For those with a theater or improv background, you will be familiar with the “yes, and” concept. You build off the improvisations of your fellow actors, and you create a well-rounded, often funny production on stage. We can apply this same concept to employee recruitment but with slightly higher stakes.
To be competitive for quality talent against neighboring communities, you must ask yourself what more you can offer. You can have a competitive salary, quality health insurance, a robust retirement plan, and paid leave, but many communities offer the same.
Yes, and? What else can you offer your potential hires that will keep them interested in your organization? This is where you need to stand out! Consider a few of the following options:
Positive Culture
Prioritize building an environment where everyone feels valued and welcome. People spend more time at work than they do at home. How nice would it be if they are just as comfortable at their desk as they are on their couch? Celebrate big achievements, highlight a job well done, and take the time to get to know your colleagues.
Remote Working Opportunities
If there’s one thing the pandemic taught us, it’s how to establish a work-life balance when we are on the couch. What roles do you have in your organization that could become hybrid or fully remote positions? What support and tools do your colleagues need to make this happen? Providing this kind of flexibility makes you a competitive option throughout employee recruitment.
Flexible Schedules
Powerful, united organizations are built on a strong foundation of trust, and you can demonstrate this by trusting your colleagues to establish a flexible, yet complete schedule. Give them the room to take self-selected breaks for walks and lunch and throw in the occasional later start, and your organization will feel your faith in their work ethic.
Team Building
You might cringe to think about those ice-breaker activities you used to do at the start of your classes in school each semester, but those kinds of experiences can bring your teams together. Plan a team excursion on a Saturday or appoint a culture committee that schedules monthly activities to unite your organization. You will notice an improved sense of unity that attracts the best talent.
Professional Development
Your organization is only as strong as the employees you recruit, and providing development opportunities means investing in your business. It also means you get to show your teams how much you value their growth. Hiring in-house professional development opportunities gives everyone the same opportunities to expand their capabilities, and providing outsourced specialized training gives smaller groups chances to hone more finetuned skills. All of it means growth for your colleagues.
Succession Opportunities
Tapping team members in for growth opportunities helps them to see that you truly value them and recognize their strengths. After building experience in professional development, you will have a bevy of highly qualified individuals who will be ready to take on new challenges. Keeping open channels for advancement gives your colleagues and new hires purposeful ambition.
Leadership Opportunities
Your best demonstration of trust is opening leadership opportunities for personnel in your organization. Highlighting these roles show your team you trust in their capabilities, and it also shows potential hires that there is something to drive for once they join your organization.
Vacation Leave in the Bank
Even the best leaders know that they thrive when they have a healthy work-life balance. Offering vacation days for new hires shows that you know they need time to unwind with family and friends. This helps them to return to the office more fulfilled and prepared to do a job well done.
Health Insurance from Day 1
Professionals in search of a new career need to think of themselves and their families when they make their selection. Help make this process easier for them by offering care through well-rounded health insurance on their first day in your office. This shows that you care more about them as a person than as simply a professional for hire.
Employee Wellness Programs
Maintain the health of your team members and their families with regular offerings to support their mental, emotional, and physical health. Not only will they be better prepared to bring their best selves to every workday, but they will know that you care about every aspect of who they are. Valued employees stay, and they show their loyalty by bringing in other highly capable candidates.
Prioritizing any or all of these components will attract the best talent in your community, and you will only grow stronger as an organization. Take this as an invitation to invest in yourself and your employee recruitment, and you will find the benefits returning to you tenfold!
