How to Recruit Current Employees
With an extremely low unemployment rate, the pressure to poach presently employed individuals has increased. As a consequence, it is critical to develop sourcing and recruitment methods that appeal to prospective prospects but also motivate them to listen to you.
By identifying an influence strategy, you may pique a candidate’s interest in accepting your call. As such, we’ve identified five strategies for overcoming the barriers to recruiting gainfully employed candidates:
1. Appeal to Their Belief
Utilize endorphins to bolster a successful candidate’s ego. For instance, when creating a list of prospective sales leaders, don’t stop at identifying the winners; spend time learning about their particular accomplishments and the personality characteristics that contributed to their success.
Conduct internet research — LinkedIn is a good place to start — to learn about your target candidate’s accomplishments and then reflect those tales back to them. Develop the candidate by reflecting their winning stature back to them. Create a case that demonstrates your comprehension of what makes them tick.
Then demonstrate how your company develops such talent by providing real, on-demand chances to win new agreements, grow market share, and expand territories. Demonstrate your willingness to build on their reputation and assist them in reaching new professional heights.
By incorporating their value proposition into yours, you not only get a better understanding of how the two match, but also begin carving out the following stages of onboarding and goal setting after the applicant accepts the offer.
By appealing to a candidate’s ego as well as their general desire for future success, you may strengthen their commitment to take the interview process seriously.
[Related: 8 Ways to Increase the Value of Your Organization by Hiring Employees from Unrelated Industries]
2. Align Your Organization’s “Why” with the Candidate’s “Why” For example, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which was named one of the Best Places to Work in 2019 by Glassdoor, has a succinct “Why Work for Us” statement.
Their “why” includes a commitment to “hire and retain the most motivated and skilled experts in our industry, and to push them to stop at nothing to save the children we serve.”
And that is just the first phrase. St. Jude continues by highlighting the company’s history as a leading pediatric cancer hospital and emphasizing their workers’ “strong commitment to the cause.”
Once you’ve defined your “Why Work for Us,” you may next discover applicants whose “why” matches. Create a compelling presentation from there that transforms a chilly, presently employed professional into a warm, prospective employee who is enthusiastic about the fit and ready to begin the interview discussion.
3. Demonstrate to Them Their Value
Demonstrate the importance of top achievers like them via a visual and/or content-rich tour of your organization’s value offer. Create a captivating narrative centered on your culture that will urge them to learn more.
At Zoom Video Communications, which is ranked second on Glassdoor’s 2019 Best Places to Work list, employee evaluations reflect a constant, pleasant, people-centric culture.
Comments such as “Fantastic corporate culture of happiness,” “You feel cared for,” “Acknowledgement of hard work,” “Wonderful camaraderie and friendly people,” and “Work here if you have the chance” can pique curiosity, turning even the most apathetic prospects into passionate fans.
Who wouldn’t want to learn more about such an inviting, employee-focused culture?
4. Present the Money to Them
Numerous satisfied, gainfully employed candidates may be enticed by the prospect of pursuing a greater income. And many individuals value advantages such as access to an on-site gym, a well-stocked kitchen, and education and training.
Other applicants, on the other hand, may put a lower premium on such perks, and others may already work for businesses that check all the culture and benefits boxes. In these situations, people may be tempted only by the prospect of a better income. Being prepared to “show them the money” may be the difference between your pitch being heard and your presentation being slammed shut.
[See also: What Is a Merit Increase and Why Is It Important?]
5. Provide nourishment Their Intelligence and Originality
The “Why Work for Us” video from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is an excellent example of this. From the first few seconds of their intellectually dense screenplay, they express a drive to offer internationally significant solutions.
Additionally, searching through LLNL’s evaluations reveals references to their “open and creative atmosphere” and “sophisticated research equipment,” as well as confirmations that you “get to work with a diverse group of scientists and engineers” in a “difficult setting.”
Candidates seeking settings that ignite their creativity and intellect will gravitate toward these nurturing companies – create and sell a narrative convincing them of this potential.
Recognize Underperformance and Address It Properly
Perhaps you’ve observed that business hasn’t been ‘as normal’ recently and that a staff member or two hasn’t been performing up to par. If left unchecked, employee underperformance may have a massive domino effect, resulting in significant problems such as financial loss and reduced team morale.
We’ve chosen to examine what defines underperformance, the factors that contribute to it, how to recognize an underperforming individual, and the actions required to address the problem peacefully.
What does it mean to be underperforming?
