Our organization regularly advocates for both the candidate and the company in employment agreements.  For us, it is important to present the candidate in the best, most relevant light to the employer so that they give full consideration to their application, but it is also important for the employer to portray themselves as a well-oiled, synchronized, and perfectly operating business.  Recruiters will tell you that getting a candidate to make a move takes a laser-focus, and there is no absolute certainty that just because someone interviews with you, it means they are willing to take the job.

This article will cover some of the finer points on how to demonstrate the benefits of working for a great company in order to increase your chances of signing on great talent.

A Mountain of Perks

One of the most obvious selling points of a particular organization is the benefits package. Companies often cite their perks as key differentiators in a competitive market like technology, engineering, or healthcare.

When we talk about the perks of a position, one typically thinks about flashy benefits like company cars, free travel, gym memberships, or bonus potential. But in fact, recent studies suggest that employees at successful companies don’t always cite such monetary benefits as a primary factor for their ‘happiness’ with a given company. Moreover, perks of working for an employer of choice can often come with little capital investment.

First, consider instituting more homogeneous policies centered around work/life balance. Great examples include company policies like open office hours beyond 9 to 5 and paid volunteer leave. If employees only require access to the internet to work and typically perform their tasks alone, experiment with virtual work environments. In a recent 2015 study by Ernst and Young of almost 10,000 professionals, flexibility in the workplace was listed as both a top motivator AND that the lack of flexibility was a main reason as to why someone would quit a job.

Secondly, focus on fostering an environment which values employee wellness. PepsiCo, for example, has been running a “Healthy Living Program” since 2003 and actually reported lower costs in health and disease maintenance. By driving their employees towards healthy eating, work/life balance, physical activity, and preventative health measures, each employee saved over 150 dollars per month on healthcare.

Other companies like King Arthur Flour use creative exercise programs like a hiking group to the nearby mountain range. If you are in an urban environment, you can take a page from mobile programmer Mobify who hosts a biweekly rooftop yoga class in the middle of sunny Vancouver, Canada. Both examples offer positive health benefits and workday flexibility.

A key point, however, is to make sure your hiring authorities are aware of these programs and that these perks are promoted to recruited talent regularly.

I will always remember a job interview I had fresh out of college with a multimedia production company in the Greater Boston Area. Before we conducted the interview, I was brought through the cafeteria where the interviewee explained that they had a private chef who prepared lunch with sustainably grown ingredients. I couldn’t tell you the position title or the name of my interviewer, but to this day, I remember that lunchroom because it spoke to my passions as a budding home chef.

Make positive connections with your candidates and they will remember you for it!

Showcase Showdown

The next most valuable asset for promoting your open positions is virtually untapped in most organizations’ recruiting process; that is your existing workforce. There are several well documented examples of best practices when promoting your company with your current employees which we can discuss.

The premise is relatively simple: For each new requisition, try to find a person with like skills and experience which matches the ideal candidate. Then, ask for their participation in creating a script or statement on why to work for the organization, what challenges they face on a daily basis, and what has made them successful. You can then use this content as a vehicle to speak with potential employees and better convey what they might be doing in a future role.

Admittedly, recruiting your co-workers to act as billboards for your company and draw in new employees is no small task, as even the most effective talent acquisition teams cite difficulties with employee participation in recruitment. It is always important to respect and value the time we are asking of those who already have a full workload. It is in these instances when flattery works wonders. Follow these suggestions to get others on board:

• Explain the importance of the initiative
• Express how important the employee is to the company
• Share how you will use their information
• Above all, be brief.

 

Another way to utilize your existing workforce in your recruiting process is by showing them off. Showing your colleagues off can be executed in as many ways as there are people at your company. Have pictures taken at company events, use LinkedIn and Facebook to congratulate employees who receive merit based awards, post profiles of your staff on your website, or leverage third party tools like Applicant Advantage to display your candidates in company videos. The more accessible your company feels, the more welcoming it will be to candidates.

Be Good, Show the will to do so

And lastly, and perhaps not surprisingly, any company initiatives that generate goodwill in the community should be aggressively marketed to your audience.

Examples of goodwill activities are as follows:

• Sweepstakes
• Fundraisers
• Training or Community Drives
• Local Team Sponsorships

 

Preparing for these events should be equal parts preparation, promotion, and audience participation. Share ways for attendees to capture the event and connect with your guests via your event pages. Just a few tools that do this effectively are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Flickr, and in particular, SnapChat, which has mass appeal through their “Our Stories” micro-vlogging tool. For more information on how to broadcast your event through these services, I highly recommend the case studies section of Link Humans, which highlights specific uses of social media from an Employer Branding perspective.

Recap

By promoting your roles in this way, candidates will see your positions as so much more than a just a salary and a desk. From creative benefits packages that differentiate your company to employee testimonials that create transparency and allow candidates to see themselves in the particular role. Even community outreach efforts speak volumes about your employer brand by establishing the company as much more than a profit center.

Using these tools to ensure a candidate’s interest in your company gets you one step closer to hiring talented individuals and growing your team.