The healthcare industry has long been known for its complex workforce dynamics, demanding requirements, and constant need for skilled professionals in both clinical and non-clinical roles. Healthcare recruiting faces an uphill battle as talent teams strive to attract and retain top talent in a market that is highly competitive and constantly evolving.

In this blog, we will dive deeper into the difficulties healthcare recruiters face in finding the right candidates, examine the impact of high turnover, and suggest healthcare recruitment strategies to overcome these challenges.

Challenges in the Healthcare Industry

The healthcare industry is unique in that it requires a delicate mix of clinical and non-clinical employees, all working to care for patients and run the business side of healthcare. The healthcare recruitment process, as a result, is especially challenging due to factors, such as talent shortages, high employee turnover rates, and the competitive nature of job seekers in the market.

Recent Employ data indicate that nearly 83% of clinical employees and 77% of non-clinical healthcare employees are open to other job opportunities. Additionally, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, approximately 30,000 new APRNs (Advanced Practice Registered Nurses) will be needed each year through 2031 to meet the rising demand for care. This adds pressure on recruiters to not only hire top talent, but also retain existing employees.

High demands of the industry, the need for advanced skills, and the fast-paced nature of the job contribute to increased stress levels among healthcare professionals, which in turn affects employee retention. Understanding these challenges is essential for healthcare recruiters to develop effective strategies to attract and retain the best talent in the industry.

Pain Points in Healthcare Recruiting

In order to implement successful healthcare recruitment strategies, it is first essential to understand the unique pain points that this industry faces, which vary between clinical and non-clinical roles.

Clinical Healthcare Recruiting

Clinical healthcare workers are the backbone of any healthcare organization, directly contributing to patient care and outcomes. Despite their importance, the industry has struggled with employee retention and a shortage of qualified candidates, making the healthcare recruiter’s job all the more challenging.

With 83% of all clinical healthcare employees open to new job opportunities and 26% actively looking for another job, it’s clear that healthcare recruiters must focus finding candidates who are engaged and committed to the mission of the healthcare organization for the long-term.

Non-Clinical Healthcare Recruiting

The administrative and support personnel of healthcare organizations are equally important in ensuring the smooth functioning of daily operations. Even so, non-clinical staff members face their own challenges, with 77% of these employees open to new jobs and 35% actively seeking other opportunities.

In non-clinical healthcare recruitment strategies, it is essential for recruiters to identify candidates who are well-suited for such roles, while also addressing employee concerns and desires for greater flexibility and remote work options.

The Cost of High Turnover

The healthcare industry, especially post-pandemic, is known for its high turnover rates, with nearly 1 in 3 clinical healthcare workers and 4 in 10 nonclinical healthcare workers actively looking for another job.

This high turnover, combined with the stress and burnout associated with many healthcare roles, presents a continuous challenge for healthcare recruiters. High turnover can have several repercussions, such as increased labor costs, decreased morale, and compromised patient care.

Some reasons for high turnover in healthcare include:

• Heavy workload and demanding schedules
• Insufficient compensation packages
• Limited growth opportunities within organizations
• Workplace conflicts and fluctuating or inexperienced management

A Critical Talent Shortage

As the demand for quality healthcare continues to rise, staff shortages have become a significant issue for healthcare organizations. Many professionals within the industry are overwhelmed by long hours, leading to burnout and turnover. This vicious cycle makes it difficult for recruiters to fill gaps created by the departure of these professionals.

The healthcare industry faces a significant talent shortage, with a rapidly aging population in need of care and not enough skilled professionals to provide it. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the healthcare and social assistance sector is anticipated to generate 2.1 million new jobs, or around 45% of all new projected job gains from 2022 and 2032. This growth represents an incredible opportunity, but it must be met with strategic investment and prioritization for healthcare organizations competing for talent.

It is important for recruiting professionals in healthcare to consider their technology investments over the coming years, especially as the industry is projected to grow faster than other sectors at 1% annually over the next 10 years, according to the BLS. This indicates a constant need for recruiters to stay ahead of the talent gap and find qualified candidates to fill these critical roles.

To overcome the talent shortage in healthcare, your recruiting team must focus on several key strategies:

• Developing strong employer branding to attract potential candidates
• Leveraging intelligent technology and platforms to expand your candidate pool
• Offering competitive compensation and benefits packages that reflect the current market trends
• Supporting continuous learning and professional growth opportunities
• Fostering positive work environments that encourage collaboration and growth

Balancing Cultural Fit and Skills

The right candidates must not only have the necessary skills and qualifications, but they also need to be the right cultural fit for the organization. This is especially important in healthcare, where a strong team dynamic and collaboration are essential for providing quality patient care.

As previously mentioned, many clinical and non-clinical healthcare workers will leave positions based on poor company culture or lack of trust in leadership. It is imperative for healthcare recruiters to find candidates who will thrive within the organization’s unique environment.

Healthcare recruiting is a complex and demanding process that requires a strategic approach and a thorough understanding of the industry’s pain points. With talent shortages, high turnover rates, and the need for a delicate balance between clinical and non-clinical staff, recruiters must be equipped with effective healthcare recruitment strategies to attract and retain top talent.

From employer branding to compensation packages and fostering positive work environments, we will explore the best practices for healthcare recruiters to successfully navigate the industry’s talent shortage and find the best candidates for their organizations. Join us in our next blog for an in-depth look at healthcare addressing these recruiting pain points with 6 tried and true solutions to tackle those top challenges.

Learn more about how Jobvite’s Talent Acquisition Software for healthcare providers can help you attract, hire, and retain healthcare workers who will elevate the quality of care your organization provides.

The post The High Stakes of Healthcare Recruiting first appeared on Jobvite.

And despite high levels of job satisfaction, 86% of workers are at least somewhat open to other job opportunities, including 46% who indicate they are very open. Companies should respond to these perceptions by focusing on areas within talent acquisition that can speed the hiring process, better nurture candidates, and reinforce worker priorities.

