As hiring managers compete for qualified candidates in the tightest labor
market in 30 years, they're finding themselves paying closer attention to
their companies' work environments. Flexible management styles that enable
employees to more easily meet work and personal obligations have become a
strong selling point and powerful recruiting tool for businesses today.
Our company's recent research tells the story. The number one career
concern in the new millennium is being able to balance family and work
demands -- ahead of earning a competitive salary and job security --
according to our major research study, Office of the Future: 2005...
Increasingly, employees assess the culture, workplace environment, and
flexibility of management when deciding whether to join or stay with a firm.
In fact, corporate culture now rivals benefits as job applicants' leading
topic of inquiry during interviews, according to our company's survey of
Fortune 1000 executives. Additionally, one-third of executives responding
said that work environment is the most important factor in keeping an
employee satisfied -- up dramatically from nine percent in 1993.
A healthy corporate culture can provide an advantage in attracting talented
workers. The stronger the candidate, the more he or she will want to make
certain that your firm has a work environment in which people are treated
with respect, communication is open, and ideas are encouraged and rewarded.
To attract key talent, accentuate the characteristics of your business that
will appeal most to candidates. Look for areas where your company excels
and emphasize them when you interview applicants. For example, small firms
may have more flexibility than larger companies when it comes to offering
non-traditional benefits to employees. Here are some additional
suggestions:
- Accommodate lifestyles. Promote management practices and personnel
policies that allow for flexible hours and personal days when necessary.
Consider providing on-site services that save employees time such as a
cafeteria, automated teller machine and exercise facility.
- Trust and empower employees. Most people will work harder and do a better
job if they are trusted to be responsible and empowered to make their own
decisions. If you require extensive reporting and documentation of all
activities by your employees, try a more hands-off approach that encourages
greater autonomy for your staff.
- Solicit feedback. Talk to employees about their life outside of work, and
periodically conduct an anonymous employee satisfaction survey. Important
information will likely be uncovered. Listen carefully to what your staff
members have to say, and be responsive to their concerns.
- Hire for the long term. The way a company hires, trains and rewards
employees reveals a great deal about its culture. Hiring for aptitude and
then training for career advancement is a significant way to build and
retain staff.
To hire the best people, companies are increasingly looking to make
improvements from within. Programs that foster a healthy, dynamic work
environment not only help attract talented individuals, but also increase
staff loyalty and satisfaction while reducing turnover -- a winning
proposition for management and employees alike.
-- Article courtesy of Robert Half International, which has more than 250
locations in North America, Europe and Australia, and offers online job
search services at
www.rhii.com.
