Let’s think about this from the candidate’s perspective. Typically, when we think of places or activities that we would recommend to someone we know, we do so because as an individual, we had a positive experience. Whether that means the food was excellent, the show was entertaining or the service was top notch, we want others to have the same positive experience as we did. The same can absolutely be said in the job market. Candidates are only going to refer their colleagues or acquaintances to a company or Recruiter if they feel the experience they had was a positive one. So how do hiring managers ensure that we have a pool of talent that we can garner referrals from? Simple, make a positive candidate experience a top priority for your hiring strategy.

Check out these simple and seemingly straight forward tips provided by RecruitingDaily.com to give your team the upper hand in creating a positive and welcoming candidate experience.

1. Engage job seekers in enjoyable conversation. This seems like a no-brainer but surprisingly many hiring Managers and Recruiters tend to keep conversations with prospective candidates as impersonal as possible. Where there can be a benefit to keeping the candidate relationship like any other business transaction, there is also a huge downside. It is basic human nature to trust those that make you feel at ease. Having easy and light conversations with your candidates can instantly make them feel more comfortable around you. This can even be achieved through personalized emails. Try to communicate in a friendly manner and ensure the candidates that you are always looking out for their best interest.
2. Respect the job seeker’s time. Time is valuable to everyone, including your job seekers. We all know how annoying it can be when we have an appointment set and it has to be cancelled or rescheduled last minute. If you make an appointment with a candidate, keep it. As you will be interviewing more and more candidates that are currently working elsewhere, it may be difficult for them to make the appointments or interviews in the first place so rescheduling or cancelling last minute can certainly put a bad taste in their mouth.
3. Keep job descriptions consistent. It is important to provide as much information up front in a job description posted online as possible. However, whether you include everything in the online ad or not, you must stay consistent with job details throughout the entire process. The information provided online should reflect what is discussed in the interview and pre-screenings. If something with the job changes, update your ads accordingly. This way the candidate already has a really good idea of what to expect when the interview process starts and isn’t in for any surprises along the way.
4. Respond clearly and within one week. Responding to candidates in a timely fashion may be the most important tip that is offered here. You have to remember that you are not the only person seeking out passive talent. It wouldn’t be a surprise to learn that your candidate has actually been contacted by 10 or more companies at the same time you reached out. With that said, staying in touch with your candidate is imperative. In the two extra days it takes for you to offer them the job, your competition may have already swooped in. Basically, you need to land the candidate before your competitor does.

By following these tips to improving the overall experience of your prospective candidates, you will find it much easier to not only fill current openings but also to fill your pipeline with experienced and eager referrals.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, and Trillium Technical. With approximately 100 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a 2017 and 2018 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

Is there really that big of a difference between retaining existing employees over searching, vetting and hiring a new candidate. Absolutely! In fact, according to Peoplekeep.com, the costs of employee turnover are continuing to increase, as much as 2.5 times an individual employee’s salary, depending on the role. This figure doesn’t even take into account “soft costs” such as lowered productivity and training costs.

So the question remains; how do you increase employee retention? Here are a few simple suggestions to keep in mind.

• Retention should start before the hire: This simply means that employee retention should be something that your hiring staff focuses on from the very beginning; starting with recruiting and continuing through the entirety of the hiring process and beyond. You need to keep a clear and concise idea of what type of culture your company holds and make sure to focus on individuals who value the same type of working environment. Always hire with the intention of keeping that employee as a long term asset. Hiring a new employee knowing full well that they will not be a long-term solution is putting your company behind from the get go.
• Always engage employees with opportunities to learn new things and for advancement. It’s human nature to want to strive for bigger and better things. No one wants to be stuck in a “dead end” job doing the exact same thing each and every day without the opportunity for additional responsibilities or even promotion within. The idea here is simple; continuously provide your employees with opportunities for growth and to further their education, even if that simply means becoming more knowledgeable about your company as a whole and how they can continue to be an important asset to you and your team.
• Benefits are and always will be a huge selling point. This can be an excellent way for your organization to stand out from your competitors. This doesn’t necessarily just mean health benefits. A lot of companies are starting to allow more flexible scheduling so their employees can spend more time with their families. In addition, some companies are beginning to offer up to 18 weeks of parental leave for all of their employees. The idea is that by allowing employees to take time off to handle personal situations, the employer is provided reassurance that when the employee does return that they are able to put their full attention back on the job, rather than worrying about something going on at home. Other important and sought out benefits could include paid holidays, company outings, performance bonuses, etc.
• Embrace technology. Especially in today’s society where it feels like there is a new technological advancement every single day; companies have no choice but to either embrace it or fall behind the curve. Everyone expects to be exposed to and have new technologies available at their fingertips. From the newest smart phone being launched to how AI will be integrated into their daily lives, employees want the best technology available to ensure that they are performing at their best at work and at home.
• Turnover will happen so be prepared for it. Unfortunately, no matter how well your treat employees, life can get in the way. In circumstances where you are feeling lost after losing what you consider to be a rock star employee, you have to move on. Always try to have a succession plan for any and all of your higher level or hard to fill positions. Making sure that there are others within your company that can at least assist with the workload after the turnover takes place, can take a huge weight off of your shoulders. Also, remember that turnover can also be a blessing in disguise. You never want to hold on to employees that don’t want to be a part of your organization in the first place.

If you take anything away from this post, please remember that now is the time for retention. Companies need to start treating their employees as true assets and not individuals that can be easily replaced. It’s only when the employee feels appreciated and recognized and the employer understands their worth that true employee retention can thrive.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 100 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

According to Staffinghubs.com, the following statistics were found after surveying 350 Human Resources leaders across the country.

• Only 40% of respondents said that their on-boarding program was successful at retaining new hires
• Nearly a quarter indicated they have no on-boarding program at all.
• More than half of those survey said that managers don’t have time to dedicate to improving the on-boarding process.
• 60% say that the purpose of on-boarding is to integrate new employees into the company culture, but only 30% indicate that their on-boarding process focuses on culture.

What does this tell us? Basically, that the low unemployment rate and qualified worker shortage isn’t the only reason that companies are struggling to locate and retain top talent. It is extremely important to remember that the on-boarding process is one of the 1st introductions to your company for a new hire. If the process is too lengthy, feels disconnected from the company culture or paints your company with an unflattering light, this could be enough to deter a would-be candidate from continuing on in the process.

It is true that on-boarding can feel like a daunting process for companies large and small. However, if this is the case for your company, there are staffing companies out there that specialize in the paperwork and administration side of on-boarding, allowing your company to focus on the long term success of each new hire. As we have entered fourth quarter in 2018, the ball is certainly still in the employee’s court, forcing companies to adapt new policies and upgrade existing processes in order to attract what talent is out there and seeking work. The result of studies such as this one is proof that with a few tweaks to internal processes, companies can once again regain the competitive advantage. For more information, please visit www.kronos.com for the full report.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, and Trillium Techs. With approximately 90 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a 2015 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.