The 2024 Employ Job Seeker Nation Report dives into the motivations, mindset, and perceptions of both active and passive candidates. Let’s take a look at some of the findings captured in the report on both types of these job seekers.

Active Job Seekers

A significant percentage of U.S. workers are actively looking for a new job right now, with 4 in 10 workers indicating they are seeking new employment. But what motivates job seekers to look for new employment? Beyond compensation, active job seekers are primarily motivated by career advancement and greater work flexibility or remote work opportunities.

Employers should recognize that candidates are looking for opportunities to progress and to stay flexible in their approach to work. By emphasizing advancement and flexibility in recruitment messaging, companies can differentiate themselves to job seekers in the market.

Company culture and better company leadership also rank high in importance to candidates. Organizations must take an active role in managing their employer brand and ensuring they have strong leaders who can effectively lead the workforce.

When it comes to looking for new roles, 50% of active job seekers believe that finding a job in the current labor market is easy, and 56% believe that the current job market favors candidates. Nearly two-thirds believe it will take them less than three months to find a new job.

Passive Candidates

For the 52% of workers who are not actively looking for a job, 54% would consider applying for a new role if approached by a recruiter. Their top motivations for considering a new job include greater work flexibility or remote work opportunities (43%) and career advancement (42%).

Of these more passive candidates, 55% believe it would be easy to find a job in the current labor market, 49% indicate the current hiring environment favors candidates, and 73% believe it would take them less than three months to find a new job. However, despite these beliefs, only 18% of passive candidates would feel comfortable quitting their jobs without having another job lined up.

While there are distinct differences between those workers actively seeking a new job versus those who are not, there are also similarities. These commonalities point to shared motivations for seeking new positions and beliefs that the labor market still offers plenty of opportunities to find new roles quickly.

Between 2022 and 2023, more than one in five workers (22%) had left a job. During the past 12 months, this number dropped to just 17%. Workers indicate that beyond seeking increased compensation, they left their current position for career advancement (33%), better company culture (27%), change in location/geography (26%), better company leadership (25%), and greater work flexibility/remote work opportunity (24%).

Motivations for Leaving or Declining Jobs

Most alarming for employers, 24% of workers have left a job within the first 90 days of starting a new role. While this number has decreased by several percentage points over the last three years, it is still concerning that nearly one in four workers acknowledge leaving within three months of beginning a role.

The primary reasons for leaving within this three-month period include poor company culture (47%), disapproval/distrust of company leadership (31%), and limited career advancement (28%). It is essential for companies to ensure that the transition from new hire to new employee is seamless and that the experience promised as a candidate matches the experiences delivered as an employee.

When it comes to declining job offers during the last year, less than one-quarter (21%) of workers have turned down a new role. Contributing to their decision to refuse a new job are poor location or geography (38%), limited career advancement (33%), and limited flexibility to work from home or remotely (30%). While declining offers are limited to one in five candidates, it’s essential that talent teams continue to nurture candidates through the recruiting lifecycle from the first look to the first day.

Understanding the dynamics of today’s job seekers in the labor market is crucial for both recruiters and employers alike. The Employ Job Seeker Nation Report provides a comprehensive look into the motivations, aspirations, and challenges faced by workers in the U.S.

Stay ahead of the curve, understand market trends, and make informed decisions to cultivate a thriving workforce in the ever-evolving job market. Download the Employ Job Seeker Nation Report now to unlock more insights on job seekers today and elevate your hiring function to new heights.

The post Decoding Active and Passive Candidates Today first appeared on Jobvite.

An employer value proposition (EVP) serves two main purposes for enterprises today:

1. Employers can articulate what makes their organization great to work for. Talent acquisition and human resources teams can build a messaging framework tied to their employer brand strategy. This framework helps company leaders, hiring managers, and recruiters relay the value of joining the business to potential candidates.
2. Active and passive candidates can learn what the employer brings to the table. This often includes EVP messaging around the strong work-life balance they offer employees, the inclusive work environment they’ve carefully built, parental leave policies they’ve implemented, and flexible hybrid and/or remote work models they’ve adopted. 

The key to making the most of your employer value proposition to better attract and retain top talent is using your EVP messaging consistently in job postings and recruitment marketing collateral.

And that requires the right recruiting technology.

Why your leadership must regularly assess and improve your employer value proposition

A recent Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study found 74% of business professionals are approached by recruiters about open roles multiple times annually. Nearly two in five (39%) respondents said they’re contacted monthly by TA specialists regarding job openings.

Many workers carefully evaluate prospective employers when getting these messages. That’s because they need to know what exactly makes an organization better than others. 

“For candidates, choosing a job is a very personal decision,” BCG explained in its report. “It’s the start of an extremely impactful relationship, one that may define several … years of their lives. No wonder candidates are sensitive to ‘moments of truth,’ when employers reveal who they really are.”

Sophisticated companies use hiring downturns to review their employer value proposition. By doing so, they can ensure their EVP resonates with their ideal candidate profile. This, in turn, helps them stand out from the sizable employer crowd.

It also makes it easier for their recruiters to reinforce their talent pools with applicants and sourced candidates who may fit within open roles company-wide.

How your employer value proposition affects your company’s talent attraction and retention efforts

Your HR team likely sends quarterly employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) surveys to your workforce. These polls provide insight into their feelings about their roles and the company at large.

Adding survey questions about what specific changes employees would like to see made across the company can inform leaders of perceived strengths and areas for improvement.

Findings from these additional survey Qs can then be used to make data-backed changes throughout the company and positively impact C-level leaders, managers, and recruiters.

Leaders can boost employee satisfaction and retention

Companies with strong cultures “communicate their vision with authenticity and simplicity,” business expert and author Jason Randall recently wrote for Forbes. They also “show gratitude and appreciation to employees, and not just by writing checks,” he added.

These traits, along with including employees in daily decision-making and factoring in their feedback into team planning, lead to greater retention rates and workforce satisfaction.

More to the point, employee insights provide a company culture enhancement roadmap for them.

These leaders can collaborate to strengthen the work environment. They can also work to give employees more chances to grow internally and help transform the business into a force for good.

