: Recruiters are struggling to relate to their audience in the marketplace and/or can’t find the right “cultural alignment,” particularly with millennials and Gen Z.

Solution: By 2025, 75 percent of the global workforce is expected to be comprised of millennials. Currently, millennials prefer text messages over phone calls. The same goes for Gen Z. Ask yourself, “What do we know about managing millennials or other generations?” By catering to their preferred methods of communication, you’ll reap the benefits of greater recruitment success.

Related: What Millennials Want in the Workplace

Related: [E-book] How to Attract the Attention of Qualified Candidates in Your Job Posting

5. Find a compensation balance

Challenge: Employers who choose to lean on the lighter side of the pay range experience more turnover and ultimately spend more time and resources on the hiring process.

Solution: The costs of recruiting, hiring, and onboarding—paired with those of unfilled or unsuccessful hires—often outweigh the cost of a high-quality hire. Weigh your hiring costs against your staffing costs and see how the numbers shake out. It’s better to spend $70K on a high-quality candidate than $100K to recruit, hire, fire, and replace a less effective employee.

Related: Wage Compression: What Is It, How Is It Caused, and How Can It Be Addressed?

6. Create a valuable employer brand

Challenge: Companies tend to invest more time and effort in the recruiting process and not enough time on employee retention.

Solution: By more effectively balancing your time, you can focus on creating:

• Compelling perks and incentives
• Flexible hours or work arrangements
• Generous PTO packages
• Attractive 401k plans
• Stock options
• “Work to live” not “live to work”
• A positive workplace culture

Related: How to Develop a Compelling Employee Value Proposition

Related: The Importance of a Strong Employee Value Proposition With Examples

Summary

While your organization may face its fair share of recruitment challenges, our six talent acquisition solutions can help to improve your overarching recruiting strategy. By leveraging these talent attraction tips, you can make a meaningful difference for your organization when scouring the candidate market. Whether your organization needs contingent workers, full-time hires, or payrolling services, our Acara team can help you tackle even the toughest of talent challenges.

Interested in learning more about why Acara is the right recruiting partner for your organization? Discover the Acara difference.

The post 6 Challenges and Solutions in Talent Acquisition appeared first on Acara Solutions.

Talent Attraction

Your company’s EVP is important in the recruitment process because it tells a candidate why to apply for a position at your organization. 75 percent of employees research a brand before submitting a job application. A strong EVP demonstrates to candidates what your organization offers in terms of company culture, growth opportunities, and benefits. Highlight your EVP in your job postings, on your website, and anywhere potential job applicants are searching for employment. An effective EVP can also help attract passive candidates not necessarily looking to change employers.

Talent Retention

A strong EVP can help to retain your top performers by keeping them engaged and invested in your organization. Without a strong EVP, your employees can become disengaged and forget why they came to work at your organization in the first place. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report found that 85 percent of employees are not engaged–or are actively disengaged–at work resulting in approximately $7 trillion in lost productivity. To retain your top performers, it’s important to remind them of all the benefits your company offers by effectively integrating your EVP into the day-to-day operations of your business.

Examples of EVPs

Here are a few excerpts from examples of strong EVPs.

