We’re practically singing this from the rooftops right now because we believe in it so very much. Just like the best beaches we all want to visit, and indeed, work very hard to visit, we should be able to attract talent into our organisations in the very same way. Our recruitment agencies need to become places in which people actively seek to be a part of, want to belong to and work hard to enter. Becoming a destination employer isn’t just for Google, Airbnb and Apple, but can be for your business too, and here’s some ways to go about it:
1. Find your personality
It’s only over the last few years that we’ve started looking at businesses as living things with their own personality, and being able to give your agency characteristics and traits will help you set yourselves up as somewhere people want to go. It will give you the ability to make people fall in love with you, which is exactly the key to becoming a destination employer. Once you’ve understood and defined who your business is, it’s tone, what it stands for and how it speaks, you’ll be able to effectively convey that across social channels and your website.
2. Onboarding matters
First impressions count for a lot and anyone who says they don’t matter are either lying or being idealistic. They matter so very much and are your opportunity to really show your new employees what you’re all about. Consider how you welcome them into the business, what practices are put in place to integrate them and think about their journey in the first week, and what you can do to make them feel wanted every step of the way. Often new talent come into your business by way of referrals and word of mouth, and an excellent onboarding process is a great way to start spreading the word.
3. Value proposition
Just as it’s important to find your personality, it’s equally important to understand and communicate what you stand for. Young graduates entering the workforce now don’t care about amazing offices, they expect it, but they do care about a mission and values, and they want to be a part of something they believe in and care about. The days of apathetic working is over. Be a recruitment agency that has a strong value proposition and then spread that out across the market at every available opportunity.
4. Health and wellbeing
A new workforce means they expect new things, and part of that has been gym passes and fruit bowls. However ,as the health and wellness movement has gained momentum and paired with mental health, your commitment to these things will set you apart as a destination employer. It’s no longer enough to offer free fruit, but rather how are you ensuring your employees are safe and healthy, both physically and mentally. This might be offering mental health days at home, or offering flexible working, organizing lunchtime meditations or mindfulness exercises, or even giving the same credence to therapy appointments as you do to doctors and dentists. People are looking to be part of businesses that are aware, socially and mentally conscious and who are doing things differently. Your recruitment agency has the opportunity to stand out from the crowd and very easily do these things.
Stuart Thomas
Head of Client Services
