As the recruitment industry becomes employee-driven over time, employers will need to make adjustments to current methods to regain power in hiring and retaining employees. Instead of being chased by candidates, companies now need to prove their values.
5 Ways to Stand Out as an Employer of Choice in a Competitive Market
To appear as an employer of choice, recruiters must attract attention and highlight the benefits associated with joining the workforce. Here are five ways to stand out:
1. Offer Something No One Else Does
Primarily, the best strategy for a business to get a competitive edge is to be like no other, whether that is becoming well established in a niche or having special employee incentives and rewards. To stand out from the crowd, review job listings to understand what other employers in the market are offering candidates and evaluate where you can make improvements to appeal to potential employees.
2. Provide Mentoring Opportunities and Career Progression
The business mindset of just filling openings and replacing where needed is often not appealing to job searchers. Candidates like to know that their work will benefit their future, and mentorship programs and career progression can put this forward. Types of mentoring can include:
- One-on-one: A mentee gains experience and knowledge by working with a mentor who is further along in their career
- Group: Multiple mentees learn and grow in their field with the guidance of a mentor
- Reverse: An experienced professional benefits from a fresh perspective offered by a less qualified colleague
Mentorship programs can improve employee retention and promote diversity and inclusion, highlighting the company as an employer of choice in a competitive market. Mentoring can be different from career progression, which applies to generally moving forward in a career route, for instance, starting as an intern and achieving the accomplishment of becoming a director.
However, this looks different to everyone and can simply consist of one promotion to achieve career progression goals. Offering some degree of career progression rather than continuously hiring to fill roles can give candidates the impression that the company is worth investing time and effort into.
3. Upgrade Technology and Marketing
The tech world never fails to offer a solution for a business, and that includes getting a competitive edge. From recruitment to employment, technology and marketing can significantly better the reputation of an employer. When hiring, using technology and marketing wisely to put out a clear, informative, and engaging job listing can attract a surplus of interest from candidates.
The process of dealing with applications can then be optimized using applicant tracking systems that track and filter candidates for ideal efficiency. Technology and marketing can then be used to make working tasks easier for employees, increasing productivity and promoting the corporate values to the world to set an example as an employer.
4. Build a Positive Environment
To shine as an employer in a competitive market, the company must represent a workplace that is accommodating and accepting. Searching for a job is daunting, but starting one is even more so. When an employer has built a positive environment, the response from candidates is expected to be more enthusiastic. Prioritizing the health and wellbeing of employees, ambitious standards of employee retention, and diversity and inclusion will impress candidates in a competitive market.
5. Be Transparent and Honest
It is common for job listings to glamorize the company and yet provide limited information on details like requirements, benefits, or salary. Where possible, being transparent and honest can give an employer a competitive edge as candidates can form an understanding as to what they are working towards during the recruitment process. Although it may not always be appropriate for certain companies, a straightforward approach is appealing to candidates as job listings that are reassuring and inviting will be prioritized above those that lack substance.
These adjustments can be easily made and will boost the visibility of the employer in a recruitment market dominated by candidates. Offering an experience beyond the standards expected, providing the opportunity for mentorship programs and career progression, upgrading technology and marketing within the company, and being transparent and honest to potential employees is the best way to get a competitive edge as an employer of choice.