Here are some popular advancements that can lead to happier, more productive workers who will likely want to stay at your business long term and a stronger employer value proposition:

• Implementation of new diversity and inclusion initiatives to show a commitment to DEI
• A focus on corporate social responsibility, including philanthropic and charitable work
• The creation of employee resource groups to create a safe and welcoming workplace
• Prioritization of career development programs to provide clear internal mobility paths

This last improvement is especially important. Mercer Workforce Sciences Institute Sr. Partner and Founder Haig Nalbantian told HR Executive that a well-planned career mobility program can improve employee output and sentiment, lower workforce turnover, and lead to a better EVP.

“Employees respond more to what I call ‘career rewards’ — the tangible and intangible value that accrues to employees over time — than to the here and now of pay and benefits,” said Haig. “Strengthening motivation can lead to higher productivity and business performance.”

That’s a win-win for your business and workforce — and a great way to augment your EVP.

Talent acquisition can more effectively attract qualified candidates

A clear employer value proposition can elevate your talent acquisition effectiveness just as much as it can increase your retention efforts. You need two things to properly leverage your EVP throughout the recruiting lifecycle and get more qualified candidates into your pipeline:

1. A well-coordinated employer brand messaging framework
2. An applicant tracking system with candidate relationship management (CRM) capabilities

The top ATS software for large companies acts as a unified, single source of hiring truth. This centralized solution helps recruiters promote your employer brand publicly in a unified, scalable way.

Consider Jobvite.

Talent teams use features like Intelligent Messaging to connect with candidates effortlessly. They also leverage Recruitment Marketing capabilities to set up personalized, automated nurture campaigns to prospects of interest to meet those candidates where they are.

This targeted candidate engagement approach helps Jobvite customers test different EVP messaging over time. These tests can then help them steadily improve funnel conversions. 

“Using smart and integrated recruiting and talent acquisition solutions to nurture relationships will ultimately show candidates that they are valued and appreciated and create a pipeline of talent for current and future hiring needs,” Employ CEO Pete Lamson recently wrote for SmartBrief.

Learn how Jobvite’s leading talent acquisition technology can streamline your recruiting process and help you hire high-quality candidates at scale. Schedule a demo today.

The post How Your Employer Value Proposition Impacts Your Hiring first appeared on Jobvite.

Candidates use your career site to gauge how well they would fit in at your company. Everything from the job descriptions to your application process provides them with intel on your business and what it’s like to work there.

With candidate expectations still high in a tight labor market, where job openings outnumber unemployed workers around 1.7 to 1, ensuring you provide job seekers a stellar experience on your career site is critical.

Does your career site inspire job seekers to take the leap and apply? Here are six effective tips to inspire continuous candidate engagement on your career site and more effectively convert candidates into applicants.

Career site tip #1: Put your best foot forward

In today’s job market, attracting top talent requires more than just listing job responsibilities and qualifications for roles. Job seekers are highly selective, and in order to make an impression, you need to establish a genuine connection. The best way to begin is by showcasing your company’s values and unique organizational culture on your career site.

Use authentic, high-quality images and videos that reflect your company’s employer brand and culture, including actual employees at work or having fun outside of work. Avoid using stock photos, and instead, craft copy that represents your brand to create a comprehensive and engaging representation of your company.

Career site tip #2: Remove the hurdles

To attract candidates, it’s important to provide an easy and streamlined application process without any obstacles.

Additionally, mandatory logins and repetitive forms can discourage applicants from completing the process. With 67% of applicants applying for jobs on their mobile devices, according to the 2022 Recruitment Marketing Benchmark Report from Appcast, providing an easy-to-use mobile site is also essential for a seamless application experience.

Career site tip #3: Streamline your design

Career site experiences should reflect consumer-grade websites, providing visual, compelling ways to quickly convey information. Simplify your content by eliminating unnecessary text and use category icons for corporate locations, departments, or benefit perks, wherever applicable. This allows for faster information delivery and is especially advantageous for mobile displays.

Career site tip #4: Simplify the process

Attracting top talent to your organization is a priority, but you want to ensure the process of learning about job opportunities is hassle-free. Keep search filters simple and minimal, prioritizing the candidate’s perspective and providing the necessary information quickly.

When you make it easy to find what they need, candidates will appreciate the respect shown for their time, leading to a higher likelihood of them to engage further with your content. By demonstrating your team’s organization and efficiency, you can make a great first impression on potential candidates, and keep converting them along the talent journey.

Career site tip #5: Invite them in

When it comes to showcasing your company’s employer brand and culture to potential candidates, sometimes the most effective approach is through immersive experiences. Consider incorporating a “Meet the Teams” feature on your website or an attention-grabbing video that provides job seekers with an inside look at the experiences of your inspiring employees.

These tools offer ideal opportunities for highlighting your company’s values and culture, allowing candidates to understand firsthand what it would be like to work for your organization.

Career site tip #6: Share the details

While it’s important to prioritize and prominently display your high-priority career page information, it’s also crucial to keep potential candidates interested with compelling content. Share information that they would find valuable, such as employee testimonials or global benefits that set your organization apart.

Make the content easily accessible so they are more likely to engage with it. With engaging and digestible content, you can keep candidates interested and showcase your company’s unique offerings.

It’s easy to talk the talk — but the most forward-thinking companies are already putting these employer branding tips to work. Ready to see real-life examples? Download the 2023 Career Site Lookbook to get best practices and tips from actual Employ customers.

The post 6 Tips to Engage Candidates on Your Career Site first appeared on Jobvite.

Budget for self-development

At LiveCareer, we aim to hire talented people willing to challenge the status quo. To attract this type of employee, our company offers a budget for self-development. It’s crucial that people working for us constantly look for new ideas, be innovative, and improve their knowledge.

If our employees want to learn new things, we want to support their development. After the trial period, employees can talk to their manager and brainstorm ways to fast-track their career development. Then, they can decide on any industry course to help them achieve their career goals.