Underperformance occurs when an employee falls short of the desired level of performance. The following points highlight a few of the many instances of underperformance:
Failure to execute responsibilities to a satisfactory standard/completely
Infractions of workplace rules and procedures
Inappropriate conduct that has a detrimental effect on others in the job.
What factors contribute to employee underperformance?
Lack of chances for growth
Employee objectives differ — some want employment security, while others seek advancement within a business.
The guarantee of future development possibilities is critical for motivating employees. If there is no ‘progression,’ regardless of how it is portrayed, workers may exhibit characteristics of underperformance.
Inadequate variety
Lack of diversity in the workplace may cause boring activities to become routine. This results in a lack of inspiration, which has a detrimental effect on the quality of work produced.
Communication breakdown
If you are not getting the appropriate communication – whether it is about work performance or essential human resource information – this may result in fatigue and confused objectives.
[Related: The Benefits of Being Listed on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work]
Stress at work
This happens when workers are unable to do their jobs effectively as a result of stress. Stress may appear physically and psychologically, impairing overall job performance.
Inadequate settling-in time
The onboarding process is important in a new job. While time constraints and seasonal fluctuations may impact the amount of time and money spent on onboarding new workers, expediting this process for the purpose of profit can impair their capacity to execute duties in the long term.
Personal difficulties
Certain problems may be so severe that they have an effect on our daily lives. When workers are depressed due to circumstances outside of work, it may significantly impair their ability to focus, particularly when they lack a support structure.
[Related: Three Ways to Encourage Employees to Be Their True Selves at Work]
Unhealthy work environment
This is not always an aesthetic issue — if the workplace atmosphere is hostile and high-pressure, this may have a detrimental impact on an employee’s ability to work in a team.
Absence of obstacles
When workers’ tasks become routine, it’s easy for them to go into autopilot mode. This implies that work productivity may take a severe hit and seem to be lacking.
Inadequate incentives
While going above and above to reach your goals is a wonderful feeling, if there is no reward for the accomplishments, workers may feel unmotivated to do better in their job.
Uncertain objectives/lack of direction
The job’s expectations should be communicated both during the interview process and on the job. If modifications to the work are required, they must be disclosed, not anticipated, since this may result in considerable misunderstanding.
Insufficient on-the-job resources
Inability to do the work effectively may exacerbate job pessimism, particularly when the demand for resources is legitimate.
Creating a strategy with a low-performer
Each situation will need a unique approach. If the disagreement is with a single person, the following procedures guarantee equitable treatment:
Approach the employee in question and inquire about how things are doing and if they have anything they’d want to discuss.
Certain workers will feel comfortable disclosing what may be troubling them, which simplifies the process of creating a strategy.
Those who are ignorant of the effect of their activities on the company now have an opportunity to voice their concerns and devise a strategy.
Create a list of the problems and collaborate on a solution. SMART objectives are a time-honored yet very effective method of goal setting.
If any of the concerns are personal in nature, offer to be a listening ear and provide guidance on employee assistance via your human resources department.
Maintain a cheerful but constructive tone for the remainder of the discussion.
How to give feedback to a low-performer
Addressing underperformance head-on is critical for resolution, and criticism must be positive to assist in employee growth.
The following are some guidelines for providing feedback to an underperforming employee:
Dos:
Provide precise and helpful comments.
Keep an eye out for any trends that contribute to underperforming behavior.
Encourage them and explain how making good adjustments will benefit their overall growth.
Always be nice.
Don’ts:
Accumulate anything that need development. Concentrate on no more than one or two manageable problems at a time.
Demonstrate negative feelings. While it’s natural to be frustrated, this emanates an excessive amount of pressure.
Utilize ultimatums or absolutes, such as “if you are unable to provide this to me by the end of the day, there is no sense in returning.”
Suggestions for action if no improvement is made
Unfortunately, despite a strategy and support system in place, an employee may make little progress. If this is the case, a formal procedure must be followed.
It is critical to inform the employee that if no progress is achieved, disciplinary action may be taken. To guarantee that you are treating your employee properly, verify that you follow any employment laws.
Consult your human resources department for guidance on how to proceed. The following pattern is often followed:
Invite your employee to a meeting in writing, ensuring that you provide sufficient advance notice.
In writing, acknowledge the employee’s right to be joined by a witness.
Assemble a list of the reasons for the disciplinary meeting, including dates of previous occurrences if required to support your judgment.
Allow the employee to defend their allegation and offer proof as to why they do not deserve a warning or dismissal throughout the disciplinary process.
Inform the employee that they may file a written appeal if they believe the judgment is unfair.