The evolution of today’s workforce has brought about many changes to how organizations view and engage their employees. From increased candidate expectations in the hiring process to technology that enables workplace flexibility — and all the data that goes along with analyzing the talent function — the new world of work is complex, to say the least.
A robust employment brand is more important than ever because of global skills shortages, particularly for highly skilled positions and those in competitive markets. As talent acquisition leaders, we have to evolve to keep up with the ever-changing landscape and act as experts in technology and marketing, not just recruitment.
For six years, my firm has analyzed the employment brand efforts of Fortune 500 companies to establish which ones have the strongest strategies — and we've seen how the employee-employer relationship has evolved. HR professionals are expected to have insight into not only their talent pools, but each individual candidate. However, possessing this information isn’t enough; it has to be leveraged to provide a top-notch employment experience to attract, hire and retain top talent.
To develop an effective employment brand strategy in this market, don’t forget these all-important considerations.
Include contingent workers.
Talent is talent, regardless of whether it’s permanent or contingent. But we’re still seeing a lot of employment brands that fail to target contingent workers, despite that they now make up a significant portion of modern workforces. There is still a lack of understanding when it comes to adopting a total talent mindset and managing the permanent and contingent workforces as one cohesive group. This needs to change.
The candidate journey for contingent employees, for example, differs from that of traditional full-time employees. They become aware of opportunities differently, are assessed for hire differently and are onboarded for assignments differently. This gap leaves organizations vulnerable to negative candidate experiences from contingent applicants.
You must think about appealing to contingent workers when you put forth recruitment marketing material that details the perks of working for an organization. It shouldn’t be exclusive of full-time benefits. Evaluate the contingent candidate experience to identify gaps in the employment brand that can be filled with personalized recruitment marketing content that specifically speaks to contingent employees. Think about how to engage these workers beyond the candidate experience and throughout the employment journey as well.
Remember to cater to multiple generations.
Today’s workforces are multigenerational and consist of baby boomers, Gen X, millennials and Gen Z. The youngest generations have fundamentally kick-started a new way of working and have more expectations when it comes to new roles. Millennial managers, for example, are more likely to use freelancers than their older counterparts, as they have seen firsthand the benefits they bring, such as increased productivity and cost efficiencies. And, because Gen Z's presence in the workforce is growing rapidly, attracting and retaining these candidates is not just a priority, but a necessity.
Employers should understand each of these generations’ values. Gen Zers, unlike baby boomers, have grown up surrounded by technology. They are digital natives and have a deep understanding of how technology can transform lives. Technology is important to them, so much so that some 80% of Gen Zers said they aspire to work with cutting-edge technology, while 91% said technology would influence their job choice. If your organization leads the way with the latest and greatest tech, make sure you shout about it. Let prospective candidates know it’s a priority in your organization.
Another thing that today’s candidates want, especially the younger generations, is meaningful work. A company’s mission and vision is what drives candidates or connects them with the company. A report from Glassdoor found 80% of candidates would consider a company’s mission and purpose before applying for a job there. Employers, therefore, must show candidates what they stand for as an organization through authentic, compelling content.
Map out the candidate experience.
Actively map out the candidate experience for each category of talent to gain a comprehensive understanding of how these processes vary. What are your sourcing, recruiting, hiring and onboarding processes — for both permanent and contingent talent, from department to department, and location to location? Are they consistent across the whole organization? If not, where do you see the most successful process? Data is an important piece of the puzzle here. Metrics to consider are time in process, offer acceptance rate, recruiter response rate, applicant drop-off and candidate satisfaction.
Within the candidate journey, consider where technology could improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the hiring process. For example, technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), robotic process automation (RPA) and predictive analytics are being used for a wide range of tasks from delivering advanced insights to providing personalized candidate experiences. Regular assessments will help you work out which technology is valuable and will also highlight the gaps you need to fill.
Predictive hiring technologies survey your workforce and compare their sentiments with those of candidates to rate the culture match of new hires. Building these personas based on top talent within the organization furthers a company’s culture, so ensure it’s where you want it to be before you create what could be a dangerous echo chamber.
By ticking these three boxes, you’re well on your way to ensuring your employment brand is tough enough to withstand the new workforce and position your organization as an employer of choice. If you get it right, your employment brand will allow you attract, hire and retain top talent in this new year and beyond.