1. “We are stronger as a result of the diverse strengths, styles, cultures, and experiences of our people. With different perspectives come different solutions that enable us to win for our stakeholders. We are one global team in which everyone has a voice and can make a difference. We ensure our people can fulfill their potential through individual development plans, on-the-job learning, and various formal career development programs. Providing our people with the opportunity to grow, gain experience, and take ownership moves us closer to realizing our winning aspiration.”
2. “We may be young, but we take care of our employees. We focus on flexibility, and we reward excellence and contributions to our mission. Ultimately, this helps to nurture a community that inspires growth and innovation, so that together, we can make healthcare more affordable for employers, employees, and their families. You’ll have a platform to develop your skills. Furthermore, you can take on stretch assignments and be part of a unique brand that is shaking up the broken healthcare system. Our team is ready and willing to embrace innovative methods, including virtual and remote work arrangements, to ensure everyone can deliver their best. To stay connected, regular full company huddles give everyone a chance to engage directly with senior leadership – with no question off-limits. Our great benefits include medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, a 401K plan, access to a health savings account, and a commuting and dependent care FSA. Furthermore, in addition to base pay, employees have the opportunity to earn bonuses and equity, so they can share in our company’s success.”
3. “We recognize that our true strength is our people–people from different backgrounds, with different experiences, and different ways of thinking. While we boast a global presence, our managers and employees work hard to maintain a “small company spirit”. We provide an excellent working atmosphere that encourages an entrepreneurial attitude, open communication, and collaboration from the shop floor to the senior management team.”
4. “We refuse to do things the way they’ve always been done. Motivated by a collective commitment to a sustainable future, we work to build an inclusive environment in which everyone—regardless of gender, race, religion, age, or background—can succeed. We’ve replaced corporate hierarchy and bureaucratic conventions with open communication and a collaborative working environment. By promoting a safe, innovative, and inclusive culture, anyone with the talent, energy, and focus to solve hard problems has a seat at the table. We provide employees and their families benefits like medical, dental, vision coverage, 401(k), and generous paid time off from day one. With flexible scheduling, fitness resources, and stock benefits for everyone, we invest in team members to help them do their best work.”
5. “One Team. One Purpose. Many Voices. We trust in each other and are united in the service of our customers and our purpose. Collaboration, transparency, and mutual trust form the foundation of our team culture. Every voice and action matters. We aren’t afraid to take initiative because we’re upstanders, not bystanders, all of us active contributors to our culture and growth.”

Summary

With the current economic recovery and labor shortages, job seekers are experiencing a candidate-driven market where jobs are abundant and top talent is scarce. Candidates receive multiple job offers—providing them with more bargaining power. Counteroffers—used as a negotiation tool to help entice an employee to stay—are commonly used in response to an employee’s resignation announcement. To stand out among your competitors, it’s important to have an effective EVP to attract, engage, motivate, and retain employees toward peak productivity and brand advocacy.

For more information and some helpful tools, read our guide—How To Develop a Compelling Employee Value Proposition.

The post The Importance of a Strong Employee Value Proposition With Examples appeared first on Acara Solutions.

We have witnessed DEI initiatives becoming greater priorities with many of our clients. Here are ways that your organization can cultivate more inclusive workplace practices for your workforce.

Form a DEI council

One of the easiest—yet most impactful—ways for organizations to incorporate inclusive values into their everyday actions is by forming a diversity, equity, and inclusion committee. By gathering DEI champions from different departments across your organization, you can ensure that multiple voices from diverse backgrounds are represented when formulating a proper DEI strategy. One rule of thumb: refrain from handpicking team members to participate in the council; rather, allow employees to voluntarily sign up to take part in the DEI committee. A well-designed council will feature people from all backgrounds, cultures, and ethnic groups that come together to share ideas while understanding the value of diversity.

Poll your employees

In addition to the formation of a DEI council, companies should seek input and feedback from their employees. Utilizing pulse surveys can help gather critical information on what workers think their organization should do to more effectively carry out diversity strategies. Whether your employees provide ideas on actions or events that can be implemented or advise on approaches that are not working well, this information can be instrumental to facilitating greater success with your inclusive workplace practices.

Celebrate holidays from different cultures

It is no longer appropriate to only celebrate Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter. In addition to federal holidays, your company should also acknowledge celebrations from other cultures. Remember to observe important holidays or festivals like Hannukah (Jewish), Diwali (Hindu), Bodhi Day (Buddhist), Kwanzaa (African), Ramadan (Muslim), and the Chinese New Year. By recognizing these holy days or times of worship, you will help minority employees feel more like valued pieces of your “family.”

