A change in the recruitment landscape means companies are now working harder than ever to attract the best talent.
Social media giant LinkedIn has revealed its list of the businesses that shine when it comes to brand awareness and going that extra mile to garner the best employees in what has become a candidate-led market.
Steve Griffiths, Business Development Director at Colwyn Bay and Bangor-based Supertemps says the focus is also on retaining stellar staff, which can happen in a multitude of ways.
Whether it means a commitment to climate change and eco-awareness, charitable giving, flexible working or fairer pay and gender equality, firms can not afford to stand still and miss out on the very best recruits.
“When you set standards for your company, it sends a clear message that you want to be among the best in your business; and even more importantly, when you actually adhere to the standards you set for yourself, it reinforces that message for anyone who might be interested in becoming a part of your organisation,” said Steve.
“Even if you have no mission statement written down, it’s important to recognise that you already have a company culture in real terms – whether that is a happy, positive and collaborative environment or, in the less desirable scenarios, if individuals within your firm are less supportive of one another.”
He added: “The risk you take if you don’t put a positive culture in writing is that your organisation will take on a personality of its own, and if you are not specifically observing and driving towards more positive outcomes.”
Steve suggests regular feedback and workforce engagement is vital, and exploring whether candidates buy-in to the company ethos during the interview process.
“You can probe interviewees for evidence of agreement or alignment with your company culture, to try and make sure that they will fit in well among their fellow employees if you decide to give them the job,” he added.
“Even publishing your company culture as a statement on your website can be useful, as when applicants come for their interview, you can test for evidence that they have seen the page.
“It’s about attracting, assessing and retaining the very best talent from the available applicant pool, and improving working conditions for your existing employees while creating a more positive external appearance for your firm too – making a positive company culture a true win-win situation for all concerned.”
Online retailer Asos is a prime example; the organisation saw a 30% growth in sales at the end of 2017 and plans to create 1,000 jobs. Bosses reward loyalty, have set up a long service awards initiative and offer extra time off during the year.
Amazon, JP Morgan, HSBC and Goldman Sachs also featured in the top 10 of the LinkedIn list.
Rebecca Drew, Sales Manager for LinkedIn Talent Solutions, explained how they measured their success.
“Each year we analyse the billions of actions of our 24 million-plus UK members, including job seeker reach and interest, engagement, and retention, to collate LinkedIn’s Top Companies list – unveiling where professionals really want to work,” said Rebecca.
“Whether it’s offering free gym memberships and health insurance, or connecting with candidates on Snapchat, each of these companies has invested a huge amount in building their talent brand.
“But more than that, they are constantly working to maintain engagement with their employees who live the brand values proving, why they’re such a great place to work. With demand for talent constantly increasing, it’ll always be the killer talent brands that attract the nation’s top professionals.”
