A PR Agency Benchmarking Report by B2B Marketing shows that attracting the right talent to the company is the biggest concern on PR agencies plates. 86% of respondents reported that attracting talent is either a ‘major challenge’ or a ‘challenge’.
But it doesn’t need to be a source of anxiety. Making your business attractive to new talent can be an organic, and not very time consuming process. Here are some tips for making sure your business is as appealing to prospective employees as it can be.
Identify what sort of talent you want to attract
This is more about working out what sort of personal qualities would be a good addition to your team, rather than what skills and experience you’re looking for. If you’re looking for people who are bubbly and outgoing, your approach will obviously be very different than if you’re looking for someone who is focused and considered.
A PR firm, for instance, will need confident, sociable people who can build new relationships with ease. A finance firm, on the other hand, will need someone more detail-oriented who thrives in a non-client-facing role.
What age group are you hiring?
If you’re looking for recent graduates, then you should make yourself aware of what millennials look for in a prospective job. Research shows that they are keen to grow and progress in a role, and want to feel like they’re making a difference. Bear that in mind when you’re advertising a graduate role.
Remember that you’re marketing to potential employees as well as customers
All of your public-facing material – be it your website, your social media presence, or your advertising – doesn’t just entice customers. It’s also what helps people decide whether they want to work for you. So the tone of voice that you project to your customers is the same tone that prospective talent reads.
You’d better make sure that your overall marketing tone reflects your company values accurately, and makes you sound like the sort of company your dream employee would want to work for.
Be flexible
Flexible working hours are more desirable than ever at the moment, and a company that isn’t married to the 9-5 schedule is high up on candidates’ list of priorities. An employee with a good work/life balance is a happy employee.
Be personal
Let your employees use company-aligned Twitter accounts. Many companies are scared of letting their employees Tweet in case they go against the brand guidelines. But having the whole team Tweeting makes the company feel welcoming and open, and helps prospective employees get a better idea of the company culture.
If you need some help bringing some great new talent into your company, you can register your job with us here.
