Health, Wellness, and your Employer Brand

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It’s no news that investing in the health and wellness of your staff carries a number of significant benefits for both employer and employee. From higher productivity, to reduced stress levels, lowered absenteeism and reduced turnover, the benefits of a healthy workforce are boundless. But many business leaders fail to realise there is a key opportunity to enhance their employer brand through health and wellness efforts.

More than 70 per cent of Australians consider health and wellbeing as one of the three most important factors for a good workplace, reported a 2015 Medibank Private study.

What’s more is that in an Australian study of 2400 professionals conducted by Robert Walters, one in two professionals would leave their jobs if their wellbeing needs were not met. Wellbeing programs have evolved from simply being ‘a nice perk’ to being an essential tool for employers hoping to retain their talent.

Head of Employer Branding at Employment Office, Mark Puncher says more and more job seekers perceive their place of work as reflection of their lifestyle, and employers need to tap into this.

“With health and wellness considered top of the list as an important factor for 70 per cent of job seekers, a strong employer branding strategy marked by health and wellness initiatives should be at the forefront of recruitment efforts,” he says.

“Via social media, job seekers have an insight into what it’s like to work for a particular company. So employers need to take advantage of this online exposure to celebrate their workplace culture, particularly their health and wellness activities – which is continuing to grow as a major factor for job seekers when considering an employer.”    

Read on to learn how to enhance your employer brand by showcasing your health and wellness efforts.

Implement effective health and wellness activities.

Founding Director of Employment Office, Tudor Marsden Huggins, knows first-hand the positive impact health and wellness activities has on his team.  “We hold monthly ‘buzz nights’ to celebrate team achievements of the past month – and they’ve proven to be wonderful opportunity to get the team outdoors and moving. We’ve kayaked down the Brisbane River, had a blast indoor trampolining, played bowling, laser skirmish and even completed a scavenger hunt across the city. But keeping your team healthy doesn’t have to be an elaborate endeavour. Something as simple as a team run or rock-climbing event, and providing fresh and healthy snacks are some of the easiest but most effective ways to invest in the health of your team,” he says.  

Identify and list your health and wellness activities on your careers webpage! Describe the aim of each health and wellness activity and include pictures of your team having fun. Be sure to note even small things such as providing fruit and nuts in the kitchen and vending machines – these perks go along way when it comes to a candidate envisaging working for your organisation.  

Update your social media pages

Update your social channels frequently with what is going on in the health and wellness space. This allows you to show you’re investing in the health of your staff on a day-to-day basis, and importantly, that your team are engaging in your wellness program.  

Further, you’ll find social media to be a health and wellness tool in itself, enabling you to encourage your team to keep up their great work. As an idea, link all your wellness posts with a hashtag to emphasise the work you’re doing in the space. For example, #<youroganisation>fit or #<yourorganisation>wellness.

There are so many possibilities when it comes to celebrating a healthy workplace culture on social media. You could run competitions in which staff members post pictures of themselves making a healthy choice or a number of steps per day competition. Congratulate different personal health and fitness achievements and of course, post about events that your organisation gets involved in, just to name a few!

Sign up your organisation for larger events

There’s nothing more powerful for an employer brand than real people showcasing the fun they are having as part of your company. Founding Director of Employment Office, Tudor Marsden Huggins says participating in the national cycling charity event, Tour de Office, is not only a powerful health message to his staff, but provides media opportunities for Employment Office to be featured in conjunction with Tour de Office. “Employment Office has participated in Tour de Office since it was established in 2011. In addition to encouraging staff to incorporate exercise into their day and fundraising for a charity of our choice, Employment Office has been able to secure local and state publicity alongside Tour de Office during the event,” he says.

Communicate to your team internally.

Employer branding is about nurturing your employees’ perception of you, just as much as it is about how you are perceived by job seekers. With this in mind, it is essential to remind candidates and employees of the programs and initiates you offer.   

Staff can only get involved in health and wellness activities if they know about them!

An Australian study conducted by Robert Australian concluded, “Many organisations do not adequately communicate their workplace wellness program internally to their employees, which leads to under-utilisation of the program and a reduction in the benefits and productivity that can be derived from improved health and wellbeing levels.”

