Core values to attract employees to your business
Core values are used as a way to promote your brand. Prospective employees are now looking towards more than just their salary bracket and holiday allowance to guide them in the roles they are applying for.
Future employees want to know that organisations care for their employees, invest in development, and provide them with an enjoyable and engaging work environment. Presenting your core values is also an excellent tool for ensuring that you will attract the right type of candidates for your business.
Realising your vision will be more achievable with the right people in the right roles and will enable you to create the company culture you believe in.
What core values are applicants looking for?
Care
Prospective employees want to know you care, if you have a nurturing culture, and if your business is a champion for wellness and productivity. They will look towards your treatment of current employees and how well they are valued.
Interest
Meaningful and impactful work is sought after, and applicants will be looking for evidence of this through workplace policies and procedures. Show you value and trust your workers by championing employee innovation and providing a stimulating, attractive work environment.
Social
Do you provide a work environment with a strong base in teamwork and interdepartmental projects? Will there be an opportunity for socialising outside of the office, and do you support collaboration?
Economic
There can be many economic factors other than just basic salary. Applicants will be interested in any benefits you offer, such as subsidised canteens or cycle-to-work schemes. Do you offer discounts with local companies if you sell a product? Are your rates of pay competitive?
Development
Do you provide investment in your current employees? You can show your organisation invests in the development of their staff by offering training courses.
Impact of COVID and the Future of the Workplace
Since the pandemic began, companies have witnessed a seismic shift as many workers were forced to work from home due to the enforced lockdowns. As companies look to bring more employees back to the office, many face people who are content now working from home and are reluctant to return to the office.
Businesses have been highly scrutinised in how they deal with the shift, with many promising that people can continue working from home. In contrast, others propose an office/home balance for their employees’ work week.
The main discussion is that the pandemic has proven that many jobs can be done whilst working from home, and many have gotten used to that style of life.
Moving forwards, working from home or a hybrid combination will become a highly attractive pull to prospective workers. The company’s stance on the issue will undoubtedly have a significant impact on its employer brand.
How has Covid affected today’s job market?
Due to the impact of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, today’s job market is highly volatile. Some industries face crippling labour shortages, while others face numerous applications to a select number of roles. As a result, it is more important than ever for companies to focus on their employer brand to ensure they can recruit effectively.
The pandemic has highlighted working conditions enforced by employers, especially in creating a safe environment to work in. Employers risk damaging their reputation if they are found to have any failings, which could impact future candidates’ perception of the company.
Recent statistics show that 50% of job candidates said they wouldn’t work for a company with a bad reputation, even for a pay increase, whilst 86% of HR professionals say recruitment is becoming more like marketing. These show that potential employees value the state of their place of work highly, even when compared to other key incentives such as their pay.
Companies that don’t focus on their resources often end up paying higher salaries than other companies as they need the extra incentive to attract the top candidates in the market. Therefore, companies can save money by chasing the top talent for their available roles by paying attention to and utilising their employer brand.
Essential action points to focus on
- Using social media to your advantage
- Active social media pages highlight continued attention to the employer brand. Additionally, being active on web pages such as LinkedIn and Glassdoor will help engage job seekers and build the company’s reputation.
- Respond to both positive and negative reviews. By responding to reviews, the employer can show that they are active and are working to maintain a good employer brand. By responding to negative reviews, they can show that they are addressing concerns and working to fix them. Potential employees will see this when researching the company and applying for roles and see that the company is engaging with its employees and any issues.
- Reflect a genuine experience of employees
- Use current employees as advocates for your employer’s brand. Companies must not just repeat their values and rhetoric, as jobseekers would have heard most of the points before from other companies. By creating a positive work environment and looking after current employees, the employer brand will grow as happy employees talk about it.
- Ensure consistency across the business marketing strategy and recruitment marketing. Many comparisons are drawn between marketing your company as a business to customers and marketing to potential employees. Both are vital to a company’s success and should go hand in hand, but recruitment is often less supported as it is unseen to the customer.
The employees you recruit form the core of your business and affect the end product. It is of utmost importance that attention is paid to your employer’s brand so you can recruit the best talent available.