Written by: Kenji Marlin Garnatt
One of the ways that organisations differentiate themselves today is by using their talent and human resources. This includes attracting and retaining skilled and dedicated workers in a competitive market. But as we reach the mid-2020s, it’s time to think about HR even more strategically. This article will examine some of the most significant changes over the next five years and discuss how HR can adapt by adopting a more strategic mindset.
Creating a Talent Management Strategy: Finding and retaining top talent is becoming increasingly difficult in today’s competitive job market. To develop a strategy to attract and retain top talent, HR can use a talent management strategy to identify the skills and competencies that are most important to the organisation. A report by Deloitte found that organisations with a strong talent management strategy have a highly engaged workforce and outperform the competition financially by a factor of 2 and 4.5, respectively. Developing a career development plan for employees and fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth are examples of talent management strategies.
Create a strong employer brand: A strong brand can attract top talent and set your business apart. HR can collaborate with marketing to create an employer brand that attracts potential candidates. According to LinkedIn, companies with strong employer brands reduce recruitment costs by 50% and increase employee retention by 28%. Creating compelling job postings, showcasing your company culture on social media, and offering competitive salaries and benefits are all examples of creating an employer brand.
Use social media and other online resources: These resources can effectively attract and retain talent. HR can share job opportunities and promote company culture and values on these platforms. According to Jobvite, 87% of recruiters use LinkedIn to recruit, compared with 55% using Facebook and 47% using Twitter. HR can use social media to share photos of company culture, highlight employee success stories, and advertise job opportunities to specific audiences.
Please take advantage of employee referrals: Employees are regularly matched with other skilled and knowledgeable people in their network, making them a valuable source of talent. HR may encourage employees to refer friends and colleagues by offering referral bonuses or other benefits. According to a study by Jobvite, an employee referral has a 45% candidate-to-hire conversion rate, compared to just 15% for job boards. Employees who refer a suitable candidate to be hired can receive a referral bonus from HR, or HR can develop an employee bonus program for successful referrals.
Encourage a culture of continuous learning and development: Employees are often more likely to stay with an organisation that values their career growth, which can help attract and retain top talent. HR can put in place programs and initiatives to support employee development. According to a Gallup survey, employees who fully agree with the company’s commitment to employee development are 3.5 times more likely to be engaged at work. HR can offer mentoring opportunities, training programs, or tuition reimbursement to help employees build skills and advance their careers.
Use data and analytics: HR can use data and analytics to find trends and patterns in the labour market and make informed hiring decisions. HR can use the data to track their recruitment efforts’ success and identify improvement areas. A study by Bersin by Deloitte found that companies that use data analytics in HR are five times more likely to take action than their competitors. HR departments can use data to track metrics such as hiring time, cost per hire, and candidate source to improve their recruiting practices.
HR professionals must take a more strategic approach to attracting and retaining top talent in 2023 and beyond as the talent acquisition landscape becomes more competitive. HR can develop a comprehensive talent acquisition strategy that will benefit their organisation’s success by putting the above recommendations into practice, including creating a talent management strategy, creating a strong employer brand, using social media and employee advocacy, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth and use data and analytics.
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