Including a health and wellness section on internal company newsletters, starting a ‘health board’ in the kitchen where different ideas of healthy activities can be shared, and announcing weekly ‘wellbeing news’ in meetings are some ideas to keep communication on all things health open in the workplace.

Whether you have an established health and wellness program or not, now is the time to invest in the wellbeing of your staff, to reap all the benefits that come with a healthy workforce and a strong employer brand that will attract and retain top talent.

Editor’s note: Employment Office provides tailored employer branding services designed and delivered by senior recruitment and marketing specialists. Partner with Employment Office to leverage your workplace culture and make your employer brand shine.

47% of Australian Small Businesses Struggle to Find Staff – Here Are Some Reasons Why

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Do you receive plenty of applications for your open positions, but still aren’t seeing the right candidates? You’re not alone. In fact, 47% of Australian small businesses struggle to find the right staff for open positions.

On average, there are 10 unemployed job seekers for every open position. The problem isn’t that not enough candidates are applying, but a lack of ‘quality’ applicants.

So, what does this mean for you? It’s time to review your recruitment advertising strategy.

Read on for three things you need to do, to start seeing the right candidates.

Know the cultural fit you’re after  

In order to write an accurate job description that will attract the right candidate, you first need to know the personality traits required of your next hire.

Failing to realise which personality traits you’re after, and consequently, not articulating these requirements on your job listing, means you will likely attract a number of applicants who are ultimately the wrong type of candidates for you.

All too often HR managers don’t realise the characteristics they need from their new talent until after a regretful hiring decision. Whether it’s a bad cultural fit, incompatible working processes or a difference in company vision, these factors can result in a short-lived tenancy for your new on-board.

Being able to identify the type of person you want in your organisation could mean the difference between an outstanding long-term hire and a short-lived win.

Set the bar high on your job listing

It may sound counter-intuitive, but to see the right candidates, it’s necessary to set expectations and target job seekers with certain skills, experience and qualifications. A common mistake is trying to appeal to too many job seekers, resulting in an influx of applicants who are unsuitable. This only delays the recruitment process and prolongs the time taken to identify higher quality applicants – by which time they could have been hired by a competitor!

So, be clear about whom you’re after and don’t shy away from setting high expectations. This is something we can help with.

Employment Office’s Recruitment Advertising Specialists are experienced in running consultations with our clients to help you understand who you are looking for, in order to write accurate job advertisements to attract the people you need.

“The process we go through in crafting recruitment advertising for our clients leaves no stone unturned. Over 20 years in the recruitment industry has taught us what to include in a job description in order to attract attention from candidates with the right cultural fit and abilities, and immediately put off those who aren’t a match for your organisation– saving both parties valuable time,” says Jessica Harkin, Head of Recruitment Advertising at Employment Office.

Be where your talent is – but not where your competitors are

Online job boards such as Indeed, Seek and CareerOne have replaced newspapers and become the ‘bread and butter’ of job listings. They are key to any recruitment advertising strategy.

But while you’re posting on these job boards for convenience and wide reach, so are your competitors. SEEK alone has over 135,000 monthly job advertisements. So, what should you do (beyond ensuring your job ads are perfectly written)? Go one step further – be where your competitors aren’t.

  1. Niche Job boards

There are so many online job boards that are industry specific and receive a high engagement.  For example, public relations and communications positions are advertised on the Public Relations Institute of Australia website, and engineering roles are on Engineering Jobs Australia. It sounds simple but too often, these websites are overlooked.

  1. University Outlets

Almost every university has a newsletter, webpage and social media page all advertising career opportunities. There are even a number of closed university club Facebook groups made up of passionate students waiting for their big break. It’s important to foster a relationship with universities in order to advertise on these media outlets and tap into a talent pool of young professionals.

Connecting with universities opens up a range of opportunities for project and research collaboration as well as internships and work placement opportunities – all helping to grow your talent pool with the right type of applicants.

Knowing who you want in your organisation and being able to articulate this on a job description, setting high expectations and advertising in the right places are all key to unveiling the right candidates for you.

