Once upon a time, a company with a vacant position placed an advertisement for employment in the local newspaper and waited for the resumes and applications to pour in. Then technology advanced and recruitment went digital with the application of algorithms, buzz words, filters and the like. Job boards flourished and human resources professionals scrambled to list company vacancies where they’d get the most exposure and the best applicants.
Not a whole lot has changed however, potential employees now have greater outreach than ever and can acquire information (and gossip) about potential employers. Savvy HR professionals understand that the application and interview process now goes both ways. Candidates for employment scrutinize potential employers, too.
What can your company do to be more attractive to candidates and retain great employees? Here are a couple suggestions: company reputation and finding quality candidates.
Build and Maintain a Good Reputation
According to Corporate Responsibility Magazine, 75 percent of Americans “would not take a job with a company that had a bad reputation, even if they were unemployed." In addition, Talently reports that 92 percent of employees favored leaving their current jobs for companies with excellent reputations.
Networking with industry leaders through support of your trade association is a good way to build and maintain a positive reputation. Professional companies tend to support their association and find that they get more than they give. The ability to use the association logo in marketing and on your website lends credibility to employees and customers alike. The professional 501C6 trade association for the power sweeping industry is the North American Power Sweeping Association (www.PowerSweeping.org).
Offer What They Want
After years and years of hearing about the importance of work-life balance and learning that, no, you really can’t have it all, businesses have come to recognize that employees cannot have quality time with their families and friends if they do not have “quantity” time. Sure, you still want your workers to put in 40 hours a week, but does that 40 hours require certain stretches of time without variation? Showing flexibility when possible by doing something like letting an employee leave early to attend his child’s school play pays off in employee loyalty and willingness to reciprocate when you need an extra hand on deck.
Employees also appreciate having an investment in their career. With NAPSA’s SweeperSchool, this can easily be done. Our courses at www.SweeperSchool.com allow employees to gain knowledge and be recognized through they attainment of certification which come with certificates, patches, hat pins and more. These items are perfect for presenting at the company safety meetings. The courses are virtual and can be done on the student’s schedule so check out the courses or contact NAPSA with any questions at 888-757-0130.
