Tag Archive for: recruiting tactics

How to Attract and Retain Top Talent in Rural Communities

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Although rural communities often have a reputation for being isolated and behind the times, this is not always the case. In fact, many rural areas are home to businesses that are at the forefront of innovation. However, these businesses often struggle to attract and retain talent. This is partly due to the perception that there are limited job opportunities in rural areas.

With the right approach, rural businesses can successfully recruit and hire top talent. There are several factors to consider when developing a strategy for recruiting and retaining talent in a rural community.

Know your ideal candidate

When recruiting job seekers to a rural community, it’s essential to know your ideal candidate’s demographics and psychographics. Demographics are the characteristics of a population, such as age, gender, income, education level, etc. Psychographics are the psychological factors that influence someone’s behavior, such as values, attitudes, personality, interests, and lifestyle. By understanding both sets of information, you can more effectively target your recruitment efforts.

For example, if you’re looking for young professionals with a strong work ethic and family values, you might target job seekers who are recently married or have young children. On the other hand, if you’re looking for creative types interested in outdoor recreation and arts & culture, you might target job seekers who live in urban areas but are interested in moving to a more rural setting. By understanding your ideal candidate demographics and psychographics, you can tailor your recruitment efforts to attract the right candidates to your rural community.

Focus on soft skills

When it comes to hiring, it’s essential to know your ideal candidate. And while there are a lot of factors to consider, it’s often the soft skills that make the most significant difference. Soft skills are the personal attributes and qualities that allow someone to interact effectively with others. They include things like communication, empathy, and problem-solving. While hard skills are important, they can usually be taught. On the other hand, soft skills are more challenging to teach and are often more predictive of success. Therefore, when you’re hiring, be sure to focus on finding candidates with the most critical soft skills for your company.

When evaluating candidates, take the time to assess their soft skills.

  • Are they able to clearly communicate their thoughts and ideas?
  • Do they seem open and receptive to feedback?
  • Do they have a positive attitude?

These are just a few soft skills that can make a difference in whether or not a candidate is successful. Paying attention to these crucial qualities will help you find the right person for the job. In addition, by doing so, you’ll increase your chances of finding someone who will be a successful long-term employee.

Create an attractive environment

Many businesses today are finding it challenging to attract and retain top talent. In a highly competitive marketplace, it is essential for companies to create an environment that is attractive to potential employees. Several key factors can make a business more attractive to workers.

1. Offering competitive wages

In today’s economy, businesses need to offer competitive wages and benefits to attract and retain top talent. This is especially true in rural communities, where the pool of potential employees is often smaller. By offering competitive wages and benefits, businesses can ensure that they can attract and retain the best employees.

This may seem counterintuitive, but businesses in rural areas actually need to offer higher wages and benefits than their urban counterparts to attract and retain employees. The cost of living in rural areas is often higher than in urban areas, so workers need to be paid more to maintain their standard of living. Additionally, rural areas often have fewer job opportunities, so workers may be more likely to leave a company if they don’t feel they are being compensated fairly. To compete for talent, businesses in rural areas need to offer wages and benefits that are at least on par with those in urban areas. Otherwise, they will find it difficult to attract and retain the best employees.

2. Focusing on work-life balance

While the quality of life that these communities offer is often appealing to workers, the lack of professional opportunities can be a deterrent. To overcome this challenge, businesses need to create a work-life balance that helps employees feel professionally and personally fulfilled. This can be achieved by offering flexible work arrangements, access to professional development opportunities, and a supportive community. By creating an environment that helps employees thrive both professionally and personally, businesses in rural communities can attract and retain the best talent.

3. Creating a positive work environment

Finally, businesses in rural communities need to focus on creating a positive work environment. This can be done by ensuring that the physical work environment is clean and comfortable and that the company culture is one that values teamwork, respect, and communication. By creating a positive work environment, businesses in rural communities can ensure that they can attract and retain the best employees.

Rural communities offer a unique set of challenges and opportunities for businesses. By creating an environment that meets the needs of employees, businesses can improve their chances of attracting and retaining top talent.

Develop opportunities for Career Growth

In today’s economy, it is more important than ever for businesses to provide career growth and development opportunities. By doing so, rural businesses can develop a competitive advantage in the war for talent.