Editor’s note: Employment Office provides low-cost recruitment services at a flat fee. From Recruitment Advertising and Shortlisting & Selection services to recruitment technology – Employment Office takes the stress out of recruitment. Click here to partner with the leaders in recruitment and find staff today.

How to Secure Candidates in High Demand

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The recruitment landscape is no longer an even playing field. In certain industries, the tables are turned and it seems you need your next hire more than they need you.

An attractive pay slip helps, but it’s not the be all and end all. To secure high demand candidates, your end-to-end recruitment process must be a cut above the rest.

What can you do to secure top talent in the most competitive industries for recruiters? Read on to learn the key things you need to focus on to fill that empty desk and keep your hip pocket happy.

Nail your recruitment advertising

Candidates in high demand are exposed to significantly more job listings than the average job seeker. This means your job ads need to be outstanding.

Ensure your key stand-outs are the first thing job seekers see when they cast their eyes over your listing. In a few short sentences, describe why would someone from this particular industry want to work for you?

“Don’t assume that simply having a job ad means people will apply. You need to work for great candidates by being engaging. Put yourself in candidates’ shoes and think about what they want to know. Try not to leave questions unanswered and use language they’re comfortable with,” says our Recruitment Advertising Specialist, Jessica Harkin.

Offer candidates what they want

In a competitive recruitment landscape, you will need to offer an appropriate remuneration and articulate this on your job listing. “Recruitment advertising campaigns that include a salary or salary range receive significantly more applications,” says Amber Dique-Bellette, our Global Shortlisting Leader.  

But it’s not just an attractive salary package that will entice applicants; in fact, an Employment Office study found that 1 in 4 people consider a great workplace culture to be the most important factor when considering an employer.

Realise the value of your candidates and quickly highlight the opportunities within your organisation that they care about – what type of working environment and benefits do you offer? How can your organisation develop them within their particular industry? For example, if recruiting a graduate software developer, mention the possibilities for growth in this field and leadership roles down the track.  

/*-By emphasising your offering and understanding what candidates want, you’ll be better equipped to attract quality applications and secure the very best talent.  

Don’t make your candidates wait

Candidates in high demand are more likely to quit your recruitment process early – they’re high risk and you’ll need to treat them as such. Harness the power of recruitment software which allows you to send mass, automated, yet personalised emails and SMS that keep your candidates in the know every step of the way. Communicating with candidates across a range of platforms ensures important messages are received promptly, and your opportunity isn’t lost.

Did you know that creating a positive experience for your candidates will encourage them to be advocates of your organisation before they even join you? Employment Office’s Shortlisting & Selection Specialists are experts when it comes to candidate care. They can guide you through the process or even provide sophisticated, easy to use recruitment software which allows you to practice high-quality candidate care.  

Make a good impression

Creating a positive impression of your organisation as an employer of choice is all about nurturing your employer brand.

Remember, candidates in high demand are typically going through the recruitment process with a number of similar organisations – your competitors! They’re comparing their interactions with each organisation, consciously and subconsciously, to determine the more attractive employer. So, it’s imperative you understand your employee value proposition (EVP) and articulate it as soon as possible.

However, defining your employer brand and EVP is something that is best left to experts if you’re after the best results. “A benefit of engaging an experienced, specialist team is that we’re completely objective in our approach. We’re able to research, analyse, strategise and develop powerful messaging without bias. We also find employees we interview as part of our research are always willing to share more with us than they would their direct employer,” shares Mark Puncher, Head of Employer Branding.     

Your employer brand presents a huge opportunity when it comes to securing high-demand candidates. Combined with effective recruitment advertising, outstanding candidate care and offering candidates what they want most, you can start successfully securing top talent in tight markets.     

Editor’s note: Partner with the recruitment experts who deliver the very best talent to your business. Employment Office provides a suite of recruitment services tailored to your organisation; where you lose the stress but always keep control. Talk to us today!

 

Don’t Ask For This When Leaving a Company

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Imagine your boss is leaving their job. They’ve been there 28 years, but you’ve never seen or spoken to them directly.

Now imagine you have been asked to contribute towards a surprise leaving present for this boss. A bit out of touch, perhaps?

By the way – that leaving present is a sailing boat.