Others should also offer such benefits because it shows that you want your employees to always look for something that increases their job satisfaction. Other perks can also be good, but ‌any job that gets boring after a while encourages people to look for growth opportunities at another workplace. So if you want to decrease employee turnover, invest in their development.

Dorota Lysienia, Community Manager, LiveCareer

Support “workations”

A year ago, we introduced an opportunity to work from our office in Tenerife, with free accommodation and travel costs partly covered by the company. This kind of perk is still not widespread, so there is a lot of talent-attracting potential in it.

We noticed that incorporating it into our employer branding and marketing strategies gives a lot of attention to our brand and helps us stand out from other employers. Blog posts, press releases, and mentions from other blogs — all these channels generate a lot of interest in our company, and we have already hired some skilled experts who found out about us thanks to this benefit.

Leszek Dudkiewicz, Head of Marketing, US Passport Photo

Allow a pet-friendly office

Having a pet-friendly office is one way that provides a more flexible work environment. By allowing employees to bring their pets to work, we give them the freedom and flexibility to take care of their pets while still fulfilling their job responsibilities.

This can lead to a better work-life balance, reduced stress levels, and increased job satisfaction, which can attract and retain top talents who are looking for a positive and supportive work environment.

Trey Ferro, CEO, Spot Pet Insurance

Offer life insurance

According to surveys, over 80% of employees would like their organizations to provide life insurance, but most times, they don’t. By offering group-term life insurance packages to our employees, we stand out from our competition, helping us to attract top talent.

We pay for our life insurance policies in bulk, covering all employees, resulting in significant cost savings. Our employees benefit from financial security, especially those with dependent children.

Shawn Plummer, CEO, The Annuity Expert

Provide a comprehensive compensation package

An effective and comprehensive compensation package should include a wide range of components, such as salary, bonuses, stock options, health insurance, vacation time, and other benefits. Compensation packages are an important tool for recruitment and retention of desired talent, as we can tailor them to the specific needs of the employer and the employee.

A well-structured compensation package can provide them with the financial security and stability they need to perform their job duties. It also allows us to create a more attractive work environment. These packages should consider the qualifications of the employee and the job responsibilities. We should also update them periodically to keep up with market trends and changes in the job market.

Christa Reed, Head of Job Market Research, JobSearcher

Assist with housing

One benefit that is widely underutilized is housing assistance. The University of Pennsylvania pioneered the use of housing assistance in the 1960s. The program had dual benefits; it helped the university keep its workers, while also revitalizing the surrounding neighborhood.

The program offered a mortgage guarantee for employees who had been with the university for three years and purchased a home within a three-block radius. This design not only ensured short commutes for its workers but also acted as an incentive to reduce turnover.

Since long commute time is one of the most common reasons someone leaves their job, the mentioned program helped the university attract employees interested in their community and then also retain these employees.

Atta Tarki, Founder and Author, ECA Partners

Permit flexible working

As a digital agency owner, I offer flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or flexible hours. This helps employees balance work and personal life effectively, leading to increased satisfaction and motivation.

It also results in lower turnover and higher productivity. Offering flexible work arrangements is a win-win for both me and my employees because it leads to a better work-life balance and job satisfaction for them, and a more successful and productive agency for me. I’d definitely recommend that other similar companies try this.

Shane McEvoy, MD, Flycast Media

Plan for light months

One unique benefit our company offers is light months. For two months a year, we give employees a fully-paid extra day off each week of their choosing in our take on a four-day workweek.

As a remote workplace, we already have flexible working hours and a work-from-anywhere option. This additional flex-time gives our staff the extra ability to rest and recharge, without causing too much disruption to surrounding staff’s schedules.

Grace He, People and Culture Director, TeamBuilding

Help pay student loan debt

Our company is looking into ways to assist employees in paying off their student loan debt, even while many businesses are investing in their employees’ continued education. Given that over 44 million former college students in the U.S. currently owe $1.5 trillion in student debt, it makes sense.

Because student loan debt affects many professionals, employers may use this employee benefit as a sizable recruiting tool for eligible candidates. Some firms have provided employees with a monthly stipend for loan repayment, frequently with a lifetime maximum in place.

Dayna Carlin, Director of Marketing and Sales, NovoPath

Create a paid volunteer work program

As a leader at my organization, we have seen tremendous success in offering paid volunteer work to our employees. Having this benefit at our organization shows that we are dedicated to the mission of giving back to our local community, and it naturally attracts candidates that are looking for this kind of altruistic environment.

Paid volunteer work can benefit others who may not have the financial ability to otherwise volunteer, and also provides incentives for employees that already choose to give back. It is important for companies to consider offers such as this since it speaks volumes about their priorities and values.

Nadzeya Sankovich, Regional Manager, Health Reporter

Invest in your team

As the CEO of a financial planning website, it is important for me to make sure that my employees are aiming for financial independence. The way I do it is by offering investment benefits, and I think more business leaders should do it.

After onboarding, I require my employees to open an online brokerage account of their choice. Then, I offer a monthly investment scheme in which our HR department would automatically deduct a portion of their salary to deposit in their brokerage account.

Of course, they can choose how much that would be. While I don’t force them to take part in the monthly investment program, if they do, I reward it by adding 10% of their deposit each month. Sometimes it comes out of my money, but most of the time it comes out as a business expense.

To date, I have helped a lot of my employees reach the five-figure mark in their investments, and it has helped me attract other talents as well.

Jonathan Merry, Founder, Moneyzine

Learn how you can better attract top talent to join your enterprise by leveraging our advanced recruiting and hiring technology. Schedule a demo with our team today.

The post What Benefits Are Most Likely to Attract Talent Today first appeared on Jobvite.

In fact, building a diverse workforce is one of the most important steps any business today can (and should) take to respond to a market that is growing increasingly competitive and dynamic.

So, what are tangible advantages of having a diverse and inclusive workforce? Below are some of the top benefits you should know when it comes to bolstering DEI initiatives in your company.

