Where did all the good employees go?

During the economic downturn, you scaled back on hiring to keep your business afloat. Now that things have stabilized, you’re struggling to find quality employees to work for you. Unemployment is still relatively high, so why can’t you find talented applicants?

Perhaps the question should be turned inward. Ask yourself the following questions to get a feel for how others perceive your company, and discover if you’re even reaching your target applicant pool in the first place.

Internal Job Satisfaction

Are your current employees satisfied with their jobs? Do they speak highly of the company? If you’re not sure, have them take a survey to discover your company’s strengths and weaknesses from the employee’s perspective. Build on the strengths and fix the weaknesses. When is the last time an internal employee referred a new employee to work for your company? This speaks volumes of how well your employees enjoy their work environment.

Benefits Package

When is the last time you revisited your benefits package? Benefits are no longer “icing on the cake;” they’re a must-have. Per the ACA, any individual without health insurance will now be penalized. Certainly more companies are now offering health insurance because of the mandate, so how can you make your benefits package stand out? Do you offer supplemental benefits as a way to enhance the benefits portfolio? What about dental, vision, or flexible spending? If cost is a concern, consider tapping into a PEO to take advantage of their economies of scale and providing additional benefits for little-to-no cost to you, the employer.

Social Media

What is your social media pulse? In today’s work environment, there’s no excuse to not have a social media presence. At the bare minimum, make sure your company has a Facebook page. Getting your name out there doesn’t take a full-time marketing department anymore, and it doesn’t cost much time or money, either. But it does require a little effort.

Job Openings

Beyond your own website, where are you advertising job openings? Attracting key talent is not a one-size-fits-all. Job openings are a great thing to post on Facebook, tweet on Twitter, and share on LinkedIn. If you’re overwhelmed thinking about updating multiple social network sites, consider using a social media management tool like Hootsuite or SproutSocial where you add your login information to various social sites and post to multiple accounts at once. There are many low-cost or free online sites where you can post ads, including the classified sections of local papers, monster.com, KSL Jobs, Craigslist, and so on. Try searching for “free classified ad sites” to discover more near you. Most local colleges also have job boards or job outreach programs that are anxious to pass along job openings.

Company Promotion

What are other people saying about your company? Are you involved with community Facebook Groups, LinkedIn Groups, or local Chambers of Commerce? Do you offer free advice when somebody posts a question that is in your area of expertise? These are moments where you can unintentionally sell and give your company a positive image. How are you promoting your company to job applicants? Every job opening should include a brag section about why people love working for your company. Boast about your strengths. Include direct quotes from employees that you gathered from the employee survey. Get people excited to work for your company!

Everyone knows that turnover is costly and time consuming. While it’s easy to point fingers of why you’re having a hard time finding the right employees, the key may be found through inward inspection. Find ways to become more efficient so you can focus on your growing business. Bottom line? Get your ducks in a row and the talent will find you.  For more information, please contact us.