Internationally recognised British art gallery institution, The Tate, made a significant employer branding blunder recently by displaying notices asking employees to dig deep for a gift for director Nicholas Serota, suggesting the money be put towards a sailing boat.

Source: Twitter

Source: Twitter

There are so many issues with this request for staff donations. Aside from asking employees to donate towards a gift for someone who they haven’t even met, the request came as the gallery and unions were involved in ongoing discussions over low pay and outsourced jobs. In fact, staff had their canteen discount taken away only one week earlier!

Tracy Edwards, PCS representative for The Tate staff said she received a number of complaints about the request. “The staff at Tate are underpaid and overworked, and haven’t had appropriate pay rises, and this just demonstrates how divorced from reality the management at Tate are…They’ve made a big error of judgment,” she said.

A Damaged Employer Brand

From an Employer Branding perspective, The Tate completely missed the mark. They failed to understand their employees and demonstrated how such misjudgements can damage an organisation’s reputation as an employer of choice.

News of the incident spread around the world as social media exploded. #Tate #Boat and #Serota were trending hashtags as disgruntled employees, friends and family of employees and the general public expressed their anger, dragging down The Tate’s employer brand one post at a time.

According to Glassdoor, 69% of people would not take a job with a company that had a bad reputation, even if they were unemployed. Recruiters who represent a strong employer brand are twice as likely to receive responses from candidates they contact. So, it is absolutely vital to develop and nurture your Employer Brand.

Here are the top 3 learnings you can take away from this embarrassing error in judgement about Employer Branding:

Know your staff and be on the ground

Great employer branding starts with knowing your staff and your current culture. The c-suite can no longer be a group who hide behind executive boardroom doors. They must encourage an open-door policy and be on the ground with employees, encouraging an open, genuine dialogue in the workplace. This can go a long way to improving the way staff feel about you.

The best way to know your staff and where your employer brand currently stands (and where you’d like it to be) is by gaining insights via Employer Branding specialists who are independent to your workplace. We can help with this.

Deal with your employees’ problems head on, as they arise

This directly links with knowing your staff. If you don’t know them, how can you understand their problems? As mentioned The Tate and staff unions were involved in continuous, unresolved discussions about low pay, long hours and inappropriate pay rises. Combine this with the insensitive request for donations and you’ve got yourself a disaster.

By dealing with staff issues, you are showing them you are a connected, understanding and forward-thinking employer, which goes a long way in improving your employer brand. Keep in mind that resolving employees’ problems must be approached in a genuine way – if your employees don’t feel you’re genuine, this can harm your employer brand.

Your people are the most important part of your employer brand

Don’t underestimate the power of your employees in making or breaking your employer brand. It is too easy today for staff to write about a negative experience anonymously, then publish it for all potential candidates to read. Not to mention sharing their negative experiences with their industry peers – your talent pool! This is something you have no control over. But what you do have control over is making your staff feel valued, and demonstrating their value to a wider audience.

As people are the most important part of your employer brand, you need to showcase them and their stories. Share their journeys and successes, and how they demonstrate the values your employer brand stands for.

Video is a powerful way to do this – below is a video we made about sales roles at Employment Office. 95% of shortlisted candidates had seen the video and said it influenced their decision to apply.

Our Employer Branding experts can help position your organisation as an employer of choice through powerful insights, a personalised Employee Value Proposition and content that helps tell your unique story.

Click here to find out more or contact our Head of Employer Branding, Mark Puncher, on 07 3330 2555 or mark.puncher@employmentoffice.com.au

The Top 5 Best Interview Questions of All Time

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Authored by: Employment Office Shortlisting & Selection Team Leader, Amber Dique-Billete

Tell me about yourself. What are your strengths? What motivates you? It’s okay. We’ve all been there. Standard interview questions give recruiters a snapshot of the interviewee and provide insights on social and communication skills. However, in my five years as a Shortlisting and Selection Specialist, I’ve interviewed thousands of candidates and have come to discover which questions trigger the most informative responses.

