Though the initiation of a new Labour government has given many businesses in the UK some cautious optimism, the national economy is still undoubtedly a volatile environment. Start-ups and established businesses alike face existential risk at the hands of an economy wracked by high inflation and barriers to international trade – and finding a safe balance proves difficult for many.
While businesses will naturally look towards market conditions and the performance of their product or service, there are other factors which can better foster resilience against such conditions. Recruitment is one of the more crucially important aspects of growing a robust business with longevity in its sights, and should be a key target for businesses looking to improve their foundations. How, though, might you incorporate better recruitment strategies into your business?
Employer Branding
A large part of positive recruitment strategy relates to the branding of the business itself – not just with respect to the product or service you provide, but also as a place of work. As well as updating visual branding in general, your business would benefit from investing in assets and brand content around the internal experience.
In illustrating what it is like to be a part of your business (whether through employee interviews, public employee celebrations or text testimonials), you can attract more candidates and give yourself better pools from which to hire for positions.
Smart Recruitment
Data is the unglamorous side of recruitment, but is indispensable for hiring fruitfully. Data analytics can give you an edge over other competitor businesses, giving you a clearer idea of candidate demographics to target – and also giving you the opportunity to evaluate candidate quality more effectively in the hiring process.
Indeed, more of the recruitment process can be rendered ‘smart’ by adopting new innovations, AI being a key example. AI algorithms can be an effective solution for mass-screening, and for basic administration and scheduling of early interviews.
Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
One of the major issues facing businesses and company culture on a national scale is that of diversity and inclusion; statistics regarding the inclusivity of workplaces are not altogether flattering, and the makeup of a given team can be all but hostile to potentially transformative candidates. Legal advice is a helpful provision here, even if only to re-affirm understandings of the Equality Act 2010, but can be especially effective in drawing up frameworks for improving internal management of diversity and inclusivity frameworks.
Employee Referral Programs
While ‘refer a friend’ may not feel like a winning strategy for recruitment, it can be much more effective than other strategies – particularly if you have already fostered a strong staff cohort. By encouraging current employees to refer qualified candidates from their own networks – perhaps by offering incentives and rewards for successful hires through referrals – you can build on the existing strength of your team and create a future-proof business with a ready-made company culture.
