Hiring new personnel for your practice can be a challenge. You want to make sure you find someone with the right personality who is a good fit for the company. Currently, it is a very “hot” job market with many employers hiring extensively all over. It is also an employee-driven hiring season, which means candidates often have more than one choice for employment. They have the opportunity to take a long, hard look at what is being offered and closely consider what direction they want to take their career.
Staying Competitive
Now is the time to evaluate the training opportunities your practice offers new employees and ensure they receive the appropriate tools to succeed, starting on day one. Compensation is another vital area to evaluate. You want your company to be competitive and attractive to potential candidates. The hiring process can be rigorous (depending on the particular position/level), so time is of the essence.
Retaining Current Staff
Just last month, more than 800,000 people nationwide received new jobs. This is a massive, unprecedented number of employees leaving their current positions to accept more lucrative offers. So, retaining your current staff is dire. Your employees should feel secure and happy with their current position, income, and benefits. These, along with workplace culture, are the most decisive factors when it comes to driving higher levels of employee engagement and reducing turnover.
Hiring & What to Look For
Employers often hire based on experience. While this is important, we also need to examine the traits that can’t be taught. Personality, work ethic, self-motivation, and determination to learn are all invaluable. These traits may seem basic to some, yet they are not a given for everyone. If someone is lacking in one of these areas, it may be very difficult to develop them. On the other hand, the experience for certain jobs can easily be developed when the employee is provided with a solid onboarding and training plan.
Don’t Wait
And timing is everything—the most qualified and experienced job seekers are being contacted and interviewed by numerous companies. Waiting to schedule an interview or make an offer may result in missing out on top talent. Therefore, you want to interview quickly (but thoroughly), make competitive offers, and consider key decision-making factors such as paid time off, paid holidays, healthcare and retirement plans, as well as professional development opportunities.
This is an unprecedented time in the job market, and we need to reevaluate our expectations, look at the bigger picture, and think outside the box. It is important to develop your team for success and continue to train and build trust with your employees. If you aren’t marketing your company well and presenting it as a highly desirable place to work, you can bet the next potential employer will.
To recap, the best ways to tilt the scale in your organization’s favor and attract top talent in today’s red hot job market are to…
- Move quickly through the hiring process
- Provide appropriate training/onboarding
- Be competitive (pay scale, perks)
- Retain current staff
CQ Partners is here for all of your recruiting and human resources needs. We have years of experience and can help you set realistic expectations and find your next successful employee. It may seem tough to find the right fit for your company right now, but we are here to partner with you and guide you in the right direction.
About the Author
Dawn Bauer is a Senior Recruiter who has been with CQ Partners since 2003. Previously, she spent 15 years working in banking and accounting, including 2 years in CQ’s billing department. When she’s not at work, you can find Dawn either on the beach, in a shoe store, or at a concert.