AmberIf you base your hiring decision on responses to average questions, you will hire an average candidate. Asking mediocre questions helps you screen out clearly unqualified applicants, but you’re unlikely to be successful in determining the best choice for the role. In other words, you’ll be focusing on disqualifying unfit candidates, whilst neglecting your search for the best. At the other extreme, some entrepreneurial giants including Google, Apple and Amazon ask outrageous interview questions in their search for outstanding candidates. According to GlassDoor, job seekers have been blown away by questions such as ‘Have you ever stolen a pen from work?’, ‘What songs best describes your work ethic?’ and ‘How many cows are in Canada?’

Of course, such absurd interview questions reflect the innovation and creativity at the heart of these brands. Asking unexpected questions can reveal unexpected intel on candidates and provide an insight into whether the candidate is a true fit for the organisation’s culture. However, when it comes to mass recruitment, abstract questions can be difficult and time consuming for a hiring team to accurately interpret and compare. With this in mind, I’ve compiled a list of must-have interview questions that have stood the test of time; garden-variety questions that uncover the most valuable candidate information and eliminate the need for a never-ending list of questions.

  1. Why did you apply, what attracted you and what interests you about the organisation?  Although this sounds basic, I get so much out of this question in terms of motivation. It helps me to quickly learn how genuinely interested a candidate is in the opportunity. It’s also my first question for almost any interview.
  1. What are your reasons for leaving your previous/current role? A lot of people won’t tell you why they are leaving unless you ask. So you need to ask. Sometimes they have really positive reasons like motivation for the new opportunity, and sometimes it can bring up things you really want to learn more about such as not getting along with a manager or not meeting targets…or getting fired!
  1. What do you envisage as the next stage of your career, and how does this opportunity fit into your plan? This will give you an idea of how aspirational a candidate is and if there are opportunities for their career development within your organisation. A candidate totally lacking ambition is unlikely to be motivated at work. On the other hand, a candidate with particular career goals may not be able to advance in their area of interest within your organisation.
  1. What kind of working environment or culture are you looking for? This question can reveal whether the candidate has a true understanding of the role. It can be subtle. For example, if you are recruiting a fast-paced, target-driven sales role and the candidate says they are looking for ‘stability,’ it would warrant looking more into. I ask this at the end of my main questions so the candidate has loosened up a bit and are more candid. 
  1. Do you have any holiday booked? Again, this is simple but time and time again, hiring managers neglect this question, only to realise when it’s too late!

Asking the right interview questions is key to gaining a multi-dimensional snapshot of your candidates and thereby ensuring you make an informed hiring decision.

Editors Note: Employment Office provides revolutionary shortlisting and selection services. Our rigorous, professional selection process, delivered by my team of shortlisting experts and myself, saves you time and ensures you make the right hire. 

 

48% of employees say the role they were hired for isn’t the job they’re doing

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Misleading advertising is all-encompassing and inescapable – it continues to pepper the Internet, our cities’ billboards and product packaging. And the recruitment industry is no exception. A recent Employment Office poll reveals candidates are experiencing such bait-and-switch practices in the recruitment space. In fact, almost half of employees surveyed reported the job they are doing isn’t the role they were hired for.

Although crafting a job description to make the role sound better than it actually is may attract more candidates in the short term, misleading job descriptions have significant long-term repercussions. With an entire talent pool enthusiastic under false pretences, any candidate attracted by a misleading job description is inherently the wrong person for the role. As such, new hires quickly leave, and will likely share their experience on employer review websites such as Glassdoor, Great Place to Work or Indeed.com. Ultimately, misleading job advertisements costs an organisation more time and money in the long run, and risk damaging their employer brand.

Read on for our top three tips on how to accurately communicate the ins and outs of the position at hand to ensure you recruit the right fit for the role.

1. Conduct an exit interview with the incumbent. Of course, you need to ask why they are moving on, but delve deeper to discover what your future talent pool needs to know. The following questions will help you gain a complete picture of the position:

  • What did you value most about their role?
  • What did you dislike?
  • Did your role change over time? If so, how?
  • Was there anything unexpected about the role? If so, what was it?
  • What are the key qualities and skills we should seek in your replacement?

It’s a good idea to revisit your exit interview notes on other past employees of this position to learn how this role has evolved over the years and gain an insight into the direction the role may take.

