Have you heard this before? It usually comes from managers that post job after job but never really get the talent they need. Well, there is a reason for that, and it requires you to take a good look at your organization, how well you are branded, and your reputation. Here are some starting points.
1. No one knows you are hiring.
If the only place you’ve put your opening is on your company website, how do you expect people to see it? You’ve got to direct traffic to your site through other social media outlets. Do you have a company Facebook page? How about a company page on Linked In? If not, make one. Put your web address on everything you can. When you run ads, don’t limit yourself to just newspapers. Reach out to your local unemployment office, or college campus. Try outreach and community centers. You’d be surprised how quickly the word spreads.
2. Your company’s reputation is NOT flattering.
This is a hard thing to face sometimes but one that needs to be addressed immediately. The key is identifying where the problems are in your organization. For example, if you have the reputation of being a revolving door, those candidates which deem work stability as their main motivator, aren’t going to have anything to do with your organization. Same thing goes if you have the reputation of working your managers to death. The work/life balance crowd (of which there are a lot) won’t consider you either.
Do you really know what your name is like in your industry or your community? One place you can check is a site called www.glassdoor.com. It’s a site that posts reviews of jobs as well as companies written by both current and past employees.
Some of the best information can come from your own personal network. What do your friends think? How about your staffing provider? What are they hearing from candidates when they talk to them about working for your organization? If you don’t use a firm, ask your local unemployment office what they hear.
3. Your compensation is just not sexy enough.
When is the last time you did a wage survey in your market? Do you know where you rank compared to your competition when it comes to pay? There is really no reason other than laziness if the answer to these questions are never and no. It’s so easy to get a baseline of compensation levels by going to www.bls.gov. If you find that you are paying below the entry-level for your market, you may want to revamp your compensation plan. No one wants to take a pay cut when changing jobs, especially if the benefits aren’t any better or worse than what they already have.
The Rant 