Create a mentorship system

Want to foster a greater sense of community among your employees? Pair your workers with people who look and act like them. Being intentional while formulating an employee mentorship system can help new hires get acclimated to their new work environment and feel included in their new culture. Having a mentor to help support and guide a new employee can be the difference between a worker leaving your organization after a few months and remaining with your company for the long haul.

Set up an anonymous tip-line or email account

While some employees may feel comfortable voicing their opinions in a public forum, others would probably prefer to share their ideas anonymously. Instead of putting pressure on these workers to speak their minds in a meeting or in front of an audience, institute other nameless means of soliciting feedback. By establishing a tip-line or an email account, you can receive perceptive insight from your employees in a more comfortable way.

Spend time in your community

Organizations across the United States have found success with volunteer time off (VTO) policies. Similar to a personal time off (PTO) policy, VTO enables employees to get paid while supporting causes and initiatives in the community that they are passionate about. You can even put together volunteer days where your organization pitches in to support a particular charity or non-profit. The more time you spend in your local community, the more you can learn about the cultures that surround you. In addition, this is a valuable team-building exercise that can strengthen the bonds of your team and bring you closer together.

Get executive stakeholders and influencers involved

The success of inclusive workplace practices relies heavily on executive involvement and sponsorship. Without buy-in from managers and leaders within your organization, the plan has much less chance of success. But if executive-level influencers support and promote a diversity program, it has greater odds of resonating with the rest of the company. Ensure that your organization clearly articulates the value of DEI initiatives to its upper management to enhance the overall effectiveness of the plan.

Gather input from DEI pessimists

When implementing a formalized DEI strategy within your organization, there will undoubtedly be naysayers who are skeptical of these efforts. Rather than scorning or overlooking these workers, be open to learning about their opinions. By getting a feel for their concerns, you can more effectively educate your organization from top to bottom, mitigate potential roadblocks, and enhance the overall success of your DEI programs. Ultimately, the more compelling stats and reliable reports you can present to demonstrate the importance of—and benefits to—diversity in the workplace, the greater the odds of gaining full buy-in for your various initiatives.

Summary

Slowly but surely, organizations are beginning to realize that the deployment of effective diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts can greatly enhance their employer brands. Not only can DEI initiatives be used as a talent attraction and retention tactic, but implementing these strategies is simply the moral and ethical thing to do. With willful and deliberate action, your organization can transform your work environment into one that is more inclusive, uplifting, and positive for all.

This blog was originally published by our partner company Broadleaf Results. 

The post 8 Ways to Build an Inclusive Workplace appeared first on Acara Solutions.

Upon a closer examination of recent employment numbers, there are signs that question whether the United States is truly in a labor shortage. If our country was truly amid a significant shortage of talent, employers would simply increase their wages to attract candidates to their organization and solve this problem. But in my estimation, America is battling through something more complex than a traditional dearth of talent. Today, “pockets” of labor deficits—as opposed to a widespread shortage—are hindering businesses nationwide as candidates with niche, in-demand skill sets become increasingly difficult to find.

Steps to Improve Your Hiring Reputation

So how can organizations overcome these pockets of labor deficits while finding the talent they need to run their business? Here are seven valuable strategies to help your company recruit and retain talent despite current labor market conditions.

Focus on brand awareness

This idea applies to both current and prospective employees. People should be able to clearly identify your brand and understand what your company does. Your workers should be your brand champions, actively advocating for your organization on a routine basis. In addition, the provision of an exceptional candidate experience during the recruiting process will only enhance your overall image to job seekers.

Articulate your differentiators

Be able to provide detailed information about what your company is doing to separate itself from the rest of the pack. How are you coming up with ideas to beat your competition? What are you doing to break down barriers and achieve your goals? Educating potential employees on how your company is remaining innovative is critical to recruitment success.

