In a job market far, far too close to home, there is a disturbance in the Force. Unemployment may be low, but more and more professionals are open to new opportunities than ever before. The market is both candidate rich and job rich. It's both bloated and stingy. But more and more companies are challenging Jobba the Market and its stranglehold on talent. "A players" have been eclipsed.
Companies experienced in the ways of the Force recognize now that A players are mere Stormtroopers. Jedi are the true warriors in the war for stars. Jedi have the skills and self-motivation to start being productive right off the bat. They will continue making valuable contributions autonomously, across the space/time employment continuum, from résumé to retirement.
Even if you're not a die-hard Star Wars fan, bear with me through the analogies. Your reward, once we emerge from hyperspace, will be some Jedi mind tricks you can use to attract and engage these elite warriors.
Jedi-Worthy Your Company Must Be
Jedi have choices, and your company must be a beacon in the cold vastness of the recruitment cosmos. To ensure success, be crystal clear about who your company is and what it has to offer top talent. Search your feelings. If you have the employment value propositions Jedi seek, craft a message that speaks to them and beam it across the parsecs.
If you don't, it might be time to put your culture through the transformation chamber. To understand what drives Jedi and other employees, check out RESPECT: Delivering Results by Giving Employees What They Really Want, by Jack Wiley and Brenda Kowske. The book, by two prestigious Jedi Masters, summarizes more than 30 years of research. RESPECT sums up what employees want most: Recognition, Exciting Work, Security, Pay that's fair, Education and career growth, Conditions they can thrive in, and Truth or transparency.
Jedi Attract Jedi
Jedi will seek out and follow great leaders. You don’t have to live on a swamp planet to be one, but you do have to perform to the same high standards as the Jedi you're recruiting. What's at stake? According to the 2017 Engage2Excel Trendicators Report, 69% of job seekers indicate their first-day experience will impact their decision to stay with a new company for more than a month. If day one is less than stellar, they're back in their X-wing fighter headed to that most dreaded of all galaxies – your competitor.
A strong leader will ensure a positive recruiting and onboarding experience. Many companies have new employees spend their entire first day filling out paperwork. A Jedi leader will look at that idea and echo Admiral Ackbar: "It's a trap!" Instead, schedule time for socialization to help the Jedi feel at home with teammates. Plan a welcome mixer in the break room, or take the Jedi and select coworkers to lunch.
Culture: The Soundtrack of Your Company
We don't often think about the important role played by the soundtrack of a movie. But imagine Darth Vader appearing without his ominous theme. Culture is the glue that holds it all together, bridging scenes and even sequels. For employees, the almost-unconscious power of culture channels the Force from recruitment through onboarding to deepening engagement and recognition . . . all the way to retirement.
Jedi want to work at a company investing the same creativity and inspiration into culture as John Williams put into theme after theme in so many movies. To leverage your culture in attracting Jedi, start by talking with the Jedi already on your team. What is it that attracted them to your company? What keeps them engaged at a high level day after day?
Keep the Tractor Beam Powered Up
Even after you hire a Jedi, they are still vulnerable. The Work Institute's 2017 Retention Report reveals that first-year employees account for 34% of all turnover. The Trendicators Report offers additional insight: 72% of respondents indicated their overall onboarding experience would affect their decision to stay longer than a year. Those new Jedi may be on your starship, but they're still deciding, and still shopping. You need to convince them: "Those are not the jobs you're looking for."
Show them you are Jedi worthy. At minimum, you should have their phone, computer, business cards, lightsaber and other tools ready on day one. But think outside the carbonite freezing chamber. For example, at Decision Toolbox we send a welcome gift, a giant fortune cookie saying there's a bright future ahead. It's edible, but far from being a snack, it symbolizes our commitment to the new relationship.
George Lucas has provided us with lots of fun material to play with here, but the tactics are practical – and they aren't difficult or expensive to implement. If you are bold enough to go where few leaders have gone before (oops – wrong franchise!), they should pay off. May the Force be with you.
To learn more about winning the (star?) wars for talent, download Glassdoor’s comprehensive eBook, .
About the Authors
Kim Shepherdjoined Decision Toolbox, a 100% virtual organization providing recruitment solutions in 2000 as CEO. Decision Toolbox and its parent company, Engage2Excel, offer the industry’s only recruiting solutions that optimize engagement throughout the talent acquisition process and career lifecycle. Today, Kim is chairwoman and leads the companies’ growth strategy, primarily through developing partnerships and alliances, and as an active member of the Los Angeles and Orange County human resources communities. A recognized thought leader by HR organizations nationwide, Kim regularly speaks on topics such as recruitment best practices, recruitment process outsourcing and the virtual business. She authored The Bite Me School of Management, a book journaling her business journey and the challenges she has overcome, and Get Scrappy, a business book that provides a new perspective on personal and corporate growth. Learn more at dtoolbox.com.
Tom Brennan is Manager, Creative Services at leading nationwide recruiting firm Decision Toolbox. For more than a decade, he has played an integral role in developing strategic marketing materials designed to attract top candidates for Decision Toolbox clients. Founded in 1992, Decision Toolbox provides cost-effective, high quality and innovative recruitment solutions for companies nationwide. With unparalleled rigorous quality controls and a twelve-month candidate guarantee, Decision Toolbox has long set and surpassed industry standards. By leveraging the latest tools and its senior team of U.S. based recruiters, DT provides on-demand, scalable recruitment services for companies across more than 60 industries, filling more than 2,500 different job titles at an average of 5-10% cost per hire and an average time to present the winning candidate of 14 days. For more information visit www.dtoolbox.com and find Decision Toolbox on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
