We are a highly experienced recruitment agency within the Food, FMCG and Engineering sectors.
The competition for employees is fierce and employing the right people is critical for any business. With the right people, your rate of growth will accelerate at an envious trajectory, with employees building strong relationships with clients and suppliers.
However, employing the wrong candidates can lead to a decrease in productivity, a toxic culture forming and the business stagnating.
Many businesses and hiring managers will have an idea of what they look for in an ideal candidate. Perhaps an individual that is solution-focused, with a positive attitude and a variety of well-honed transferable skills?
Prior knowledge and experience aren’t always necessary but a candidate with good energy, who conducts themselves in a confident and considered way, is often a strong indication they will be a positive attribute to the business.
You may expect the best, but do you deserve the best?
It’s easy to blame the calibre of candidates that are applying for roles in your business. In reality, if you turned the focus inwards and examined what you are offering, and what your employer brand is saying about your business, you might be presented with some fresh perspective.
There is currently a gap in the number of individuals available to fill existing roles. This is especially true when it comes to engineering roles, required across several industries. In fact, a survey by PwC found that 34% of CEO’s feel that the availability of key skills is a major threat to doing business.
What does this mean for recruitment? It means that candidates have become more selective about who they choose to work for. If you were to compare your business to your competitors, how do you stack up when it comes to:
Your employer brand is how individuals perceive your business as an employer. In a report by Universum, it was found that 60% of business leaders feel that the responsibility of the employer brand sits with CEOs, rather than the HR department.
It doesn’t matter if you have been involved in shaping this employer brand, you will have one. Let’s be honest: not knowing what people are saying about your business as an employer, is a concern.
If you are losing staff regularly, alarm bells will be ringing for others. Occasionally, staff leave to pursue dream opportunities that you simply may not be able to offer, but it’s more common for employees to leave because they simply are not fulfilled at your firm.
And disgruntled staff talk. A lot.
Before you can improve your current offering to employees and in turn, your employer brand, you need to know its current state. Starting with your employees and, if you are committed, ex-employees.
As a recruitment firm within the food manufacturing, FMCG and engineering sectors, we have seen first-hand, the mistakes that businesses make. Simply put, the majority of mistakes are made because of an outdated outlook or infrastructure meaning that the business becomes misaligned with the expectations and requirements of a modern employee.
The always-on world that we reside in means that we are spending more time working, while the increased retirement age means we will be working longer. With this mind, it comes as no surprise that candidates are picking employers that can offer than more.
So, what do employees want? Competitive rates of pay that reflect their value is a given, so we looked to a study from OnePoll released earlier this year for further insight and it revealed that employees want:
When it comes to company culture, it’s no secret that employees want to feel content, motivated and fulfilled in their positions. So, how can employees achieve this?
How many of these elements does your company currently offer? Your answer will provide you with an insight into the challenges you face when it comes to attracting and retaining staff.
It is in your business’ best interests to attract and retain high calibre staff. The emphasis here really is on RETAIN. It’s easy to pay lip service to a strong employer brand in a job ad or during an interview – but when it comes to on-boarding and the day-to-day employee experience, you will have to produce the goods.
The financial impact of staff turnover can be crippling for a business, especially one that is experiencing a high churn rate. It isn’t just the cost of recruiting to replace the employee, it’s the cost of output lost while the role is vacant and continues while a new employee settles in and gets up to speed.
Simply put, you will get out of the staff, what you are giving them. If you would like further support with your recruitment strategy to ensure that you are getting the candidates, you desire and deserve – contact a member of The Sterling Choice team today.
After 12 years’ experience within the industry predominantly focusing on Operations and Supply Chain, founding The Sterling Choice has provided me with the opportunity to take a step ba...