5 benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce

1) Diversity and inclusion inspire creativity and innovation

It’s been said that “great minds think alike,” but too much thinking alike can result in stagnancy and a lack of innovation. Having a number of different employees all bringing their own unique backgrounds and life experiences to the table is a great way to stimulate creativity and add new ideas to the mix.

If your business isn’t evolving, it’s in trouble; having a diverse and inclusive workforce ensures that you’re always growing, changing, and adapting to meet the challenges of the day.

2) Diversity and inclusion help increase productivity

Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. The more diverse your workforce, the better equipped you are to balance out one person’s weaknesses with another person’s strengths.

With proper organization, you can leverage those strengths for all they’re worth, while reducing or eliminating any weaknesses. This, in turn, makes your company more effective, and productive. It also provides you with access to a broader range of skills that can help streamline efficiencies and workflows.

3) Diversity and inclusion are vital for employee retention

Just as important as finding good, qualified employees is retaining them. The best way to do that is to make sure the people who work for you feel seen and fulfilled.

Valuing diversity and inclusion helps communicate to your employees that you care about them not just as workers, but as people. It helps boost morale and develop a richer, more vibrant employee community.

Employees who are encouraged to show mutual respect and appreciation despite their differences build stronger bonds and more fruitful working relationships.

4) Diversity and inclusion are good for your reputation

One mistake that too many businesses make is not actively cultivating diversity in their workforce. Instead, they simply sit back and hope it takes care of itself. Unconscious bias is an insidious thing; not making an effort to actively overcome it can leave you open to making costly mistakes.

On the other hand, being proactive about fostering a diverse workforce demonstrates both to your employees and to the general public what really matters to you. A good reputation goes a long way towards attracting job seekers, while also appealing to potential clients and customers.

5) Diversity and inclusion help reach new audiences

On a related note, it’s worth keeping in mind that your workforce isn’t just a reflection of who you are. It also holds a mirror up to your audience. If customers look into that mirror and don’t see themselves reflected back, they will likely search of a business that they feel does reflect them.

In other words, a more diverse and inclusive workforce appeals to a more diverse audience. It allows you to appeal to a much wider number of demographics and opens the door to new opportunities.

Build a more diverse and inclusive workforce with Jobvite’s talent acquisition suite

Remember, diversity, equity, and inclusion is a journey, not a destination. Start building stronger teams and make your workforce more inclusive with Jobvite Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Hiring Tools.

Put your DEI goals into action with the right people, processes, and technologies that create opportunities for underrepresented communities and mitigate hiring bias.

If you want to go deeper on the importance of building strong DEI programs in your business, download our latest report: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Spotlight: Examining DEI Across the Talent Lifecycle. Find out new data and insights on DEI across each stage of hiring and get key strategies for tackling DEI in your organization.

Speak with one of our team members today to learn how you can build a diverse workforce with Evolve, our advanced recruiting and hiring solution for large-scale businesses.

The post Why Diversity and Inclusion Is More Important Than Ever first appeared on Jobvite.

Clearly present your benefits

There is nothing worse than reading a great job description that does not clearly outline what the company can offer the candidate. Clearly outline this and not just offer the typical vague description; provide a list that can excite.

Give talent an idea of what they will be a part of from you as a company and how it would benefit their home life. Address the benefits they will have by being a part of your team as it pertains to community service or charitable services your company takes part in, partnership offerings, any on-the-job training, or any other perks you offer.

You may also want to consider revamping the benefits you offer that would attract talent that would help make their lives easier, like adding opportunities to receive grocery or gas gift cards or providing vacation savings accounts.

LT Ladino, CEO & Founder, vCandidates.com

Be culture-forward

Recruiting talent today looks a lot different from what it did just a few years ago. More than ever before, it is crucial that employers who seek the best talent highlight their company culture.

Today’s brightest talent considers career decisions based on values and how well theirs align with potential employers.

Showcasing programs such as employee resource groups, volunteerism, community engagement, environmentalism, and sound governance practices are now top priorities for stakeholders and employees alike.

Incorporating data about the organization’s social impact work can also be an interesting way to highlight the depth and strength of these corporate offerings.

Tyler Butler, Chief Social Impact Officer, 11Eleven Consulting

Provide learning and development opportunities

Investing in L&D is essential for attracting and retaining talent hungry to learn. While some learning and development used to be something with which to engage employees post-hire, more job seekers now value professional growth over salary.

Millennials and Gen Z workers want to add to their education, and Gen X and Baby Boomer workers want to upskill.

Showcasing your company’s L&D offerings across your company website, social channels, and job sites will help attract the attention of top talent eager to become a more effective corporate asset.

It will also show how much you value your employees, making everyone view your business as the Best Place to Work.

Chris Gadek, VP of Growth, AdQuick

Promote a fun culture

We understand how important compensation and benefits are to not only entice prospective employees but to retain talent.

But, what sets us apart the most is that we have become a wonderful place to work, one with a culture of camaraderie and fun.

A happier team results in a highly motivated, high-performance team. All of our employees work remotely, but we bring everyone together at least once a month to do something fun.

Recently, we went to a Dodgers game and had a blast. We want our team members to get to know one another, lean on each other, and have fun.

By doing this, we also make sure that our job candidates see that — and they are always drawn to that. They want to be a part of a team in which the members are close knit and know how to cut loose and enjoy themselves.

Brittany Dolin, Co-Founder, Pocketbook Agency

Offer work-life integration

The talent acquisition landscape continues to develop to suit the needs of employees.

The shift to working from home has had a dramatic impact on many industries, and it is seeing another shift that companies should consider when marketing their business to top talent: work-life integration.

Rather than simply working a 9-5 job from home instead of the office, work-life integration refers to employees being able to work flexible hours to suit their personal needs.

This flexibility would allow employees to take appointments, go for an afternoon walk, and pick up their kids from school while getting their work done at a time that best fits their schedule.

Looking into the future, many employees are looking for this flexibility that companies should consider when marketing to new talent.

