Recruiting new employees is tough just now so be different! For example, some employers are now offering “Wellbeing leave” in addition to the usual holiday package. If you want to recruit more, you have to get serious about the process and be on it 24/7, 365!
There are a number of actions you can take to make your business attractive to new staff. In addition to reviewing your pay and conditions to be as competitive as possible, these include:
· Tasking recruitment as a permanent process;
· Regularly asking existing staff, customers, and suppliers for introductions;
· Offering incentives for referrals;
· Make sure you are running constant online social media and local advertisements;
· Embracing flexibility in hours and location in your business;
· Introducing a “Golden Hello” and loyalty bonusses for length of service (typically one to three years);
· Advertising testimonials from existing staff;
· Using government initiatives for apprentices (if available in your area);
· Make your company and the job sound as attractive as possible by outlining the position to sound prestigious and challenging. These two factors are big incentives for bright potential candidates;
· Knowing that job satisfaction comes from feeling respected and having the opportunity to learn new things and excel in the face of obstacles when advertising the role; and
· Convey your business’s personality so potential employees get a feel for what it would be like to work for you;
Useful guidance on the procedures for recruitment can be seen in the ACAS guide “Recruiting staff” which can be seen here: Recruiting staff (acas.org.uk)
New data from the Office for National Statistics suggests that UK businesses are continuing to slow down recruitment, with job vacancies falling by 63,000 between March and May.
Last week, the Chancellor unveiled her Spending Review setting out how government departments will allocate money over the coming years. While much of the focus was on large-scale public services like the NHS and schools, there are some important signals here for businesses to take note of - both in terms of opportunity and outlook.