In an increasingly competitive market, companies are facing a shortage of talent and must also meet the new expectations of candidates by taking an experience-based approach and working their employer brand.
The “talent war” is “the top priority for human resources directorates” in 2023. One in two HRDs cited talent retention (50%) or recruitment (48%) as the main concern for this year, according to the Deloitte and Future of Work barometer on the digital transformation of companies.
How to work your employer brand to attract and recruit talent (candidate experience)
Companies are faced with rethinking their recruitment processes and highlighting their identity to attract top talent. The employer brand is also considered in the choice of talent since it plays a vital role in the attraction.
The employer brand represents the company’s image and reputation as an employer and is a key factor in competitiveness. Today’s candidates are more demanding and are looking for companies that share their values, their mission and offer a pleasant working environment. It is therefore essential for companies to define their corporate culture and to highlight it through their communication, while recruiting in line with their culture. That is, the cost of a failed recruitment averages between €30,000 and €150,000.
The search for talent, a lost war?
To win the talent war, a recruitment strategy that reflects the company’s culture is more than essential.
Companies must therefore improve this focus and, for example, offer clear professional development opportunities, training and career prospects.
They are also responsible for providing a work environment conducive to the development of talent, for example by promoting flexibility, work-life balance and a culture of collaboration and inclusion.
The point of view of Laetitia Vitaud, writer and speaker on the future of work and consumption
Employer Brand Transition: From Communication to Employee Satisfaction
The employer brand, formerly focused primarily on external communication to attract talent, has evolved well in recent years. There are two reasons for this: first, an employee who remains is an employee who will not need to be recruited again in the future because of high turnover; Then, candidates have easier access to employee testimonials in-house via sites such as Glassdoor, Balance ta startup, LinkedIn or online forums. It is therefore essential to move from simple words to concrete actions to retain talent.
Retaining employees in the company reduces recruitment, training and integration costs. It maintains good productivity. By investing in employee satisfaction, companies can retain employees who are engaged, more productive and likely to recommend their company to other qualified professionals.
With the advent of online platforms allowing employees to share their work experiences, candidates now have access to first-hand information about the companies they are interested in. They also have the reflex to seek the opinions of the employees of the organisation, who have a significant impact on the perception of candidates and can influence their decision to apply or not.
Candidates have become more suspicious of employer-brand discourse and are looking for tangible evidence of companies’ commitment to their employees.
What is the work/life balance in the company? What is the company culture? Are there cases of harassment? What are the company’s concrete environmental commitments? Companies must therefore first implement policies and practices that promote a positive working environment for employees already in place.
This may include the creation of parenting support programmes (nursery schools, generous parental leave, liberal telework policies), a healthy culture of balance in living time, the provision of professional development opportunities and all kinds of devices to survey employees and gather their ideas to improve the work experience. This is the safest way to boost your employer brand and attract new candidates!
How to retain and retain talent?
Resignations, high turnover, new recruitments, corporate obsession?
Between the cost of recruitment, onboarding, learning, and other factors, it is in the interest of structures to retain their talents and implement retention strategies adapted to employees’ expectations.
Employee engagement is a major issue.
Employees need to feel valued, listened to and have the opportunity to develop their skills, which requires the recognition of the work done.
It is important to recognize and reward the performance of employees in order to strengthen their motivation and commitment to the company.
Maintaining an open dialogue with collaborators is essential. For example, companies can set up regular feedback mechanisms, such as individual interviews, satisfaction surveys, etc.
Companies can also set up continuing training programmes, individual development plans and internal mobility opportunities. Career development opportunities are a key driver of talent retention.
Employees want opportunities for promotion, evolution and new challenges within the company. It is essential that companies develop well-defined career paths and offer their employees development prospects. This can take the form of internal promotions, internal mobility opportunities or special projects aimed at enabling talent to develop new skills and explore new horizons.
Corporate culture therefore once again plays a key role in talent retention. Businesses have a vested interest in creating a positive work environment, fostering collaboration, communication and recognition. They can also promote strong values and offer opportunities to get involved in projects that are meaningful to employees.
Samuel Durand, author and speaker on the future of work
How to retain talent?
I dug into the documentary Why do we even work? the subject of motivating levers. What drives one person to join one organization over another?
When I went to meet companies of all sizes, and various sectors in different countries, I realized that we were all rising more or less for the same thing. Beyond money, we can combine these motivational levers into 3 categories.
The working environment: It is both the flexibility of being able to choose one’s place and working hours if the profession allows it, it is also all the links that one creates to work or the advantages inherent in the company and industry. In short, this is all that is not work but is work.
The task in itself: And as we are many to note on keyboards, it is rather the way it is executed: in this matter, we must reconnect with the values of craftsmanship as Laetitia Vitaud would say – autonomy, creativity and responsibility! And I would add the attention paid at the moment, to value both the process and the end result.
The Mission: Talent seeks to contribute to a global mission or project that exceeds them. It is the alignment of personal goals with the vision and values of the company counts!
Thus, the company must be able to provide answers to these three criteria to attract talent over time.
