Jason Walker
Google and Facebook have raised the bar when it comes to recruitment - now candidates for jobs in other companies not only want a good salary but also a few perks as a sweetener.
In a similar vein to the quirky incentives offered by the tech giants - who offer four months' paid parental leave, on-site hairdressers and even an indoor slide in Google's case - Kiwi businesses are getting smarter about offering work-life balance initiatives to attract quality staff, says Managing Director of Hays New Zealand, Jason Walker.
"Given that the line between work time and personal time has blurred for many employees, work-life balance initiatives are very important to top candidates," Walker explains. Common benefits are flexible working options, telecommuting, the ability to leave early one day a week, lunchtime sporting activities, and restaurant or movie gift vouchers or discounts.
Other attractive, but rare, examples include on-site childcare and gyms, weekly or monthly massages, and free meals while at work.
But there's no use having these great benefits if you can't get candidates to talk to you in the first place. In today's employment market the hardest task isn't finding the right employee, it's convincing them that your company is the right one for them - a key concern for many businesses in the Mid-Market.
Despite accounting for only 6.6 per cent of the country's firms, the Mid-Market (those companies that turn over between $2-50m annually) is a huge employer of Kiwis, accounting for 33.2 per cent of employment in New Zealand. That figure is set to rise even further, with the 2014 GE Capital NZ Mid-Market Report showing that Mid-Market firms expect their staffing levels to grow by an average of 1.3 per cent.
That growth has the potential to add as many as 9,900 jobs across all segments this year, which means Mid-Market players need to step up their game to attract the best talent. Recruitment is no longer as easy as posting a job notice in a newspaper or on a jobs board for the 38 per cent of Mid-Market firms who are focused on attracting new staff and expertise to their business this year.
Speaking at the recent GE Capital Building Better Businesses Summit in Auckland, Walker said that Mid-Market companies in New Zealand need to get smarter about how they attract highly skilled workers. He suggests the first step is identifying how your company or brand comes across to potential candidates.
"Now high-quality candidates vet potential employers, so it's become more about social proof - now it's what customers, suppliers and your own employees are saying about you," Walker says.
If you don't already have an online presence, then you're behind the eight ball, he says. A company website, Facebook page, LinkedIn profile and even Twitter all help with educating potential candidates about your firm and why it's a good place to work.
Use these channels, Walker says, to sell the merits that make your organisation attractive. For some companies, it may be one of those perks listed earlier; for others it may be the latest technology, training and development programmes, motivating and inspiring team leaders, career development pathways or an impressive salary package.
A construction company, for example, may identify working on the best projects, an ambition to succeed and promoting from within as their key selling points. Walker suggests they then select three or four employees who embody these unique selling points and profile them on the careers page of their website. These same employees could then share news or inside stories about what it's like to work for the organisation, project wins, and promotions or career development successes on the company Facebook page.
"Profiling individuals works well because candidates want to have peer-to-peer conversations with those in the areas of the business they could work in," Walker explains.
Heather Elliott, HR Director of GE Capital New Zealand, agrees, saying that your existing team is all-important when it comes to to attracting the best talent.
"Your current employees are your best advocates to encourage high-quality talent into your organisation," she says. "I also think you should be aware of who the high-performers are for your competitors - those individuals who win customers and provide seamless service. Those are the ones you should be targeting to employ - or individuals who share their attributes," she says.
Walker suggests you make sure your careers page is mobile-friendly as people are increasingly using smartphones to job hunt. He cites their Hays website as a good example of mobile optimisation, with a 'Save for Later' option, the ability to opt in for job alerts and using Google Maps to find your nearest office.
Next week we'll talk to HR experts about what you can do to retain your best staff.