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Retain great talent: Strategies to foster employee loyalty

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When you’re running a recruitment campaign, candidate attraction is most likely at the forefront of your thinking. Don’t let employee retention become an afterthought. Here are three simple strategies to improve employee retention and increase employee loyalty. 

Employee retention isn’t something you start working on during a recruitment campaign or when you’ve hired a candidate. Fostering employee loyalty should be continuous! Retaining great talent is the foundation of organisational success, because after all, you recruit great talent to retain great talent. So, here are three great employee retention strategies you can implement today.

Invest in your teams

Your first thought about investing might be money – but it’s much more than that. It’s also about time. Invest time in developing your teams, using team building to foster teamwork and productivity.

If you already invest time and resources into your existing teams, share this through your recruitment advertisements to attract great candidates. Top talent wants to see how their work may be valued and how they can develop in your organisation.

It’s no wonder that when your teams are disengaged, productivity decreases. Research reveals that 70% of employees aren’t engaged in their roles which creates an estimated cost of $450 billion to $550 billion in lost productivity per year. Investing time into your team will increase productivity and overall work happiness, saving your organisation money and giving you the ability to retain great people

Empower your teams

Empowering your team is a great way to demonstrate trust. According to Forbes, employees who feel empowered or have a level of autonomy within their roles feel more engaged in their jobs than those who do not.

“Employees who felt a low level of empowerment were rated with engagement at the 24th percentile, whereas those with a high level of empowerment were at the 79th percentile. Clearly, empowerment counts.”

So how can you empower your team? Share their successes on your social media channels and provide incentives as a reward for meeting targets.

Sharing how you appreciate their effort and hard work in day-to-day conversations too.

For example, one of your team members may not have performed so well in a quarter. Express that you fully appreciate their efforts and expect they will learn from this result. Offer them support in areas they may need it and consider if any workplace or personal problems may have impacted their results. Great leadership fosters employee loyalty over the long-term. Employees should feel valued and empowered to improve even after a tough conversation about KPIs and results.

Provide excellent leadership and support

Leadership is arguably one of the most important elements of candidate retention. Employees remain loyal to great leaders. Continue to develop and improve your leadership skills, offer support, and understand on a deep level what your employees want from leaders.

In addition to this, consider offering additional support to candidates and new hires too. The recruitment process can be stressful for candidates, so offering your support during the onboarding process and demonstrating great leadership while they navigate their initial few weeks is essential to making a great impression. Continue this support as they become more autonomous in their decision making is vital.

Focusing on these three elements will nurture a positive workplace environment for loyal employees to thrive.

The overarching theme of retention is empowering your people. If your people feel empowered in their role and the organisation, they are more likely to stay loyal to the brand and become advocates. This makes talent attraction much easier over the long term. Investing in your team, building trust and providing support where required will create an empowered and loyal workforce who are in it for the long run.

Schedule a discussion with our Recruitment Specialists, call us on 1300 366 573 or email info@employmentoffice.com.au.

Release poor performers fast through a no-fault divorce approach

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So, you have a robust shortlisting process in place and you’re confident you’re only hiring the best talent. But let’s get real. Mistakes happen. What if you onboard a poor performer? Here’s an effective approach to release poor performers that can work for your organisation. 

While it’s expensive to recruit and train new hires, it’s even more costly to permit mis-hires to sit in a position for lengthy periods of time due to the damage they can create.

Of course, it takes time for new people to learn, gain confidence in their new role, and hit KPIs. However, if they display soft skills or other qualities that are clearly misaligned with your organisation’s goals or culture (e.g. unenthusiastic, rude, poor team player, lack of willingness to learn, bad attitude), this represents a clear problem that will not be resolved with more time or training!

According to Recruitment Strategist Dr John Sullivan, “Today’s sparse talent pool increases your chances of a hiring mistake. But a no-fault divorce approach allows you to release mis-hires quickly. And despite the lack of available talent to choose from, the pressure from hiring managers to “get me, anybody, I need butts in chairs” is immense.”

Average hiring error rates sit at 46%. 

From this perspective, it’s not surprising that hiring mistakes are increasingly common. Which is why you need to get comfortable to release poor performers.

“Unfortunately. because the standard performance management process is so painfully slow and ineffective, it’s a leap of faith to expect it to weed out poor-performing new hires. What organisations need is quicker and less disruptive alternative, which I call a “new hire no-fault divorce” approach. This intuitive approach allows you to quickly release new hires that are not working out while minimising conflict and avoiding the threat of legal action.”