Studies have shown that employees who feel stuck in a dead-end job are much more likely to leave their current position. Furthermore, employees who do not feel like they are learning and growing are more likely to become disengaged and unproductive. On the other hand, employees who feel like they have opportunities for career growth and development are more likely to be loyal and productive. Therefore, businesses need to provide opportunities for career growth and development. By doing so, companies will be able to retain their best employees and attract new talent.

Focus on what your community can offer

When it comes to economic development, rural communities often face unique challenges. They may have difficulty attracting investment or talent, and they may lack the infrastructure or resources of larger cities. However, there are also many advantages that rural communities have to offer. For example;

  • Rural communities may also have lower crime rates, and they may offer a more affordable cost of living.
  • They often have a strong sense of community and a deep commitment to their residents.
  • They may also have a wealth of natural resources or rich history and culture.
  • Rural businesses often offer a more relaxed and family-friendly atmosphere than their urban counterparts.
  • Many rural communities are located near natural beauty or outdoor recreation areas, which can be a significant selling point for candidates who value work-life balance.

These factors can be attractive to potential employees looking for a different lifestyle. When recruiting and hiring, be sure to highlight the unique advantages your rural community offers.

Bringing it together with a positive mindset

Even with the challenges that rural communities face, there are many reasons to be optimistic about the future. Rural businesses are becoming more creative in their approach to recruiting and hiring. By focusing on the unique advantages, businesses can attract people looking for an alternative to the traditional urban lifestyle. With the right attitude and approach, businesses in rural communities can thrive and provide good jobs for those who want to live and work in these areas.

At Award Staffing, we are dedicated to helping businesses in rural communities find the best talent possible. We understand the unique challenges these businesses face, and we are committed to assisting them in overcoming these challenges. So, if you are a business in a rural community, don’t hesitate to contact us today to learn more about how we can help you find the best employees for your business.

8 Tactics for Attracting Talented Candidates

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In the current economy, it’s difficult to find quality employees for a variety of reasons. Not only do workforce trends, therefore employee expectations evolve on a regular basis; after the pandemic, many people’s lifestyles have changed drastically. This has influenced the way jobholders believe employment should work. While it can feel like it’s hit or miss when it comes to bringing in new talent, there are many tactics you can use to appeal to job seekers in your industry. Here are some of the factors that commonly get overlooked when companies are trying to draw in new talent:

1. Have a Detailed Job Post

When you’re trying to fill vacancies, you want to be as informational as possible without making the post too long (300-700 words is a good criteria). Remember, there are a ton of others trying to attract candidates as well, so the key is to stand out. Job seekers always want to know, “what’s in it for me?”, so believe it or not; a lot of companies are steering away from having a requirements and duties/responsibilities section in their job posts. Start by discussing why your company is a cut above the rest and what a day in the life of one of your employees looks like. Talk about desired perks like paid vacation, health & retirement benefits, and wellness programs. Then, towards the bottom, describe the job and what’s to be expected if hired. This will ensure the post is engaging and that applicants read it from top to bottom before moving on in their search.

 

2. Advertise Team Building and Company Ethos 

Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Not only will your company be more efficient and productive if you implement team building into your strategy, but employee retention will increase and people will be more apt to apply. Gone are the days that people want to work somewhere solely for a certain wage or as a status symbol. Now it’s about feeling like they are a part of something. Knowing that they will be entering an organization with positive employee morale and one where everyone works together will make job seekers feel more comfortable and will attract candidates who truly want to be there and are not just inquiring for the sake of a pay check.

 

3. Promote from Within

Employees want to know that they will have long-term careers with the companies they are currently working for, but only half of employees actually feel like they do. From an employee perspective, there is nothing more discouraging than seeing somebody from outside the company get the job that they are just as qualified for. In fact, in their mind they are more qualified because they have already paid their dues and contributed to the company. Promoting strictly from within will give your employees a bigger sense of security and shows that you appreciate them by being willing to advance them in their careers.