2. Nail your job description.

  • Describe what the job entails on a day-to-day basis. It is a good idea to ask your sitting employee to write a list of the activities they get up to on a typical day.
  • Consider how this role will evolve. Your exit interview will provide valuable insights on the future of the position. However, key figures in the business direct the company’s activities as a whole, and as such, have a major influence on the responsibilities of the position. For example, new products and services, and bringing on new clients, can have a significant impact on a role; expanding and contracting responsibilities, altering teams and shifting career paths within your organisation.   
  • Don’t be afraid to describe the challenges of the position. Expressing the difficulties of a role will weed out unfit candidates at the application process, rather than later – during the interview or worse, after they’ve been hired! For example, if a position requires the worker to relocate to a rural area, highlight this factor to attract people who would embrace this challenge. If you’re hiring for a fast-paced sales-based role, say you’re looking for someone who thrives under pressure.

3. Invite the shortlisted candidate to shadow the sitting employee. Not only will the applicant be able to see first-hand their potential daily schedule, but this is an opportunity for you to observe them in the context of the role and confirm if they are a good fit for your organisation’s culture. At the end of the week, when your candidate signs their letter of acceptance, you’ll have peace of mind they are truly passionate about the role for which you hired them.

Doing your research and creating accurate job advertisements will ensure your new hire is prepared for all aspects of the role, helping you build a robust team that will stick around in the long run.

Editor’s note: Employment Office provides outstanding recruitment advertising services as part of a fully integrated recruitment marketing process. We cover all aspects of an organisation’s recruitment needs whilst being transparent and cost effective. 

Salaries and job ads: how what you advertise affects your ability to hire

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It’s common practice for Australian companies to leave wage information out of their job advertisements, a recent study by job search company, Adzuna, has found.

The study showed less than 20% of Australian jobs advertised through Adzuna included a salary whereas 73% of ads in the UK did.

So, should HR managers and business owners include salary in job ads, or not? And how does what you advertise affect your ability to hire?

According to Adzuna, advertising a salary is crucial, with job seekers three-times more likely to click on an online job ad that includes a salary, compared to ads that do not mention pay.

Managing Director of Employment Office, Tudor Marsden-Huggins, agrees stating if hiring managers want their advertisements to be noticed by the right candidates, they need to start advertising salary in job advertisements today.

“It’s as simple as that, without stating a salary range in a job advertisement your ad is far less likely to hit the mark with job seekers. Candidates, particularly millennials, are looking for information which is clear, concise and easy to absorb. If there is no indication as to what an employer will pay, candidates will move on to the next advertisement because they don’t want to waste their time.

“Whether you’re advertising on a traditional job board, on social media, or you’re head-hunting a candidate, as employers it’s our responsibility to be transparent with our potential candidates. At Employment Office we encourage all of our clients to disclose a salary range commensurate with skills and experience. This allows our clients to capture more, relevant candidates, but still have the opportunity to negotiate salary at offer stage.”

Not only does advertising a salary range build an honest and open relationship with candidates, according to Marsden-Huggins your job ad will be more easily found online too.

“Job boards have salary range categories for a reason and candidates are using those search functions to narrow down job listings to avoid having irrelevant results pop up.  If an employer doesn’t choose a salary band when uploading their ad, their job won’t appear in those search results – missing the target audience. When a candidate searches in a salary band and sees the range reaffirmed in the job ad they can self select in or out, depending on what they’re looking for in a new position.” he says.

So why are some employers still hesitant to spill the beans on salary in job ads? Marsden-Huggins says some employers still question whether to add a salary or not because they can be flexible with their salary range, it’s a new position for the organisation, or they don’t want to hire people who are only motivated by money.

“My advice here is to sort all those elements out before you advertise. Employers should only head to market when they have a clear idea of a role, responsibilities and budget, and if any of that is unclear they should speak with a recruitment professional who can discuss how best to position. Recruitment Advertising professionals know how to position a vacancy to ensure all workplace benefits are promoted, so your advertising isn’t focused only around money but you’re still able to capture the right candidates for what package you can offer.”

Great candidates join community-minded companies. Here’s why.

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It always feels good to help your fellow man, but did you know that increasing your organisation’s social impact also makes them more attractive to prospective employees?