Weak performers do not get better with more time or training. You can train skills, but you cannot train attitude.

What is a “new hire no-fault divorce” release mechanism? 

A “no-fault divorce” concept is tried and proven.

Data from multinational technology conglomerate Cisco revealed that, “after six months on the job, there was little probability that the already weak performance of a new hire, would significantly improve over the next six months.”

Yes you read it here, weak performers do not get better.

Here’s how a “no-fault” process might work for your organisation.

Schedule regular check-ins and a six-month assessment 

Sullivan recommends that the process to remove poor hires begins at the six-month mark. This is because in order to let someone go, you need to have signficant volume of data and evidence that they are not performing according to set standards.

Typically, due to lack of performance data, HR and talent departments rely on convincing poor hires to voluntarily resign.

“The no-fault mechanism begins at the six-month point, where it identifies weak performing hires. HR then projects the estimated performance trajectory of weak new hires for the remainder of their first year. HR then targets those whose performance is projected at year-end to be below the acceptable standard for release.”

Avoid legal issues

Instead of the traditional approach, set targets for your new hires to meet and encourage them to resign to avoid legal issues. Approach hires anticipated to have continued poor performance and share statistics around their chances of success by year-end, which may be slim. During this conversation, you could offer them to option to stay on board, or leave immediately.

“If they agree to leave now, you can offer them between two- and five-months’ severance pay. And, because their continued weak performance is only projected, they get to leave with a positive job reference. As part of the severance package, they also agree to keep their termination quiet and to sign an agreement not to take legal action. Now some may argue that your organisation would be “rewarding for poor performance.” However, the cost of the projected severance payment (even at five months) is usually much less than the value that will be added if the weak current hire is replaced with a top-performing new hire.”

Offering low and high-risk options 

“The carrot and stick approach gives the new hire a low and a high-risk choice. If they don’t want to accept the immediate severance, they still have the option to choose to stay on the job for the remainder of the year.”

If their projected weak performance level turns out to be accurate, you will now have enough performance data to terminate them formally. Therefore, they lose the severance option and leave with a now fully justified negative reference.

“This carrot and stick approach encourages more than the majority to take the early exit option.

61% of new hires are unhappy because they feel that they had been misled during the hiring process (Harris Interactive). 

What if it was your fault? 

In cases where you have oversold your role or misled candidates with inaccurate position descriptions and your new hire ends up disillusioned and confused, this will affect their performance.

As such, the performance deficit and unhappiness of your new hire may not be their fault.

“Without having to assign blame, it makes sense to arrive at a “no-fault conclusion” and then offer the new hire the severance package with a positive reference. Obviously, recruiting leadership then needs to be made aware of any overselling.

Benefits of this approach 

Candidates know they have a safe option to “opt out”, which may help get candidates who are unsure over the line and improve your offer acceptance rate.

“Also, being able to leave with some money and a good reference might also directly help reduce some of the new hire’s anger after they find out the job wasn’t what was promised. Getting them to leave while happy could prevent the ex-employee from damaging the firm’s employer brand image on social media.”

This also benefits your organisation in that you can release poor performers far more quickly. By setting a 6-month benchmark, you cut release times in half, instead of waiting for yearly reviews.

“Getting rid of any new hire that doesn’t “fit” also reduces the damage they can do to the corporate culture. Having new hires leave reduces the team trauma quickly that would have occurred if you waited and lost a long-term employee. Weak employees also take up to 17% of a manager’s time (Robert Half), releasing them frees up managers to do other things. Finally, knowing they can much more easily release a new hire that doesn’t work out, hiring managers will take more risks on an exciting candidate with a few iffy characteristics.”

Other strategies to release poor performers early 

You can also consider using onboarding and training periods as an assessment prior to offer

“Some firms use an extended onboarding process to provide more time to identify their hiring mistakes. Facebook (6 weeks) and Zappos (4 weeks) use their extended onboarding process as a secondary assessment level. The initial training that is provided to new hires can also be used as an assessment level. Firms like Zappos (which pays $3,000) even offer all new hires a bonus to quit at the end of onboarding/training, if they realize this is ‘not the job for them.’”

You could even consider placing new hires into temporary-to-permanent contracts. That way you and your new hires have a few weeks to assess for fit.

“The hardest thing to accurately assess during even an extended interview period is cultural However, you can extend your cultural fit assessment time frame by putting all new hires under contract for “a cultural and job tryout.”

