TIPS TO BOOST YOUR RECRUITING POST COVID-19
Although we are still in the midst of coping with the pandemic, we are beginning to see glimmers of hope for recovery. It may not be business as usual, but for many companies, it will mean ramping up their workforce again. Unemployment rates have soared to new highs after a period of extremely low rates that led to stiff competition for top job candidates, and while it may be some time before they are substantially lower, forward-thinking companies will be looking to replace critical talent and gear up for pent-up demand for goods and services. So, this is a good time to consider how to attract the talent you need ahead of your competitors.
TIP #1
STOP SELLING AND START GENERATING DEMAND
“Companies need to stop selling and start generating demand. Begin by creating and distributing quality content that gets the attention of your desired audience. To build trust among relevant individuals, provide information that enhances your reputation as a thought leader in your space. Illustrate your values and highlight your company culture to enhance your employer brand. Inbound marketing is all about creating interest, warming up relationships, and getting people to come to you and your organization,” says Patrick Convery, MRINetwork Sr. Marketing Manager.
What exactly is inbound marketing? According to Hubspot, a marketing software firm, “Inbound marketing is a business methodology that attracts customers by creating valuable content and experiences tailored to them. While outbound marketing interrupts your audience with content they do not want, inbound marketing forms connections they’re looking for and solves problems they already have.”
For the furniture industry, we have such an opportunity to highlight our beautiful stores as a backdrop for creating outstanding creative content. It is almost like you have a built-in studio at your fingertips. You have beautiful showrooms and product lines and typically compensation and wages are above average for Furniture retailers versus their chain store competitors, says Bill O’Malley, Connector Team Recruiting Managing Partner, and Chief Recruiting Officer.
With this in mind, here is how your organization can use inbound marketing to attract top talent.
“First,” says Convery, “it’s essential that you have a well-defined idea of the type of person you aim to hire for your company so that you can market to them effectively.” To do this, the publication Social Media Today recommends that you create “candidate personas” to form a clear picture of the audience you want to target.
“What education is needed, what essential skills are required, what other factors are pertinent to the specific position? Probe these areas with your team so you can target the people who fit your needs,” advises Convery. ”This process helps you to refine your inbound marketing efforts and streamline your campaigns on social media platforms such as LinkedIn.”
Second, you should think strategically about the content on your website. “Not every person that comes across your content or website is ready to apply for a position,” as noted by Social Media Today. “Some people are curious, passively seeing what opportunities are out there or simply researching, and this is precisely why it's important for you to create and publish as many useful content types as possible to support them.”
This type of content can take the form of white papers, eBooks, webinars, and articles. “Keep giving, keep educating, and don’t ask for anything in return. Eventually, these people will come to you,” says Convery. “If you’re searching for a pipeline of potential applicants, take a look at those who opt-in for more content via email and YouTube subscriptions - and reach out to those who engage with your social posts.”
Remember that inbound marketing revolves around providing outstanding content. This means that even after you have caught the attention of your target audience, you must continue to engage them with dynamic content that keeps them coming back and instills the idea that your company is a good place to work.
“Of course, as an employer, you can research and implement an effective inbound program on your own. But in today’s fast-changing social media environment, you may want to consult with a professional recruitment firm that’s well versed in emerging media platforms, proficient in developing ongoing thought leadership content, and experts in managing the pipeline of applicants to ensure the true game-changing talent rises to the top,” noted Convery.
TIP #2
ENHANCE AND STREAMLINE YOUR APPLICATION PROCESS
“Don’t miss out on enhancing and streamlining your hiring process. In January of 2020, this year we published a blog titled “How to Attract Top Talent.”
In the article linked below, we referenced a 2019 Survey that showed that Seventy-six percent of candidates say they expect to be given the ability to submit applications and receive feedback via a mobile device. However, just 30 percent of employers offer a mobile-friendly application process.
One of the other key highlights showed that if you have a slow and sluggish application process and poorly designed Career pages you may be missing out on the most qualified prospects. Surveys consistently show that highly-skilled workers don't stay unemployed for long. Offering a sluggish application process encourages strong candidates to look elsewhere."
A great example of a company that has streamlined its application process was also highlighted in the article published in Furniture World Magazine titled “The Employee Application Challenge.” In the article, we look at an example of a retailer that proves you do not have to be a mega-retailer to compete for top talent. We highlighted Bob Mills Furniture as a company that really stands out…Bob Mills is a top-100 Furniture retailer operating nine stores in Oklahoma and Texas.
Not only does the company have a smart and coherent mobile-optimized website and career page, but they also have implemented a FASTAPP process to quickly capture applicants as they visit their website. Their company culture is built on innovation and they love to try new things using their size and scale to their advantage. Click on the images below to read the full article:
There is no doubt that COVID-19 has put many people on the sidelines and spiked the unemployment rate significantly. Does that put the employer in a position where it is an Employer driven market reversing the past 5 years of a candidate-driven market? From my perspective, top talent is still going to be in demand for the rest of the year. Many of the people on the sidelines are not necessarily a fit for skill positions including; Sales | Business Development | Supply Chain and Logistics and other roles in the Furniture industry.
So now is a great time to harness and embrace technology. Give your company the ability to attract top talent as we emerge and enter the post-pandemic environment. Attracting and hiring the best people in the industry takes investment, work, and a committed leadership team. Nearly all of the best organizations will tell you it comes down to two key things. First, they attract great people by building a great culture. Second, they will tell you it takes commitment from the top and investment plus hard work to build a winning culture.
Building your brand and culture will make it easier to attract and engage the right talent to help you build your high-performance team.
I invite you to comment below or send me an email at bill@connectorteamrecruiting.com. We’d love to hear feedback and your thoughts on innovation ideas for attracting top talent to your organization.
Bill O’Malley is President of Connector Team Recruiting a firm headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia specializing in the Furniture | Appliance and Sleep verticals. Connector Team is an affiliate office of MRINETWORK, Philadelphia, PA. Connector Team is a full service Search Firm offering permanent placement recruiting and interim staffing solutions.
Feel free to contact Bill at bill@connectorteamrecruiting.com.