Every savvy interviewer will ask an iteration of: “Why should I hire you?”
It’s a good question that can elicit great insights into a candidate’s self-worth, awareness, and understanding of the position. So, keep asking it!
However, very few interviewers would be able to come up with a compelling answer if a candidate asked, “Why should I come to work here?”
That’s also a good question. And even if it’s not asked specifically by a candidate, you can be sure that he or she is thinking about it. Hopefully, you’re providing implied answers throughout the interview. Now more than ever, employers need to be able to address this question head-on.
While the employment pool was once filled with candidates who were eager to please and grateful for opportunities to compete for “good jobs,” times have changed. Unemployment is at a historic low. There are more job openings than there are job seekers. The most skilled candidates will be very selective about where they choose to work. Small businesses face even greater hiring challenges because they’re competing with large corporations that offer high salaries, robust benefits, and attractive perks.
A great approach to your business (and your life, for that matter) is to simply do your best to control everything that you can. Here are three things that you can control when it comes to staffing and team building, along with three possible answers to that all-important question: “Why should I come to work here.”
“We offer a competitive salary as well as excellent benefits and perks.”
Let’s face facts: job seekers are going to go wherever they can get the most money (I know, I know, “Thanks, Captain Obvious!”). It’s crucial to establish salary guidelines that are in line with the prevailing industry and geographic standards. This is one area where you shouldn’t be looking to cut costs. Benefits and perks should also be part of your compensation equation (they certainly show up as line item costs on a P&L statement).
Now that we’ve addressed the obvious, you’ll be happy to know that there are other ways to be competitive in attracting talent.
“We’ll help you build skills that will last a lifetime.”
Many employers look to find people that can “hit the ground running.” In doing so, they sometimes confuse skills and experience with attributes and traits. They look for candidates who have acquired job skills through experience and professional development opportunities provided by previous employers. Your competitor assumed all the costs and did all the heavy lifting to develop this employee—what’s not to love?
Well, you may end up paying top dollar for talent like this and you may end up with an employee who isn’t challenged by the position.
So what if, instead of focusing on their skills, you also factored in the attributes that you want in an employee? Wouldn’t you be willing to teach, mentor, coach, and develop someone who had an impeccable work ethic?
You could end up with an employee who is challenged every day to learn; The kind of employee who is grateful for the opportunity and is engaged in his or her job and with the business; An employee who could contribute character and positivity to the kind of culture you want to build and maintain; Someone who would be an evangelist for your organization and help you attract future like-minded employees.
Bonus: they’ll cost you less than the employee who has the skills and experience to “hit the ground running.”
“We have a really great team of people here and we pride ourselves on having a culture of growth.”
You might be thinking, “But what if I spend all this time and money to develop this employee then they leave.” Well, know that while people may ultimately come to work for you because of the money, they will stay, or leave, because of your culture.
Creating a culture of growth and development is a great way to demonstrate your organization’s value to candidates. When you offer opportunities to learn and grow and can speak to the policies and procedures that you have in place to encourage growth, you’ll be in a great position to attract top talent. As you evaluate or create your ideal culture, keep in mind that you want a work environment that is defined by respectfulness, transparency, and fairness.
In this competitive job market, the costs of making wrong hiring decisions, or hesitation in the face of potential growth is staggering. Identifying, vetting, attracting (and being attractive to) the best candidates has never been more important or more difficult.
Fortunately, CQ’s experienced recruiters are here to help. Not only can we keep your practice running at capacity, but we can also help you build the ultimate dream team. Talk to your Account Manager or contact the Recruiting Department at recruiting@cq-partners.com.
Ernie Paolini is responsible for Human Resources and Recruiting Services at CQ Partners. He has more than 20 years of experience in building and managing technology-driven HR and recruitment organizations. His areas of expertise include behavioral interviewing, employee relations, compliance, and onboarding.About the Author
