Table of contents
Why it’s important to become an employer of choice
Today’s hiring market is volatile. Becoming an employer of choice takes planning and a well thought out strategic approach. Be fair, honest, respectful, trustworthy and fun. Prospective employees want higher wages, better working conditions, the ability to be heard and a culture of transparency. They want flexibility with work schedules and time off. A strong work culture broadens a company’s hiring base and improves retention.
Show me the money.
Pay workers comparable to what others are paid at similar levels in the organization and within the market. Also understand the challenges facing different generations. Boomers focus on base pay and pension plans. Gen Xers embrace stability and career growth. Millennials tend to lean toward a transparent work environment, want feedback and clarity in expectations.
Provide opportunities for growth.
Driven employees become impatient with stagnation. Firms becoming employers of choice invest in training, industry conferences, create opportunities beyond their normal scope of work, involve them in company focus groups or possibly public speaking opportunities. Opportunities help improve employee retention.
Being leaders, not followers, by:
Establishing transparency.
Employees don’t like to be left in the dark. When employees sense ambiguity – whether it is job security, manager decisions or company direction – they trust less, are less loyal and less motivated.
Listening.
Hear employees’ ideas, even if they might not work for the company at that moment. Employees want to believe they are being heard and their bosses respect their point of view. Employers of choice encourage 360 degree feedback.
Featuring meaningful work
Promotions and lateral moves are not necessarily the way to go. Stimulating work assignments can mean more to employees. Build a culture where employees believe they are being stretched to their potential without creating a mountain of stress. Routine jobs can create apathetic employees. Think out of the box by:
- Creating job rotation or job-sharing options.
- Develop a plan which puts together cross functional teams, meaning creating teams from different departments that can work together.
- Develop committees for various projects and to solve problems.
Access to information is a must
Keep employees in the loop. Make sure they have access to information they need to know. They want to feel part of something bigger and their contributions matter. This triggers motivation and is a big driver in open communication and transparency.
Offer benefits that matter.
Flexible work schedules and paid family leave are more the norm these days, than the exception. Also, look for “wow” factor perks, like:
- Friday get togethers – with alcohol, possibly enjoying a food truck or two.
- Ping Pong or Cornhole tournaments are becoming trendy.
- Decorate the workspace with fun colors, special touches. Consider humor boards and birthday celebrations.
Give back to your community
Most companies are sought after by employees because of their commitment to involve the workforce in charitable functions. Recent surveys have indicated most employees feel more connected when they can give back at various charitable outings.
How ShaBro Alternative Office Solutions can help
Contact one our resource professionals to help you build a plan with the goal of making you an employer of choice, by offering solutions that help drive strategic initiatives and show you how to optimize the performance of employees.
Want more ideas on how to become an employer of choice? Review Forbes’ selections of the world’s best employers for 2021 and see how they do it: https://www.forbes.com/lists/worlds-best-employers/#121c986d1e0c