Having the right employees is crucial to the success of your business.
They help keep your business running smoothly and your customers happy.
But did you know that they can also be an important tool when it comes time for you to hire?
Using your existing workforce as a resource simply makes good business sense. They are intimately aware of what is needed to do the jobs within your company and they also understand the inner workings of the team.
So how exactly can they help you find and train the new hire you need?
Here are some tips to help ~
- Reach out to your employees, especially your best and brightest. Talk to them. Find out more about what skills and talents are needed to help your company grow and succeed. Learn where your workforce is lacking and where it needs help.
- Really listen to what they have to say. Their input will be invaluable not only in recruiting but when it comes time to make a job offer.
- Ask them to refer other like-minded, smart and hard-working individuals to the business to supplement your recruiting efforts. Sometimes your current employees are your best resource for finding qualified candidates who can help improve your business.
Employee Referrals
Does your company have an Employee Referral Program? If not, that is a change you should definitely consider making!
Employee Referral programs are good for your business and especially for finding great new hires. Your employees are intimately aware of the inner working of your company and your company’s needs. They also know the company culture and who will fit in and who will not.
When it comes to getting the best referrals, start by asking your best and most skilled employees. Most likely they will have among their friends and acquaintances others who possess the same qualities that make these employees so valuable.
Getting referrals from your existing employees has multiple benefits. It is a great way to both reward your employees for their viable referrals and keep them happy with your new hires. And it will also help you find the right person for the job.
Discover more hiring tips in “Is it Time to Change your Hiring Practices”.
Engaged and Appreciated Employees are your best Company Ambassadors! “Tweet This”!
You should also encourage your employees to “talk up” your business. Recommend that they share information about their job and your company with their family, friends, and even acquaintances. Any time your employees are at social events it presents an opportunity.
This doesn’t mean you want them sharing false praises or that you expect them to endlessly talk about their jobs. It simply means that if your employees are happy then they will want to help spread the word!
Another way your employees can help you hire is to regularly engage with your brand on social media.
Encourage them to:
- Like and Follow your social accounts, including your blog.
- Ask others in their circle to also Like and Follow your accounts
- Like, Share, Retweet, and Comment on your company posts
- Post reviews and comments on your social sites
If you have a blog, you may even consider asking your employees to write a guest post. It can be on anything from their job, a company event, or even an upcoming product or service release. The key is for them to be a part of creating content and to provide them the pride of authorship. You may also consider a regular series of articles that highlight your staff.
No matter what you choose, including your employees on your company blog and encouraging them to engage with your company social media simply increases your reach and online visibility ~ all which can make your business attractive to potential new hires.
But before you expect your employees to help you advertise your company and find new hires, you need to take a good look at how they truly feel about you and your company. How effective and interested your employees are in helping you find quality hires all hinges on how you treat them in the first place!
That is why it is so important that your first goal should be on training, encouraging, and retaining your best existing employees.
5 Retention Tips for Keeping Top Talent
Help Your New Employee Define and Reach Their Goals ~ Help them to identify where they want to go and what steps are necessary to get them there. Just determining their goals is not enough. You need to provide them with a realistic set of steps to help them achieve those goals. The best employees are never satisfied. This is what makes them high achievers.
Create an Environment that Encourages Success ~ Make sure your company is a place that helps them reach their goals or is a significant stop along the way. Be the place where they are able to achieve a major milestone in their career. Be the company that discovered their talents and nurtured those talents. This will bring success to them and to your company.
Enable Your Employees to Develop New and Marketable Skills ~ Encourage your team to share their own abilities and allow them to learn from each other. This helps you create well-rounded and skilled employees. It also promotes a greater sense of “team” and a more productive work environment. Also provide opportunities to attend interesting and informative workshops and conferences. The chance to absorb industry knowledge and network is invaluable.
Set Specific Goals ~ Lay out an action plan with a specific time frame for completion. Provide them with all the resources necessary to achieve those action plan goals. Make sure you evaluate their progress and increase their responsibility upon successful completion. Your performance reviews should provide REAL FEEDBACK. Discuss where they are, where they need to head, and how they can get there. This keeps your workforce constantly improving and growing.
Provide Real Opportunity to Advance ~ Give your employees the chance to EARN high level duties and even allow them to outgrow your company if necessary! Your valuable employees need to know you promote from within. They need to feel they have a real future at your company. However, if they have truly achieved their highest potential with you, provide them with the positive, helpful references they have earned and deserve. Remember, it is good to “Pay it Forward!”.
Find more tips on employee retention here!
It is also important that your employees are engaged and invested in your business. Make sure you really listen to their suggestions, problems, and concerns. Create an open line of communication where they feel comfortable approaching you and their opinion is valued.
Hold open brainstorming sessions to deal with, or even better, to prevent problems. Ask them for ideas and listen without judgment, while honing in on and fine tuning their best suggestions. Then it is important that you act on them. This will help your employees feel valued, appreciated, and truly part of a team.
The bottom line is this ~ if you’re going to depend on your employees to help you find and retain good hires, then they have to be invested in your company. And if you treat them well they will be happy to help your business thrive.
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