Highlight inventive platforms or technology

Candidates will want to learn more about the systems and technology that are powering your company. From trendy software to programming languages and more, be sure to provide plenty of detail around the platforms that are utilized by your organization in your everyday operations. If your business is running on archaic or outdated systems, make the necessary upgrades to update them. This will further help pique candidates’ attention during the recruiting process.

Provide employees a voice

Want workers to stay with your company? Give them a platform to speak their mind about pressing workplace issues. Allow them to communicate with executive leadership on the things that they want to add or change within your organization. Conduct biweekly or monthly pulse surveys to solicit valuable feedback while keeping your workers engaged and motivated in their roles.

Prioritize work-life balance

In today’s employment market, candidates are looking for a company that “walks the walk” when it comes to work-life balance. No one wants to dedicate their entire life to their professional career, so be able to provide examples of how your company helps to promote your workers’ physical and mental well-being. Give examples of how you support your employees in both good times and bad. Having a remote or hybrid work plan will certainly help encourage a better work-life balance.

Offer attractive benefits and salary

An obvious choice when looking to enhance employee attraction and retention success, companies need to pair market-rate salaries with a comprehensive benefits package. One of the most important factors in this equation? A 401(k) match. Without contributing to your workers’ retirement accounts, your organization may have a tough time in your talent acquisition efforts. Whether you implement a partial or a dollar-for-dollar match, be sure that this perk is part of your benefits package.

Facilitate a speedy hiring process

Companies need to act quickly in the current candidate-driven market to avoid losing out on quality talent. Rather than spending weeks on scheduling interviews or debriefing with internal stakeholders, accelerating the overall hiring process is critical to talent acquisition success. After a candidate applies to one of your open jobs, get in touch with them to perform initial screenings and interviews. Make sure that your job seekers’ attention is fully captured throughout the recruiting timeline to lessen the odds of other offers being considered.

Summary

Throughout the pandemic, our team at Acara Solutions has been creating customized recruiting and talent acquisition plans to help our clients overcome prevailing talent troubles. I hope that by utilizing these seven strategies, you can become more effective at attracting and retaining quality candidates to bring value to your business.

Interested in composing a tailored talent acquisition strategy to enhance your recruiting success? Contact me to learn how Acara can help!

The post 7 Ways to Attract Talent Despite the Current Labor Shortage appeared first on Acara Solutions.

It seems like almost every day, I have a conversation with a colleague or read an article about the challenge of attracting and retaining talent in today’s employment market. A workforce survey conducted by McKinsey further accentuated this ongoing challenge for organizations. Of the nearly 5,800 respondents, 40 percent stated that they are at least “somewhat likely” to leave their current job within the next three to six months.  Additionally, 36 percent of respondents that had left their employer did so without having a new job in hand.

So why are so many employees suddenly resigning from their jobs—even without new opportunities lined up? What can businesses do to better retain their talent without losing them to a competitor? Here are some strategies that HR professionals and managers can utilize to prepare for—and hopefully avoid—the turnover wave.

Understand what matters to employees

To effectively retain talent, companies must first understand the reason(s) why workers are choosing to stay or choosing to quit. Organizations must realize that workers are leaving for more than just better compensation—they want to bring their authentic selves to work, experience a sense of belonging, feel appreciated for their contributions, and have a connection to their colleagues

According to McKinsey, some of the most prevalent causes of attrition during the pandemic include:

• Not valued by their manager
• Not valued by their organization
• Failed to find a sense of belonging at work (which was particularly true for non-white or multiracial employees)

Employees are pursuing employment opportunities where they can feel more welcomed and valued. Fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where employees can perform their best work will improve your ability to attract and retain talent.

Interested in developing a plan to promote inclusion and belonging for all employees? Learn more about gender nonconformity in the workplace.

Ask for feedback and take action

For HR professionals and executives, company culture is often at the top of their list of things that need continual refinement and improvement. Something as important as understanding how an organization’s employees perceive their company takes not just time, but considerable effort.