Matt Gehring, Chief Marketing Officer, Dutch

Use employee voices in candidate marketing

It’s one thing for the company’s official marketing to tout its competitive benefits or ideal work environment, but when that praise comes from a current or former employee, it carries even more weight.

Including first-hand testimonials from employees in your recruitment marketing strategy is one way to do this.

You can also use incentive programs to encourage employees to rate and review the company on sites like Glassdoor, Indeed, and Comparably, similarly to how you might offer a customer a discount coupon for a positive review.

Bringing the employee voice into your marketing will give the message more authenticity and make it more trustworthy for the prospective candidates who see it.

Jon Hill, Chairman & CEO, The Energists

Create a detailed candidate profile

When top talents choose their workplace, they first make sure that their skills, qualifications, and experience match the requirements for the position.

Since these employees have defined strengths, they know that only specific job profiles would suit them.

It is crucial to offer a detailed candidate profile when in the market for top talent. For one, it helps candidates decide if the job position, related responsibilities, and even project requirements suit their choices.

It also helps the organization save time and resources in the recruitment process. Therefore, a well-defined candidate profile is a great way to zero in on the right candidate for your company.

Azmaira Maker, Ph.D., Founding Director, Aspiring Families

Include excitement in your job posting

Look at your job listings. How do they present the value prop from the prospective employee’s perspective? And I’m not talking about the vague “We do purpose-driven work” stuff.

Do they have an interesting story about the benefits (beyond salary) that come from being part of your organization?

And at what point in that conversation does that story come into play, if ever?

Too often, companies dive into the nuts and bolts of degrees, licenses, and skills, and only after that blandly transactional bullet point list do they insert vague boilerplate language about the company, usually a cut-and-paste of the mission/vision statements (that’s a whole other rant).

What’s the secret sauce that makes your place incredible? What are this company’s culture and purpose in meaningful language?

Not only will you attract top talent, but you’ll also attract the right top talent who are inspired and excited to get involved and invest their time and energy in the right ways.

Sarah Ratekin, Chief Happiness Officer, Happiness Is Courage

Lean on the power of video

Many recruiters know they need to do more to stand out to qualified candidates. But when you’re trying to fill 40 roles, it can feel like there’s no time to invest in strategic marketing to reach these folks. But that’s where video can help.

I’m not talking about the expensive employer-brand videos that take months to plan, shoot, and distribute. I’m talking about creating simple videos of your hiring managers talking about the role, their leadership philosophy, and other key questions candidates will have about the position.

Set up a 30-minute call with the hiring manager and ask them questions your candidates would ask. You can then take that video, have it edited on Fiverr or by an in-house editor within a couple of days, and then use the answers in your communications: messaging on LinkedIn, email, or even sprinkled throughout the hiring process.

This is a great way to improve your recruiting ROI without spending a ton of extra time or money.

Justin Vajko, Founder & CEO, Dialog Employer Branding

Openly support diversity and inclusion

One thing to consider for helping your company stand out to top talent is to support diverse communities.

Demonstrate a genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace by highlighting your efforts to honor, celebrate, and elevate your team and the communities they serve.

Showcase stories of these employees and their accomplishments throughout the year, as well as highlight any initiatives or projects you’re working on that benefit them.

Reaffirming your commitment to diversity in the workplace will help attract talent from diverse backgrounds, which will enrich your entire workforce.

Lilian Chen, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, Bar None Games

Post tech talk videos about your product

I recommend posting videos of tech talks about your product on your YouTube channel and then embedding those videos on your website for candidates to watch.

This gives your technical candidates a chance to really look under the hood and evaluate the quality of your engineering team and if the technology is something they are excited about.

Have your top engineers give the tech talks so that candidates can look them up on LinkedIn to see their credentials.

Marsh Sutherland, Sr. Technical Recruiter, Ocient

Consider your company from the outside looking in

You have the benefit of working at your company, so you’ve experienced for yourself what a great place to work it is. But, candidates don’t know this.

Don’t assume that someone who’s never heard of you is going to think you’re an attractive place to work. To attract the best candidates, sell what it’s like to work at your company.

What makes your company special? Why does your company exist? What’s the problem you solve in the world? What’s it like to work at your company?

Why would a candidate choose your company over another? What are your values? What behaviors and values are you looking for in an ideal candidate for any role at your company?

And remember, all your job ads should reflect your company culture and values throughout.

Bee Heller, Co-Founder & Managing Director, The Pioneers

Discuss your overall employee value proposition

When we’re discussing how to best market an opportunity to a great candidate, we often have discussions with hiring managers and HR teams about what the elements are that matter most to attract and keep top talent.

If you’d asked me six months ago, it might have been job security or total compensation. Today, it might be schedule flexibility or company culture.

As executive search consultants, we encourage our clients to think more about the overall employee value proposition (EVP). Material offerings and perks like commuting stipends, paid parking, free snacks, and access to an onsite gym are great.

But, two of the most critical factors we hear about are the ability to do meaningful work and the connection and community that come from a great work culture.

In a post-pandemic world, companies need to consider the overall EVP, which should include opportunities for growth, development, and time to connect and collaborate with co-workers.

Susan Towers, Executive Search Consultant, Boly:Welch

Looking to bolster your talent attraction efforts? Learn how our talent acquisition suite can help you identify, engage, and convert qualified candidates quickly and efficiently.

The post Talent Attraction: How to Market Yourself to Candidates first appeared on Jobvite.

In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shared noted the number of job openings inched back up again to 11 million open roles available in the United States, with employers struggling to fill positions.

Candidates continue to put higher salaries at the top of their requirements list for new prospective positions, and continued turnover has put employers in a tough position. Recent Employ data reported that 37% of job seekers were looking to switch employers to seek higher wages.

So, what exactly is the phenomenon that’s happening to loyal employees? And, just as importantly, how is it impacting your employer brand and reputation?

What is an employee loyalty tax?

Loyalty tax occurs when current employees are penalized for staying in their existing roles by receiving less than new hires for the same position, or not receiving market adjustments to their salaries.