Standard performance management just doesn’t cut it these days, so take this approach to release poor performers.

“Most firms do rely on the standard performance management process to get rid of new hires. Unfortunately, almost without exception, I find corporate performance management processes to be ineffective. Utilising this process usually means you will have to wait an additional 6 to 18 months before you can terminate a weak new hire. And during that waiting time, the recent hire will continue to underperform and to take up a slot that could be filled by a better performing new hire.”

Do you need a recruitment campaign to attract the best candidates to your vacancy? Schedule a discussion with our Recruitment Advertising Specialists, call us on 1300 366 573 or email info@employmentoffice.com.au.

Alex Fraser and Hanson win CCAA Innovation Awards for Diversity & Inclusion 

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Congratulations to our valued clients, Alex Fraser and Hanson, who won this year’s CCAA Innovation Award for Diversity & Inclusion through the success of their Woman Driving Transport Careers program. Employment Office was so pleased to play a part in attracting and shortlisting the best talent for this fantastic initiative. 

With the future of work constantly evolving, a number of industries are facing tough recruitment challenges – particularly the driving and construction industry. But with smart recruitment advertising, attraction strategies, and screening processes, it’s possible to secure the best talent. 

Hanson Southern Region and Alex Fraser secured new talent through their Woman Driving Transport Careers program through a partnership with Transport Women Australia Limited and Volvo Group Australia and Wodonga TAFE’s Transport Division DECA.

Jeff Burns, HR Manager Hanson Southern Region and Alex Fraser Group, shared their reason for launching the program, and its success.

“We have 4000 employees and 1800 truck drivers, so our pipeline for drivers needs to be solid, particularly as the business grows and we add trucks to our transport fleets. So, we really had to understand what was changing in the transport driver marketplace.”

“Our Australian CEO for Hanson, Phil Schacht, has joined Male Champions of Change which enables male business leaders to champion gender diversity in their organisation. He felt we could do something in our driver workforce through our recruitment.”

Burns started conversations with Wodonga TAFE and DECA who mentioned their upcoming driver training programs. The WDTC program was, therefore, an opportunity for Alex Fraser and Hanson to secure eight new trained employees. Participants in the program receive support and training to prepare them for their driving tests. They also have the opportunity to drive the same trucks as they would be when employed.

Hanson and Alex Fraser engaged Employment Office as their trusted recruitment partner, to run recruitment advertisements on traditional job boards, complemented with targeted social media advertising campaigns. They promoted the campaign through their company’s social channels. 

“It was, by and large, a very positive and widely-shared social media post,” said Burns. “We were really surprised by how many thousands of people looked at it, and how far around the world it went!”

Alex Fraser and Hanson were able to target their advertisement at women, as the opportunity qualified under equal opportunity legislation. (Note, if your organisation is looking to recruit a certain demographic, ensure your advertisement is not discriminatory. Equal opportunity law is state-based, so check the law in your location before you advertise, or book a discussion with one of our recruitment specialists.)

Recruitment was challenging, as they were seeking passive candidates who didn’t necessarily have a commercial driving background. Instead, they had to assess for qualities to shortlist instead, such as adventurousness and willingness to have a go.

Employment Office’s recruitment advertisement also included a number of screening questions, which drastically streamlined the shortlisting and selection process. 

Alex Fraser and Hanson received approximately 260 applications for their eight roles. From this talent pool, they invited 30 candidates to attend a group assessment day which was run by Employment Office.

After the group assessment day, seven candidates were offered employment.

“We had a challenging timeline of six weeks from advertising to making the offer, including comprehensive truck driver medicals. Some of our candidates had to provide notice at their other organisations, but we had to complete training before the end of the year! We managed to secure seven new hires. The instructors at Wodonga TAFE gave glowing praise for all our candidates.”

Winning CCAA’s Innovation Award for Diversity and Inclusion 

The CCAA Innovation Awards are a two-year program of annual state awards, the winners of which compete for the National Awards biennially. The awards recognise innovation in the way the construction materials industry is committed to continually improving its performance in a range of areas. CCAA promotes innovative thinking and leadership to inspire others to deliver improved performance in their businesses and across the industry.

Congratulations Hanson Southern Region and Alex Fraser for winning the Diversity & Inclusion award, which recognises the outstanding contribution they have made in improving the level of Diversity & Inclusion in their workplace and the industry more generally. 

Hanson and Alex Fraser received the award for their Woman Drivers Transport Careers program, designed to bridge the gap between licensing standards and professional industry requirements and increase the participation of women drivers across the Australian Road Transport industry to address the shortage of drivers in this sector. 

