Challenges surrounding employee recruitment and retention continue to impact the growth and health of our workforce here in Southwest Washington and across the United States.
Recently Workforce Southwest Washington (WSW) was involved in several events aimed at tackling the issues of employee recruitment and retention. On June 5 and 12 WSW contracted and hosted the human resource experts at Salsbury & Co. to lead a two-part workshop series to give companies the knowledge and tools to overcome their employee recruitment and retention challenges. Then, on June 18 our Director of Business Services, Darcy Hoffman, collaborated with Erin Roe from Salsbury & Co. to lead a CREDC and APEX Accelerator workshop* on how to attract, hire and retain talent.
Organizations can also find strategies to help address recruiting and retention in our Quality Jobs framework. This framework was created in partnership with Worksystems and Clackamas Workforce Partnership to provide strategies companies can implement to improve recruiting and retention. Not only do quality jobs mean improved conditions for workers, but they also can increase employee morale and productivity leading to decreased turnover.
Here are five key strategies from the workshops that your company can implement to find and keep valuable talent.
Quality Jobs
The first step is to align your company with the strategies from the Quality Jobs framework that will meet the needs of your organization. For example, offer your employees wages that are competitive with the local market and consider how the wages you pay enable your employees to be self-sufficient. Calculate the cost of turnover and factor that into the wages. It is far more cost-effective to pay your employees a wage that will retain them than to constantly expend money on high employee turnover. The team at WSW can provide you with current wage trends and tools to help you calculate the cost of turnover.
Other strategies to consider: ensure safe working conditions; have firm anti-discrimination policies so that all feel welcome to engage in the workplace. Consider conducting regular employee engagement surveys to gather input about your employee’s experiences and use the survey data to improve the workplace. A quality job offers a predictable work schedule to minimize hardship for employees and their families. One strategy could be to adjust mandatory overtime and shift-work policies and provide clear expectations to applicants. Quality jobs also provide basic benefits that increase economic security and improve the health and overall well-being of employees and their families. These benefits include healthcare, childcare, transportation, wellness programs, access to retirement saving programs, and paid time off that allows employees to rest and recharge, among other supports. Striving towards a workplace that can mirror these standards is an excellent place to start attracting and retaining talent.
Create an effective job posting
Strong recruitment starts with creating a job posting that will attract candidates. Clearly describe who you are as a company and your core values so candidates can decide if your company aligns with their ideals. From there clearly describe the job and its responsibilities. Prioritize the essential functions instead of overwhelming the candidate with a long list of potential responsibilities. List the qualifications and skills needed for the role in addition to a description of the work environment. Applicants who may need accommodations deserve to be informed of things such as lifting requirements and access to sitting areas. Specify if the position is full-time or part-time and whether the work is in-person, remote or hybrid. Lastly, provide a salary range. Many applicants will not apply for positions that don’t list salary and as of January 1, 2023, it’s mandatory in Washington. The Washington State Legislature states that “The employer must disclose in each posting for each job opening the wage scale or salary range, and a general description of all of the benefits and other compensation to be offered to the hired applicant.” A surefire way to attract talent is to be honest and transparent about the wage and total compensation.
Build confidence through onboarding
First impressions are important. Quality onboarding starts as soon as the job has been accepted. Before their first day, reach out to your new employee and provide them with any information they may need to alleviate the stress and anxiety of their first day. The address of the organization, where to park, what to wear, what time to arrive, even what options are available for lunch. It is the small things that will make a new employee feel they matter to the company. Pre-onboarding includes preparing all necessary tools such as electronics as well as assembling their onboarding paperwork. When you meet with your new employee, reaffirm who you are as a company and dive deeper into the core values. Start strong by covering the employee and employer standards, benefit policies and anything from the employee handbook that they may have questions about. It is also crucial to explain in depth your company’s anti-discrimination and harassment policies so your new employee can feel safe knowing they are in a workplace that will stand beside them. Once all necessary paperwork has been completed and preliminary onboarding information has been discussed, provide your new employee with a list of tasks to assimilate them with the duties they will be performing. Check in with them frequently over the next few days to guide them and answer any questions so they can navigate their new role with confidence.
Be open to feedback
Even after implementing the previously mentioned strategies, there is always room for improvement. Being open to feedback and constructive criticism is one of the best ways to let your employees know that you respect them and their opinions. Your talent will be less likely to seek other employment if they know their current situation can positively change.
One method of receiving employee feedback is through workplace surveys that can be used to measure employee satisfaction, identify areas for improvement and monitor the organization’s overall health. To begin, define the objective of the survey. Be sure the questions are written clearly and concisely. Test the survey with a small group before sending it out to the whole team to check for discrepancies or unclear questions.
When sending out the survey, communicate its importance and purpose. Set a reasonable timeline for completion, or even designate time during the workday to complete it. Ensure confidentiality and frame the questions in a way that the answers will not reveal any identifiable information about the employee. Once all surveys have been completed, interpret the data and communicate the results to your employees. Take time to unpack it with them and listen to what they have to say. Was there anything surprising in the results? Anything not surprising? Any questions they wish would have been asked? Incorporate this discussion into the results of the survey, take action and build a plan to create real change in your workplace.
Engage your employees
Another key strategy to consider is employee engagement. Employee engagement is a continuous and conscious effort made throughout an individual’s employment at your company. Employee engagement is about providing each person with a sense of belonging. Recognize and appreciate your employees. Make them feel empowered with autonomy, respect and trust. Demonstrate honest, clear and effective communication to encourage mutual respect and trust among your staff. Regularly solicit feedback and recognition promoting a positive work culture. Offer growth opportunities. Promote work-life balance and encourage social connections. These strategies contribute to creating a quality workplace where employees will want to stay.
Making the effort to incorporate these five strategies into your workplace can help your organization overcome its recruitment and retention challenges.
Still have questions on how your company can improve your recruitment, retention and overall job quality? Contact WSW’s Business Services team.
Thank you to CREDC and Salsbury & Co for your partnership in these workshops.
*The CREDC APEX Accelerator workshops are part of a workshop series “Preparing for Public Projects with the Interstate Bridge.” For questions related to the CREDC APEX Accelerator workshops, email Julia Kirvoruk at juliak@credc.org.