According to a recent LinkedIn article, new hires are often paid seven percent higher for the same role, while another study puts loyalty tax on employees even higher at 10-15%.

These are typically employees who should qualify for annual raises, but were potentially denied one for larger organizational reasons, including to avoid layoffs, to make up for poor performance, or the company has decided to stay a laggard compared to the rest of the market in its approach to pay.

Not giving out market-centric annual raises can significantly hurt both employers and employees who stick with a company for multiple years, while getting minimal (if any) raises or bonuses.

Miscommunication and poor salary budgeting can force employees to pay this tax for staying at the org. But, candidates are quickly figuring this out and finding companies who also know this.

If turnover is high and quality employees aren’t properly compensated, it could mean that executive leadership is not on the same page as HR and TA leaders.

This can create a challenge for recruiting quality candidates, and cause a vacuum of talent leaving the organization in search of higher pay, greater benefits, and greater recognition for their contributions.

How companies can avoid a loyalty tax

A loyalty tax can harm an employer’s brand during such a critical time in a highly competitive job market. But loyalty tax on your employees is not a given. Getting company leadership, HR executives, and talent acquisition teams on the same page when it comes to priorities and budgets for the year can help ensure current and new employee contributions are valued and rewarded appropriately.

Strategic HR teams analyze key metrics like employee retention and engagement and salary rates to track overall company satisfaction and find areas of improvement.

Prioritize employee support and enablement

One of the biggest ways to avoid charging employees a loyalty tax is to have executive and TA leadership consistently communicate about the state of hiring in the company.

Remember: Job seekers want to find a company that values employees, prioritizes DEI, enables workplace flexibility, and leverages automation to improve communication, feedback, and time to hire.

Implement an internal mobility program

Candidates today want to work in a place that invests in their professional and personal growth. In fact, a recent Lighthouse Research & Advisory Report shared that 83% of candidates ask about future career opportunities during the hiring process.

Many recruiting teams have pivoted their strategies this year to focus more on internal mobility and employee networking to fill positions.

The benefit of prioritizing internal mobility is giving employees the chance to expand and grow in their careers within your company, and not at a competitor.

Actionable strategies to reduce the loyalty tax

Employers that want to build a more robust employer brand, provide a strong employee value proposition, and pay competitive salaries to employees leverage strategies to ensure retention is rewarded rather than penalized.

While a loyalty tax can’t be eliminated overnight, there are ways to help reduce it and improve engagement. HR and talent teams invest in the technology to keep a pulse on employees, and to find, hire, and retain top talent for their business.

Here are some steps you can take to reduce the loyalty tax on your employees and retain top talent:

• Ensure TA leadership, HR executives, and company executives meet regularly to analyze and ensure budgets are prioritized for talent raises, merits, and incentives for current employees.
• Create and develop an employee referral program that incentivizes employees to refer their networks to open positions. Include incentives for managers to refer employees for promotions or internal developmental career moves.
• Regularly analyze the labor market and economic reports to determine fair wages for existing employees doing the jobs that they already do. Find companies that publish their salary ranges for similar roles to get an idea of the benefits offered by competitors.
• Send out quarterly company surveys to get feedback from current employees and find areas of improvement before they turn into pain points.

Start building value for employees and candidates

With top talent in short supply, it’s crucial for companies to prioritize their employer brand and employee value proposition. High turnover in the market shows that candidates know what they want and are willing to switch companies to find it.

Be sure your talent acquisition team is equipped to combat high turnover and recruit qualified employees with Employ’s Recruiting Effectiveness Planning Kit.

The post How to Ensure Employees Don’t Pay You a “Loyalty Tax” first appeared on Jobvite.

But with historically low unemployment, recruiting professionals are still struggling to source qualified hires. Candidates also have higher expectations than ever before and want to work for mission-driven companies with a strong workplace culture that aligns to their own values.

When it comes to staying competitive in the labor market, one of the best tools companies have is leveraging their culture and their organizational mission for talent attraction. Your culture reflects what it’s like to work in your company; it’s the shared values, practices, beliefs, and attitudes that guide the way work is accomplished and employees behave. A strong culture and purpose-driven mission are invaluable tools for both recruitment and retention, and have been linked to higher levels of business performance.

How Culture and Mission Impact Talent Attraction

Job seekers are clear that a company’s mission and culture are highly important to them. In fact, based on Employ data, more than 1 in 5 workers (23%) say they would accept a job offer because of company values, mission, and culture. Beyond this, more than two-thirds of employees (65%) believe it takes less than one month to determine if they are a good match for the organization’s mission and culture, and 55% say they would leave a job if the organization was not aligned with their expectations or values. Recognizing the value that a transparent culture and intentional mission have in attracting — and retaining — employees is paramount to your recruiting efforts.

Candidates Are Still Shuffling

Although notable layoffs have occurred in the tech sector, candidates in other industries, like healthcare, manufacturing, and professional services, are still on the move, seeking positions that better align to their demands for higher compensation and a stronger culture. This has led to employee turnover, creating pressure on recruiting teams to quickly fill empty positions. And as many talent professionals have found out, a strong employer brand and clear mission propels a more positive recruiting experience and can help talent teams stand out and convert applicants into qualified hires.

Looking at What a Candidate Wants

With high turnover still common, recruiters see first-hand that candidates want a company that cares about their professional and personal growth. According to a recent Lighthouse Research & Advisory Report, 83% of candidates want to know about future growth opportunities during the hiring process. Even more telling, building deeper connections with managers, peers, and the core values of the company is one of the top-rated priorities for candidates.

Job seekers also want to work for a company that prioritizes DE&I in its policies and hiring practices, and cares about their wellbeing. Candidates are also looking for better benefits (34.4%), career advancement opportunities (12.6%), and remote work flexibility (21.3%).

One of the biggest challenges in hiring today is retaining quality employees who are looking for more from their employer. Strategic talent acquisition teams are investing in their employees by developing internal mobility programs that provide career growth opportunities and referral incentives.

