Keys to Recruiting Throughout the Great Resignation

Employee turnover is at an all-time high, thanks to the Great Resignation. Employees are demanding to be valued and appreciated, and they want their salaries and benefits to reflect that. Many companies are now scrambling to hire after the nation’s “quit rate” reached a 20-year high in November of 2021. If your business is looking to hire in this new season of recruitment, here are some keys to ensure your ability to find the best candidates for your team:

Be Understanding Towards the Differences in Generations

While the “Millennial” and “Gen Z” generations are considered the younger, “immature” generation, it should be remembered that many millennials are now close to 40 years old and make up the majority of the workforce currently. Within the next decade, Gen Z will take over as the majority of the workforce. They value meaningful work, including an organization’s commitments to social and environmental justice. In addition to meaningful work, these generations need to feel appreciated in order to stay.

Bring Flexibility to the Table

Let’s be honest – most work nowadays can be done remotely. Employees want to be able to control when and where they can work, and it shows: 66% of small to mid-size businesses in America offer hybrid work models. Because of this, remote work is a high priority for most modern job seekers.

Strengthen Your Benefits Package

Because of the state of employment, most candidates know the leverage that they have when it comes to benefits. While adding “normal” benefits (401(k), health insurance, etc.) if you don’t already have them is great, think outside the box to generate interest. 401(k) employer contributions could reflect a percentage of the employee’s pay instead of matching the employee’s contributions; health care premiums could be lowered with added gym memberships; offer paid caregiver leave (that includes new dads!); include a budget for a home office for remote employees; offer childcare assistance if you still need employees to come in to work; foot the bill for education and professional development. These will not only bring in lots of active job seekers; you may attract passive candidates as well. A side note: when implementing these new benefits – don’t forget to include your current employees too!

Target Passive Candidates

As mentioned earlier, passive candidates can be attracted by innovative benefits packages. But what are passive candidates? These job seekers are not actively looking for a new job or posting their resumes (hence, “passive”), but they are not one to turn down an impressive opportunity. Active candidates typically get pulled from the running pretty quickly, especially if they are highly qualified. The passive candidates, however, make up 70% of the global workforce – so there is no shortage of them. Understandably, many positions need to be filled as quickly as possible, especially in companies with a high turnover rate. Targeting passive candidates is definitely a long game, as they are not under as much pressure to find a new job. These candidates prioritize salary and benefits, as well as a strong company culture with great rapport between coworkers. Having a solidified vision and benefits package for passive candidates is the best way to reel them in.

Stay Engaged

The easiest way to lose candidates is a lack of communication. Stay in touch with them consistently and in a timely manner: let them know if you are waiting on something; if they did or did not get the job. Personalize your communications: address them by their preferred name; mention something you talked about previously; after all – you are planning on possibly working with this person – develop a relationship. Even after the process is over, follow up with candidates that didn’t make it or removed themselves: send them newsletters, new opportunities, or even HR articles. Keeping in touch can provide a candidate pool for future use.

Utilize Technology

Finally, use technology that saves both your and your candidates’ time. Candidly speaking, if it takes more than ten minutes to apply, there is a high likelihood that they won’t even bother. By using a powerful and flexible applicant tracking and recruiting software like LightWork Recruit, you can hire top-level talent easily and efficiently. LightWork Recruit posts to major job boards, processes tax credits, and centralizes your recruiting process in one system, including correspondence with candidates. Learn more about how LightWork Recruit can make hiring simple today.