The State Awards were hosted at the annual CCAA Awards Dinners which was attended by over 1100 representatives of industry, government, suppliers and sponsors. The National Awards will be hosted at the Construction Materials Industry Conference, the industry’s premier biennial event. 

The state winners will now go as finalists for the biennial National Awards in 2020. Congratulations Hanson, Alex Fraser and Employment Office, and well done to all the winners. 

4 things candidates are looking for in your employer brand

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Many employers understand the value of promoting a strong employer brand. But what are the key things candidates are looking for? By understanding the key elements of employer brand candidates are looking for, you’ll learn how to tailor your messaging and content strategy, and the best areas to focus your efforts and attention.

Whether or not your organisation has done anything to actively manage your employer brand, you already have one! And potential candidates are examining it before deciding if your organisation is right for them. According to LinkedIn, 75% of job seekers consider an employer’s brand before even applying for a role.

There are a number of components that go into an employer brand, and all of these things work together to shape your overall employer brand. The things that comprise your employer brand include:

Things you can control:

  • Careers site
  • Recruitment advertisements
  • Website and blog
  • Culture and organisational values
  • Candidate communication

Things you can influence:

  • Employee stories and advocacy
  • Social media channels
  • Organisation reviews

Things you can indirectly influence:

  • Public perception
  • Accolades and awards.

So, what are candidates looking for? And how can you attract the right people to help your organisation?

1. Your mission

Candidates are looking for more than a paycheck. They’re looking for an opportunity to contribute towards a valuable mission. For millennials, this is particularly important, as according to the latest statistics, 78% saying they want their employer’s values to match their own.

To captivate potential hires, craft an authentic narrative about why you’re here and what’s important to you as an organisation. Your commitment to this mission should be the thread that connects all of your print and online materials, from your careers page to corporate activism to social media to employee testimonials. Give prospective candidates and idea of what drives the work you do.

2. Real information about employee experience

When investigating an organisation’s employer brand, candidates aren’t interested in corporate jargon about your products and services. They want to know what it’s like to work for you, from those who know you best and are doing the work themselves.

The best way to do this is by filling your careers site and social channels with real employee profile stories, whether they are video or written stories, or both. This makes your brand more relatable and personal. People respond well and are most engaged with compelling visual imagery, a “day in the life” photos and videos. Attractive visuals and imagery create a lasting impact.

3. An active, engaging social media presence

We live in a digital world, so social media is crucial in your employer brand strategy. Up to 57% of job seekers use social media in their hiring search. How much time can you invest in this channel, and what is your strategy?

Tailor your content to the unique style of each social media account. For example, Twitter is great for concise summaries of key industry news (such as industry blog posts and recent awards or milestones for your organisation), compelling visuals trump all else on Instagram, and Facebook gives you space to post longer content that connects with a varied demographic. Ensure that your social media manager keeps all of your social media content on-brand to give viewers a sense of your organisation’s unique identity.

4. Positive candidate experience  

The experience you create for candidates is another important component for your long-term employer branding strategy, because it’s deeply personal and candidates are paying such close attention.

78% of candidates say the overall candidate experience at a company is an indicator of how well the organisation values its employees. That means job seekers look at your candidate experience as “proof” that you do, in fact, live up to your company values.

Create a positive candidate experience by making sure your processes are short, efficient, fair, and involve good communication.

Make sure your application process is brief, intuitive, and relatively easy. Many candidates will simply give up if your ask for page after page of information. Also, remember to communicate with prospective talent throughout your recruitment process and respect their time and effort. An automated email or text message confirming submission of the application should be a given, but adding a personalised touch from a recruiter within a few days (even a simple “we are still processing your application and will be in touch soon”) is even better.

Also remember that the candidate experience doesn’t stop after you’ve made your hiring decision. Notifying those who were unsuccessful is particularly important, as 80% of people say they wouldn’t apply for another job at a company if they fail to hear back about a position. Leaving candidates with a positive impression of your company ensures that you have prospective talent waiting in the pipeline the next time you’re ready to hire.

By understanding what candidates are looking for in your employer brand, you can review and fortify your strategies to strengthen and promote your employer brand.

Find out more about our Employer Branding services here. If you’d like some advice about how to build a great employer brand for your organisation, schedule a discussion with our Recruitment Specialists by calling us on 1300 366 573 or email info@employmentoffice.com.au.