Prioritize Your Authentic Employer Brand and DE&I Activities

Remember, candidates are looking for an employer that provides a supportive culture, competitive benefits, purpose-driven mission, and internal mobility opportunities. They expect employers to be flexible with remote work and provide a workplace that represents a wide diversity of people in all position levels. And while employees leave their jobs for a variety of reasons, nearly five percent of job seekers admit they leave an organization in seek of a company with greater diversity.

To compete in today’s fast-paced market, recruiting teams must invest in making the workplace a better place for all. A promising 33% of HR decision makers plan to increase their investments in DE&I programs this year, according to Employ data. Put company culture, a clear mission, and DE&I at the top of the budget list, and you will see tremendous improvement in candidates that align to your values and drive workforce performance.

Get Started Building a More Robust Employer Brand

With qualified candidates in short supply, today’s job seekers continue to have the upper hand in the labor market. Start improving your ability to attract candidates with a strong employer brand and clear mission.

Get The Step-by-Step Guide for Enhancing Your Employer Brand and see how a great candidate experience builds a more robust applicant funnel for your business.

The post Does Your Company Culture and Mission Matter to Potential Candidates? first appeared on Jobvite.

Would you work with a company whose employer brand has been described by once-engaged job candidates as “deceptive,” “unethical,” or “poorly managed”? Most people wouldn’t. In fact, many enterprise business leaders would be terrified to hear their business described this way.

And yet, look at reviews of orgs on Glassdoor, Indeed, and similar online career communities, and you’ll find comments with adjectives like the above — ones that every job seeker looking for new work on said platforms (and others like them) can see when evaluating prospective employers.

The key to building your employer brand strategy and regularly enhancing your employer value proposition (EVP) in general is to work alongside other hiring stakeholders in your C-suite.

What is your employer brand?

Employer branding refers to the way orgs differentiate themselves from competitors in the market for employees and share distinct info about their business at large, company mission, and culture.

Conversely, companies with a bad employer brand struggle in these areas and, thus, tend to have a worse reputation than businesses that excel with good employer branding strategies.

To understand the current state of your employer brand perception, ask yourself:

• What is your company’s reputation among your workforce?
• What do candidates say about your brand after applying for a job and interviewing?
• How is it as a place to work? Is there a strong work-life balance?
• Do your employees feel cared for, seen, and heard by leadership?
• Would your employees recommend your company to their friends?

Examining the online real estate your business occupies — from your careers page, to your social media presence — can also help you discern whether your employer brand is enviable or dreadful.

Remember, though: No one person is intended to actively manage and enhance your employer brand. It’s a true team effort your executive team — including your HR and talent acquisition leaders — should be involved with. Even DEI committee members and ERG leaders can help.

4 ways to improve your employer brand

The biggest hurdle most leadership teams face with elevating their employer brand is determining how to best address and improve their candidate experience (and, in turn, their online reviews).

Here are four ways to approach your employer brand online to attract top talent.

1) Evaluate your digital presence

Uncover all reviews from current and former employees and previously engaged job candidates. Read each one of them to discover what’s being said — for better or worse — about your org.

Luckily, Glassdoor reports that the majority of their reviews are actually positive. Going through this process could be an insightful way to discover your strengths as a hiring company.

Moreover, you’ll be better prepared to lean into them when working to attract top talent.

• What do your online reviews reveal about your employer brand and workplace culture?
• Is it the brand description you hope to convey, or is it skewed slightly, in your opinion?

This process could only entail a minor pivot to align with your brand goals, or it could involve a more thoughtful conversation internally. Either way, the importance of this step can’t be overstated.

2) Respond with intention

Be gracious to those who took the time to leave positive feedback. This perpetuates your positive employer brand and encourages others to leave positive feedback as well.

Respond humbly and thank the reviewer for the message. Make a point to mention how you’ll look into their concerns or suggestions and then follow through.

The three critical steps to facing a negative review: thank the reviewer earnestly for their feedback, state how seriously you take their concerns and suggestions, and make the offer to continue the dialogue through a private medium.

3) Create a culture of responsive communication

Start laying the groundwork to avoid candidate complaints by improving your candidate experience. When seeking to create positive candidate experiences, communication is key.

Unfortunately, too many recruiters and employers treat the hiring process as a one-way street, requiring prompt answers and updates from candidates without offering the same thing in return.

Communicating details on next steps they must take or just acknowledging when their application has been received and reviewed leaves fewer unanswered Qs and room for competition to sneak in.

4) Share clear expectations with candidates

Hand-in-hand with keeping candidates in the loop during the hiring process, it’s equally important to let candidates know what to expect if they are hired. That means offering them a clear and detailed glimpse of their new role’s responsibilities and your company’s unique culture.

Ask most job seekers today, and they’ll tell you they believe that good company culture and overall work environment is essential to business success. So, demonstrate what makes your culture stand out from those of other employers, and you will be ahead of the game.

When does your candidate experience end? After you decide not to hire them, right? Wrong.

A good way to improve candidate experience is to keep in touch with all high-quality candidates, not just the ones you hire. Instead of starting over from scratch, you may already have dozens of prime candidates sitting in your recruitment pipeline.

Communication shouldn’t stop once the candidate has accepted an offer. To ensure a smooth onboarding process, ask yourself the following question:

• Is your onboarding experience seamlessly connected to your hiring experience?
• Are all of your new hire forms digital so that new hires don’t have to fill out forms by hand?
• Do you have an onboarding portal that prioritizes all of a new hire’s tasks?
• Does your onboarding portal work on mobile?
• Do you offer pre-boarding? In other words, is your onboarding portal available to candidates before they start, so they can get a headstart on the process?

At the end of the day, it’s the small interactions and personal touches that make candidates feel valued, respected, and appreciated. And those are the things they they’ll remember long after the recruitment process is over, even if they don’t end up joining your company.

Strengthen your employer brand and talent acquisition efforts at large with our Evolve Talent Acquisition Suite for enterprises. Schedule a one-on-one demo with our team today.

The post How Your Employer Brand Impacts Recruiting Results first appeared on Jobvite.