Equipping Your Recruiting Team for Success in a Very Competitive Market
By: Crystal McKinsey, CEO of CMRG
The competition for top talent is hotter than ever before for several reasons:
- The Remote Work Movement
- Compensation Transparency
- The Great Resignation/Re-Evaluation
Here are some tips and tools you can use to help your recruiting team engage and compel top talent.
The Remote Work Movement:
Just a few years ago, an engineering firm in a small midwest town used to be able to effectively recruit talent from within a 25-mile radius. Today, this same firm is finding their local talent working remotely for companies on the other side of the country. The ability for top talent to work remotely has opened up the competitive playing field significantly. If your company is not open to a remote or hybrid work schedule for top candidates, you may find yourself having to compete even more aggressively to attract and retain your talent. If remote options are not possible for particular positions and/or remote work is simply not a part of your company culture — that’s ok! Be prepared with other compelling benefits that will resonate with your target candidates (childcare and elder care stipends, complimentary lunches and/or snacks, comfortable/modern working spaces, etc. go a long way with candidates who are weighing remote vs. in-person work environments). Communicate any key benefits of your in-person work environment with your internal and external recruiting team to ensure your full story is being shared with talent.
Compensation Transparency
The push for compensation transparency is disrupting the talent market. A mid-level marketing manager may not have previously had deep insight into what other peers at his/her level were making across the country, for example. As many companies adopt the practice of posting compensation in their job descriptions, your employees are now able to compare themselves to others with similar titles/jobs. They can also easily see the step-up compensation ranges of jobs with slightly elevated titles from their own. If your company is not competitive on the compensation front, you may find your employees quietly disgruntled and/or quietly looking for their next opportunity. If you are not on the leading-edge comp-wise, there are many other benefits, perks and programs (such as mentorship and continuing education opportunities) you can adopt that will be equally interesting to the right types of candidates for your firm (unlimited PTO, remote work opportunities, generous maternal/paternal leave policies, etc.). Talk to your internal and external recruiters about your compensation bands and benefits to ensure you are not losing great candidates on compensation alone.
The Great Resignation/Re-Evaluation
The Covid-19 pandemic gave America’s workforce a lot of time to isolate, think and reprioritize what is most important in life. While some professionals left corporate America to start their own ventures, “write that book they never wrote”, spend more time with family/friends, etc., others simply shifted their career focus entirely going into fields/companies with more flexibility or benefits. The unifying theme in all of this is that American workers are demanding better workplace experiences that more closely align with not only their professional goals…but with their personal values. What does your company stand for, believe in, support and/or promote beyond your core product or service? Can you communicate your values clearly to your current employees and prospective candidates? Chat with your internal and external recruiting partners about the reasons why prospective candidates may want to work for you — beyond compensation and benefits.
In Summary
Equip your recruiting team for success by helping them answer the following questions:
- What are our company’s policies around remote work? If we are not offering a remote or hybrid schedule, what other types of benefits are we offering to compel and engage our candidates?
- How does our compensation model align with industry comp for the role(s) we are hiring for? Are we industry leaders in the compensation arena? If not, what other perks or opportunities do we have for our team?
- What does our company support and value beyond the goods and/or services we sell? Do we support certain causes that will resonate with our target candidates? Why would someone want to work at your company – beyond the paycheck?
Considering partnering with an external recruiting agency to help you fill priority roles? Consider CMRG!
CMRG (Creative Marketing + Recruitment Group), is an all-inclusive marketing and talent acquisition firm with the vision of bringing C-level marketing recruitment and talent strategy consulting to businesses of all sizes. Recognized as a top employer branding and recruitment company, and the Silver winner of the American Business Awards in the category of Fastest Growing Company (up to 100 employees), CMRG serves small business, mid-market, and enterprise clients in the private equity, education, senior living, finance, technology, CPG, retail, and healthcare sectors (among others).
CMRG positions companies as employers of choice by sharing their brand stories and highlighting points of differentiation that matter in a competitive hiring market leading to: Remarkable Talent, Delivered.
Looking to find a custom solution for your organization? Schedule time with our team today!
