This week I am talking about recruitment.

A 9-5 working week, 4 weeks holiday a year, and a corner desk were once considered perks to a job, creating satisfaction and loyalty. Not anymore. Today’s businesses need to be much savvier if they want to attract and retain key talent.

These days prospective employees are searching for a better work/life balance, and a greater sense of fulfilment from their jobs. They are more discerning. The structure of work has broken down and shifted, and small business owners must take note of this new, progressive work environment that’s needed, or risk missing out on great talent. Your employer brand story is now more important than ever.

The knock on effect of not getting the right talent can be huge and costly. So let’s look at some great ways to get this right from the start.

Here are just 5 of my current favourite examples of innovative HR practices and policies being used by the savvy companies in their Employer Brand Story to compete against you for the best quality staff……

1. Workplace and corporate wellbeing schemes

People are your most important asset. What better way to demonstrate value for your staff than investing in their health and wellbeing? Consider the benefits of providing workplace access to services such as nutritional advice, yoga, massage and mindfulness. The benefit is that you will see a reduction in your employee stress levels, improved attrition, reduced sickness absence and a generally refreshed and re-engaged workforce.

2. “Owning” unused holiday entitlement

Annual leave days are technically an employees to use as he or she sees fit. If they don’t use them, for whatever reason, a fresh idea is to let them donate them to another employee. Perhaps the beneficiary is taking a trip around the world or preparing for a life-changing event. The point is that the business acknowledges the employee earned these days and can dole them out without company involvement. Google practices this policy, with great success. Word of caution though – your employee legally must take at least 28 days off (that’s 20 days holiday and 8 days BH – before they can donate holiday to a colleague – it’s the LAW!)

3. Customising the position for the talent

Progressive business owners are ditching job descriptions, opting for building the position based on an employee’s strengths and interests. Whilst it can be challenging, this new practice is highly successful if moulded correctly. It takes a mix of knowing the employees, and accurately measuring their skill sets.

4. Two-way mentoring

You CAN teach an old dog new tricks. While newer employees learn invaluable product knowledge and process requirements from company veterans, seasoned employees can get their imaginations sparked, absorb new technology, and discover new “hacks” from the newbies. Smart companies tap into the mentoring relationship as a back-and-forth, not up-to-down.

5. Setting up workplace flexibility as the new normal

Focusing less on work/life balance, and more on the integration of life and work, is a paradigm that is emerging in the workplace. It’s all about how a company values the contribution of an employee, not just the physical hours worked. Time off for appointments and leaving early for school plays brings about loyalty and satisfaction in employees. I can testify here. I’ve adopted this approach with my own business and as a result I’ve been able to attract and retain the best people for my business!

The businesses that embrace one or more of these progressive practices will enjoy higher success rates in their recruitment, (which let’s face it, is pretty tough at the moment) greater employee engagement and higher levels of morale.

The great news is that our Highly Effective Manager Program, which starts in January in London delivers a recruitment masterclass in the second module. Amongst other things your managers will learn how to inject some leading edge, and highly valued innovation, into your recruitment policies and practices that will in turn help you to attract and retain the best talent, and have highly engaged employees!

Here’s more details:- Highly Effective Manager Program 

Let’s have a virtual cuppa if you want to know more about this fantastic new program. Book a date here.

So here’s my challenge to you – be daring! Be more ‘millennial’ in your business thinking. Treat your prospective employees like potential customers; ask yourself, ‘what is my USP as an employer?  What can I bring to the table that will attract the best candidates – who will, in turn bring success to my business?’  Create a sense of excitement and buzz about working in your business. You can inject some leading edge, and highly valued innovation into your HR policies and practices that will in turn breed success, both with recruitment and employee engagement.