As the unemployment rate reaches the lowest it has been in decades, companies are modifying their talent acquisition strategy to attract top talent. According to a recent study, 53% of the 234 U.S. organizations surveyed plan to make major changes to their talent acquisition strategy in the next two years. With millennials expected to comprise half of the American workforce in 2020, many companies are feeling the pressure to update their recruiting strategy to appeal to younger generations — even including Gen Z.
Below are three tactics your company can put in place to adapt your talent acquisition strategy in the new year:
Offer flexible work arrangements
Today, an increasing number of job applicants are searching for companies that offer flexible work schedules. While some companies are still hesitant to adopt the trend, many are beginning to see the benefits. Flexible work arrangements can improve employee morale and office productivity, as well as increase loyalty to the company. With continuous updates in technology, we have constant access to our phones and emails — thus, making it easier to work anywhere in the world at any time.
While there are several types of flexible work arrangements companies can offer, the most common is flextime. Flextime is a flexible work arrangement that allows employees to alter their workday start and finish times. Flextime involves a “core” period that employees need to be working and/or at the office — for example, if employees arrive at the office at 8:00 a.m., they can leave at 4:00 p.m. or if they arrive at the office at 10:00 a.m., they can leave at 6:00 p.m. By providing employees with the option of a flexible working schedule, they are able to better coordinate work schedules with the demands of everyday life, such as parenting or attending appointments.
Customize communications to job applicants
In today’s competitive market, communication between job candidates and hiring managers is becoming more important than ever. Hiring managers are finding it challenging to keep candidates engaged just through correspondence over email and phone calls.
As Gen Z continues to enter the workforce, employers are still struggling to adapt their hiring practices to best fit how Gen Z likes to communicate. For example, Gen Z prefers personal communication that acknowledges the individual, like texting. Employers are beginning to see their response rate from Gen Z increase when using texting to communicate. In fact, according to a recently conducted survey, 67% of tech leaders nationwide said their company uses text messaging to coordinate interviews with job applicants.
Gen Z is known for having a short attention span, oftentimes getting bored or losing interest quickly. With texting, Gen Z is able to communicate faster while still being able to watch TV or on their computer. For employers, it is important to fully understand the applicants you are targeting and adapt to fit their preferred method of communication.
Focus on recruitment marketing
Recruitment marketing is defined as “the strategic and tactical implementations that allow a company to find, attract and engage job seekers to encourage more qualified applicants.” It is considered the front-end of the recruiting process as the phase where candidates are first introduced to the brand and are actively considering applying for a job.
The majority of today’s candidates find employers through an online search, following the company on social media or reading reviews on sites like Glassdoor. As a result, employers are needing to build a comprehensive social strategy, develop a strong branding presence and install lead generation forms on the company’s career website.
The record-low unemployment rate has made finding qualified talent more challenging than ever. By offering flexible work arrangements, customizing communications to best reach your job applicants and focusing on recruitment marketing, you can revamp your talent acquisition strategy heading into 2020. In doing such, you will better your chances of seeing more qualified and proficient job candidates coming through your door.
To learn more about attracting top talent, check out our blog on How to Attract Top Talent with Record-Low Unemployment!
Recent Comments