4. Have a Join Our Team page on the Company Website

If you want to bring in top candidates, simply having an “Apply here” button is not enough. An entire page dedicated to marketing the company as a great place to work will attract many more qualified applicants. Make the page as visually appealing and engaging as possible. This is the place to talk about the company culture, post photos of the office, post employee profiles & testimonials, and showcase awards that the company has won. A “join our team” page should essentially give prospective employees a taste of what it would actually feel and be like to work there.

 

5. Craft an Appealing Job Title

Since the title is the first thing that people see when perusing through job boards, making it eye-catching title will make all the difference in the amount of applicants you get. This is your first opportunity to make an impression on someone who could be the next MVP of your company. Don’t give them the chance to reject you by underestimating the importance of the job title. Call the job what it is and avoid using terms like “guru” or “rock star”, as this doesn’t give any insight on what the job entails. A quality title will use general vocabulary (not jargon that is only understood within your company). It can also be advantageous to add the location and mention some of the job perks or benefits you offer.

6. Treat a Job Posting as Marketing for Your Company

In order to bring in top talent, your company must be reputable as a place that current employees enjoy working. This means that your office practices should be highlighted in the job post. If your company has won awards for its culture or being a top place to work, be sure to include that. All too often, hiring managers only post “job requirements”; but applicants need to know what the environment and work-life balance looks like to decide if they can envision themselves being part of it. This is your chance to activate candidates by getting them excited about the possibility of working there. Use it to your advantage by having a section dedicated to discussing the collectively enjoyable aspects of the job/company. Nowadays people aren’t just looking for a prestigious job title and a paycheck. They want to know they have something to look forward to every day when they walk into work.

7. Consider Remote Employees

On account of team building and camaraderie, many company leaders prefer to only hire local talent so that they are able to come into the office every day. But with the new implementation of communication tools like Zoom and Slack over the past year, it has proven to be easy to connect and keep in touch no matter where someone is working from. In the current market, it is difficult to bring in new talent. However, work still needs to get done if you want your business to thrive. Being open up to remote employees for administrative and marketing tasks gives you the whole world as your candidate pool. Also, people are more likely to apply for and accept a position that gives them location freedom.

8. Offer/Promote Learning Programs

Despite what degrees or certifications one may have, many people are resistant to apply for positions because they don’t feel qualified enough for them. Job postings and descriptions only tell you so much; therefore, if someone feels that they don’t have the right experience, they will be too intimidated to apply. If you make it a point to let applicants know that you have programs and will train them, (not just in the beginning, but on a constant basis) you will see more applications coming in.

If your business is currently in need of more talent, we at Award Staffing are here to help you. Contact us here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Improve Your Skilled Worker Recruiting Strategy

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Demand for skilled workers is still high in Minnesota, and positions are becoming harder than ever to fill. Hiring managers can easily get discouraged by the inability to find the right candidates to fill their roles. We’re currently working with our clients to ensure that they remain staffed with the best skilled workers to meet their goals. Here’s how we’re helping those clients reevaluate their hiring strategy and get their hiring process back on track.

Mind the generation gap

Millennials are those born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s. This generation is fully of age and looking to start families and take the next steps in their careers. Hiring managers need to be acutely aware of young adults’ changing expectations for their professional lives. Many members of this generation have been taught that college is their best chance at success, but blue-collar jobs can set themselves apart in this regard.

Meanwhile, Generation Z is entering the workforce. The prospect of apprenticeships, immediate pay and on-site training can help lure high school students into the productive and fulfilling trades. The student debt crisis is something that young people should be considering as they think about career prospects, and the trades offer a great option to make good money at a secure job immediately – without owing money for years to come.

If you want proactive workers, be proactive!

Throwing up an ad and waiting for the right applicants is no longer the path to recruiting success. You should be thinking about your company and what it can offer employees, not just the reverse. Workers today are more likely to want to work at an organization that has a clear mission and values, so be ready to define these qualities. It will give you the inside track on potential employees who value working at the right place.

On this same note, you want to be proactive about promoting training opportunities. Employees feel valued if they know that their employer is willing to invest in them. Apprenticeships and on-site training are enticing offers, and you should be taking full advantage of them by making all potential hires aware of their benefits.