A recent study by US non-profit Net Impact found that 53 per cent of workers said a job where they could make an impact was important to their happiness.  72 per cent of students about to enter the workforce agreed.  And most would even take a pay cut to achieve that goal.

As employers, of course we can’t ALL be working on a cure for cancer or  developing ways to end third world poverty, but we can initiate a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program into our workforce plans.

As Millennials continue to dominate emerging workforce trends, it’s important to consider that a large portion of this candidate demographic are preferring to align themselves with business and brands that support worthy causes and are socially aware. Organisations with a co-ordinated and purpose-driven corporate social responsibility program not only engage and retain existing employees, but also attract a younger, more community-minded, candidate pool.

Tudor Marsden-Huggins, Managing Director of Employment Office, established Tour de Office, a corporate charity event and workplace wellness initiative to satisfy the CSR needs of his own growing business.  Five years on, he credits the event with helping to attract socially motivated candidates, while also keeping existing employees motivated.

“Millennials want to feel a sense of purpose at work, and if you can clearly demonstrate how your organisation makes a positive contribution to society, you’ll be in a better position to attract engaged and motivated candidates who want to work for a brand that’s committed to social impact.”

When deciding on a CSR program, it’s important an organisation considers their options carefully, and settles on a program employees will be passionate about supporting, and perhaps incorporate a few synergies with your industry and the work you do.

“You also need to think about CSR initiatives as a long-term commitment.  These programs take a while to gain traction and grow within the employee base.  Pick something you can stick to and make sure you promote it throughout the organisation.  Whether it’s a video on your careers site or updates on social media, organisations must consistently highlight their CSR strategy and results in ways that are easily digestible for millennials,” he says.

When communicating information about CSR, organisations need to share stories of impact rather than drowning candidates in data-driven content, Marsden-Huggins says.

“Millennial candidates don’t want to look at statistics when it comes to CSR programs.  It’s the stories of genuine human impact they connect with. If you capture these stories well and make them easily shareable online, you’ll notice your CSR program can really take your employer brand to the next level,” he said.

Implementing a fun and rewarding CSR strategy has become an essential tool in securing top talent and engaging existing employees. With solutions like Tour de Office available for organisations of all sizes, today is the day to execute a CSR strategy the candidates of tomorrow will thank you for.

Tour de Office is an all-in-one workplace wellness and employee engagement tool which sets organisations up for success in a tried and tested corporate philanthropy event. A great way to boost your workplace culture, Tour de Office can cater to any business size and need, check out the website here or contact event manager Jessika Woolford at jessika@tourdeoffice.com to find out more today.

Always be recruiting, even when you aren’t hiring

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With the unemployment rate hovering around the 6% mark, it’s clear that there are candidates out there, actively looking for work. But speak to any hiring manager out there and they’ll tell a different story – that good people are hard to find, and the skills shortage we’ve been hearing about for years is a reality reaching crisis point for organisations across the country.

For companies wanting to escape the cycle of reactionary hiring, it’s heartening to know there is a better way. To eliminate long-term job vacancies, and secure the best talent for every position, a shift in the hiring mindset can set an organisation on the right path.

Employers need to shift from “hiring as needed” to an “always recruiting” mindset. One of the key issues is that businesses don’t’ always recognise the difference between hiring and recruiting. Hiring is about fulfilling an immediate need for a person with particular skills in your business. It’s reactive, and not the most efficient way to attract top talent.

You are at a disadvantage from the very start of the hiring process, because every day you don’t have someone in that role you are losing money. You’ll have to scramble to fill the role and it’s more likely you’ll settle for a substandard candidate, fearing no-one better will come along in the tight timeframe you need them.

Anyone who has advertised a position knows that great people are often hard to find. Hoping that the perfect person will be available at the exact time you choose to advertise is not only illogical, but risky. To put yourself in the best position to secure top talent, you need to always be keeping an eye out for people who might fit your business.

There are a few steps every organisation can take to make the move from reactive hiring to proactive recruitment.

1. Know who you are looking for.

Have clear workforce goals for today and anticipate where your talent needs will be tomorrow. Know the existing positions that are critical to your organisation’s ongoing success, and identify new roles you will need to enable the growth and expansion you envisage for the future. Be clear on the type of candidate you want to attract, paying attention to demographics, key motivators and channels for interaction.