Leaders need to both listen and take action. When employee engagement surveys are conducted, results are often not shared effectively—and action plans are not developed in a timely manner. Employees are left wondering, “Why should I even bother to provide my input?”

If your organization is conducting an employee engagement survey, be sure to transparently share both positive feedback and areas of opportunity to improve with your workforce. After communicating this information, create action plans around the findings. Managers need to take an active role in the communication of survey results and action planning, as this is not strictly an HR initiative; rather, it is a leadership initiative.

It is imperative for leaders to meet with their teams and create action plans that can be implemented in the near future, preferably within 90 days. Ask employees to identify items that are within their control, such as changes to the format of team meetings, attending a DEI webinar together, or finding ways to volunteer in the community.  Taking action communicates to employees that their feedback matters.

Suffering from employee engagement problems while working remotely? Check out these creative strategies to keep your workers motivated while working from home.

Provide flexibility

Throughout the pandemic, millions of organizations shifted to a remote work model.  While some companies have remained fully remote, others have moved to a hybrid structure or even launched a large-scale effort to get employees back in the office.

While there are certainly advantages to in-person work, employers must be mindful that many employees have seen the benefits of remote work and desire to work remotely at least part of the time. In the study conducted by McKinsey, 87 percent of workers that accepted a new position in other cities did not need to relocate and were allowed to work remotely. This is a clear indication that the recruitment and employment market is changing to better align with candidates’ wants and needs.

Many employees report they are more productive when working remotely and have come to value the increased work-life balance. Whether they are caring for young children, elderly parents, or squirrelly pets, work-from-home setups enable workers to more effectively balance their personal and professional responsibilities.

When examining McKinsey’s survey results, many workers reported feeling undervalued and underappreciated in their roles. Allowing workers to provide input about return-to-office plans creates buy-in and could provide valuable information that your company may not have originally considered. Rather than making rash decisions that could very well backfire, it would benefit your organization to engage your employees and solicit input on return to office planning.

Read how your company can avoid office fireworks by properly navigating return-to-work decisions.

Summary

The past eighteen months have been a time of unprecedented change in the work environment. During this time, many employees have reassessed their personal and professional priorities. The road warrior has come to appreciate time home with their family, while two-hour commutes have been replaced by workout routines or family dinners.

Developing a more intimate understanding of what matters most to your employees is no longer a “nice to have.” Rather, this has become an organizational requirement to attract and retain high-performing talent. Companies that take the time to truly understand their employees will have a significant strategic advantage over their competitors. And those that don’t? Well, they might lose out on hiring the high-quality talent their business needs to thrive in the post-pandemic world.

Looking for more ways to mitigate employee turnover? Acara’s Shannon Callahan presents five strategies to help fight the turnover wave and retain top talent.

The post Workplace Attrition vs. Attraction: How Companies Can Retain Talent During “The Great Resignation” appeared first on Acara Solutions.

• 95% of surveyed workers are currently considering changing jobs;
• 92% are open to switching industries to land a new position;
• 63% have been on the job hunt for one-to-three months; and
• 19% have been on the job hunt for more than one year.

With so many employees considering changing jobs, managers need to get out in front of their employees before an unforeseen turnover wave comes crashing into their organization. Here are five strategies to mitigate employee turnover and retain your top talent:

Overcoming Labor Shortages and Workforce Turnover

1. Spend time with top performers

Research shows that managers spend 80% of their time working with employees who have challenges and needs. Leaders need to prioritize spending more time with their high achievers to keep them satisfied in their roles. You can also keep top performers engaged by providing them with additional responsibilities or projects to push them out of their comfort zone in a healthy way.

2. Conduct performance reviews often

65% of workers say they’d like to receive more feedback from their managers—so managers should give it to them! Providing only one performance review per year is not nearly enough. High performers are looking for regular feedback and coaching because it helps them improve their work product. Be sure to provide it to them on an ongoing basis to keep them motivated in their role.