Empower your current staff

Too many hiring managers assume that employees are set once they’re hired. You need to continue on a path of offering positive feedback and tangible rewards to employees throughout their careers with you. This will not only result in higher morale and loyal staff, but it will create long-term benefits as word of mouth spreads that you are a desirable employer that values its people. This will only serve to benefit your recruiting efforts in the short- and long-term.

Minor tweaks can go a long way in recruiting and hiring skilled workers. Companies should be ready to describe their own company’s strengths, of the appealing benefits of trade work and how they can create happy and empowered workers.

If your business is looking to recruit more skilled workers, Award Staffing can help. Contact us today to learn more about how we can create an effective staffing strategy for your business.

Best Tactics for Recruiting Quality over Quantity

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The HR Challenge: Attracting qualified candidates, rather than a realm of respondents who not only lack the required experience, and skills – both hard and soft but also fail to fit your culture.  It’s a complicated process and involves much more than reviewing resumes and interviewing a short list of candidates. Bad hires are costly and time-consuming. If you want better results, consider revamping your system. Consider these steps.

Face the Current Challenges –

A talentnow post lists three recruiting challenges, which play a role in today’s market.

· A talent shortage: According to surveys almost 75% of employers are struggling to find relevant candidates and more than 85% of the qualified candidates are not actively seeking a new position.
· Qualified candidates hold the reins: When top talent appears on the market, they’re typically hired within ten days, which boils down to a candidate-driven market. In fact, more than 20% of recruiters struggle with meeting the demands of qualified candidates.
· Your company brand is lacking: This challenge is perhaps the easiest and the hardest to change. Easy, because you can take specific steps; hard, because a negative reputation is hard to overcome. In our social media world, candidates can quickly glean who is and who is not their dream employer. In fact, 84% of job seekers say a company’s reputation is a critical factor.

Respond: Companies can’t change the shortage, and said shortage is why candidates hold the reins…but you can build your reputation and establish an attractive culture.

· Operate on ethical principles and maintain integrity.
· Stand behind your company claims.
· Be involved in your community, as well as globally.
· Treat your employees as your most valuable asset. Show appreciation and offer the best compensation program you can. Know your “market” when determining which benefits and perks to include.
· Communicate with employees. Ensure that they understand the big picture and how their role connects to it

When you create an attractive culture and a solid reputation, your company will naturally entice more qualified talent.

Adopt up-to-date recruiting tactics –

Be intentional about hiring diversity. According to LinkedIn’s Global Recruiting Trends Report, 49% of companies surveyed say intentionally incorporating diversity provides a better representation of their customers, 62% claim it improves company performance and a whopping 78% attribute it as a factor in improving company culture.

Create a robust and affirmative employee referral program: Focus on your top performers and engagers. Communicate your job description to them and reward them well when their recommendations turn into a great hire.

Reinvent your interviewing process: Make use of technology.

· Utilize video interviews, rather than phone screens, to narrow the list.
· Interview in a setting similar to your workplace culture.
· Include soft skills and emotional intelligence assessments.
· Adopt virtual reality assessments – it enables the candidate to “try on” a job.
· Use data to help make strategic hiring decisions and predict hiring outcomes.
· Use social recruiting strategies. 80% of employers claim that social recruiting helps them find passive talent.
· Consider mobile-enabled application processes.

Change your job description focus –

Evaluate what the job’s absolute requirements are, what you can train on the job, and what really doesn’t matter in the big picture.

Obviously, specific skills – especially technical ones – are crucial, but sometimes those skills are developed via experience, certifications, and online learning, instead of a degree. And sometimes, the candidate with a degree is sadly lacking in emotional intelligence, communication, and other critical soft skills. In addition to essential skills, pay attention to aptitude, attitude, work ethic, integrity, and people skills.

Attracting qualified candidates will remain a challenge, but companies who present an attractive culture and build a strong reputation, while staying informed on and embracing technology will reap the results they’re seeking – qualified candidates, who become great hires, rather than a pool of much less potential.

If you’re looking to hire the best talent in the business, contact Award Staffing. We will be able to help you find the right employees for your unique business needs. If you’re searching for more tips and trick on how to improve your company’s workforce, check out our hiring solutions blog.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

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