2. Invest in your employer brand.

At the end of the day, recruitment is marketing. Much like consumer marketing, recruitment marketing is all about how candidate markets perceive your brand as an employer, and the journey you take them on to convert them to employees when the time is right. Build the right communications platform for your employer brand to give candidates a clear picture of what it’s like to work for you. Get active on social media and make your careers site interactive, informative and mobile-friendly.

3. Create a talent pool.

If you are always recruiting, you will need an organised way of keeping track of great candidates you may want to extend an offer to in the future. Using an online talent pool, usually linked to your Applicant Tracking System or e-Recruitment software will give you the opportunity to nurture candidates by sending them engaging content that not only educates them on your business and culture, but also prepares them for the right opportunity with you.

4. Makes sure every candidate experience is great.

It’s important to make sure every candidate that enters your recruitment funnel has a good experience with your company. Even if you don’t hire a candidate right away, that doesn’t mean you won’t want to call on them for another role in the future. Or they may become a client – their candidate experience with your company will influence this relationship. Make sure your keep all candidates informed, engaged and give them all the information they need to be a proponent of your organisation.

Recruitment doesn’t start when someone leaves. It is a never-ending process that eliminates the need for the hasty hiring of lacklustre talent and saves you time and money. Recruitment gives you control. Recruitment should be happening every day as a part of your weekly activity. Even if you think you have the “perfect” staff in place, you never know when that might change. So always be on the lookout for that next great employee.

If You Can’t Beat Em, Join Em – Recruiting Via Social Media In 2016

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Recruiting via social media

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Social media for recruitment is sometimes  perceived as a platform reserved for edgy Gen Y start ups.  But we are happy to report  that businesses of all shapes and sizes stand to benefit from the role social media plays in recruiting top talent.

Candidates are relying on social media more than ever before to gain an insider’s perspective of the organisational culture of their potential employers. Employers themselves however, have been much slower to include social media as part of overall recruitment strategies.

Survey statistics by employer review website Glassdoor show 79% of job seekers are likely to use social media in their job search, yet 3 out of 4 respondents say their employer does not (or does not know how to) use social media to promote job openings.

When organisations embrace the role of social media in recruitment, the benefits speak for themselves. Jobvite reports employers who use social media to hire find a 49% improvement in candidate quality over employers using traditional recruitment channels, it’s easy to see social media is a valuable hiring tool.

Employment Office Managing Director, Tudor Marsden-Huggins says using social media for recruitment is a no-brainer.

“Capitalising on free platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter makes sense in today’s recruitment landscape because it’s where candidates spend a lot of their time. There are millions of candidates online every single day and if your organisation isn’t trying to create a presence where they’re ‘hanging out,’ you’re already on the backfoot when you try to reach them through a job advertisement.

“With so many candidates on social media, and so few employers recruiting there, a huge opportunity is presented to promote organisations as employers of choice by simply dedicating time each week to enhancing social profiles,” he says.

Social media not only acts as an exciting space to promote your organisation’s job vacancies and company culture but it allows employees and customers to be brand ambassadors on your behalf.

“Having a presence on social media platforms means you’re providing existing staff with an outlet to share personal experiences they’ve had with your organisation. Encourage your employees to share positive stories about your company. A positive comment on your social pages speaks volumes and is far more effective than anything your organisation can say about itself.

“If a negative comment is posted, chances are it would have been posted online somewhere else anyway so when it does happen it’s far better to be ‘driving the bus’ and in control of your social pages than scrambling to defend your organisation after the fact,” Marsden-Huggins says.

Starting small is better than not starting at all when it comes to recruiting via social media, so begin by creating a profile on each social platform and posting industry updates, events and photos on your page at least twice a week. You’ll soon be able to take advantage of the tools and resources which allow your organisation to move beyond traditional recruitment methods.

If you would like assistance with social media strategies, content creation or if you simply need some help getting started, Employment Office offers assistance with all social platforms for recruitment including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and more. Call 1300 366 573 or email brooke.chapman@employmentoffice.com.au today.