3. Utilize surveys to gather employee input

Rather than making educated guesses about your workers’ needs, conduct employee engagement and pulse surveys to help improve your company culture. Polling your workers can enhance your workforce planning initiatives to provide your people with the structure they desire. Routinely collecting feedback from employees will help to incorporate valuable ideas into your organization while giving you valuable data to digest on workers’ preferences.

4. Evaluate compensation and benefits packages

One of the most enticing reasons for employees to switch jobs is the chance to earn a pay raise. According to Forbes, workers—on average—receive a 10-20% increase in pay if they switch jobs. That’s why your organization must devote itself to reevaluating compensation packages on an annual basis. By ensuring that your employees are paid in line with market averages, you won’t have to be as fearful of worker turnover.

5. Consider offering a sabbatical

Looking for a great way to reward employee loyalty while reducing the effects of burnout? Look no further than company sabbaticals! While this idea hasn’t become wildly popular in mid-size cities, my professional friends working in cities like Chicago and NYC speak very highly of this plan. Providing your employees with three weeks of paid leave every five years to study, travel, rest, and reset their minds can be an incredible perk for your employees to take advantage of. Plus, this could be a great strategy to help you attract talent.

Want to learn about more ways to retain top talent? Ask yourself these four questions to see how your organization stacks up against its competition.

Curious as to why employees are so willing to make a career jump? Here’s why employee turnover is at an all-time high.

The post 5 Strategies to Mitigate Employee Turnover appeared first on Acara Solutions.

3 Employer Branding Strategies for Recruiters

Our team at Acara has the latest on how you can strengthen your employer brand in our Hiring Reputation E-Book. Here’s a sneak peek at ways to improve your company’s reputation and enhance the quality of talent that applies to your open employment opportunities.

Define your employee value proposition

An employee value proposition (EVP) is defined as the added value to employees given in return for the skills, expertise, and experience that they bring to your company. In essence, your EVP should consist of enticing benefits and perks that are given to employees to make their work tenure more valuable or rewarding. When businesses can accurately describe and define the advantages of working for their company over another, it’s easier to pitch your organization to prospective applicants during the hiring process.

Monitor online reviews

As so many job hunters are seeking out opportunities on the web, it’s important to monitor your company’s digital presence on sites like Glassdoor, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter. These job boards contain reviews from current and former employees. You may be faced with some negative ratings from disgruntled staff members that could potentially turn applicants away from your organization. How you choose to respond to these reviews is telling about your company and its brand, so be sure to reply in a respectful manner. Don’t take these comments too personally—the loudest and most outspoken voices rarely represent the majority!

Show a commitment to social responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is top-of-mind for young job seekers in today’s market. Don’t believe us? According to an article in Fast Company, 64% of millennials said they wouldn’t take a job for a company that wasn’t socially responsible, while 75% said they’d take a lower salary to work at a company that better aligns with their values. If you don’t think that your organization’s social reputation matters, you’re wrong! The easiest way to highlight your company’s commitment to corporate responsibility is by displaying it on your website. Some businesses have created corporate social responsibility pages to showcase their philanthropic and diversity efforts, while others choose to publish annual sustainability reports that display important energy and waste reduction initiatives.

Emphasize diversity

In addition to being socially responsible, candidates also seek employers that are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. A survey from The Manifest shows that 70% of job seekers want to work for a company that demonstrates a commitment to purposeful DEI initiatives. Fostering a sense of belonging is crucial in today’s day and age, and many younger candidates can sense whether a prospective employer is being genuine with their diversity efforts. To broaden your talent reach, consider posting your open positions to job boards like diversity.com, fairygodboss.com, powertofly.com, and outandequal.org.

Discover more about how you can improve your hiring reputation with Acara’s latest E-Book here.

Looking to retain your top talent and prevent employee turnover? Learn how to improve your talent acquisition approach.

For more tips on improving your hiring reputation, check out more of Acara’s content on employer branding here.

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