AFTER FINDING THAT PERFECT MATCH, THERE’S A LOT THAT CAN BE DONE TO KEEP PEOPLE ENGAGED. Toni Clem, president and CEO of Scoppechio, one of the largest private marketing and media firms in the country, says, “We believe online marketing is an absolute inclusion in our plans. With over 90% of job seekers going to Linkedin, Glassdoor, Indeed, Monster, Facebook, etc. to search for a job, we include it automatically.” Applicants are looking across all channels to partner with a business model that suits them. Once they’ve discovered the great benefits your company offers, the resumes and applications will begin to flow. After you’ve assembled your most-liked applicants, it’s time for the interview process. While preparing for this, Tiffany says, “It’s important to have some direct questions that will show you if that person has had the experience you’re looking for.” Then, make sure the questions you chose are relevant — just like the panel of co-workers you’ll be assembling to ask them. “When you put the interview panel together, put together a group of people who the candidate could see themselves working with,” Cindy says. This interview panel will be working together to discover a possible new team member. “The best way to conduct a candidate experience is to have a lead interviewing team who interviews the candidate on different performance competencies,” Toni says. She suggests the interview be structured in this way so your potential new hire won’t be asked the same question multiple times depending on who’s interviewing. This also illustrates that you value your candidate and their time. This can set the early groundwork for mutual respect and a professional level friendship to develop. So once you’ve found the “perfect match” for your company, how do you tell them? A snail-mail letter might take too long, and do people still phone one another anymore? Yes, Cindy says, calls are made when the offers are finalized. Each organization has its own standard offer, and Toni says this offer can include a number of “incentives” like “a strong benefits package, which would include medical, dental, vision, 401K, long term/short term, life, and disability.” This sparkling new contract and benefits package, blended together with your exceptional work environment, will bring your new team member to their very first day of work. “A strong positive onboarding experience is critical. It’s important that new hires have a seamless integration experience with their manager and team,” Toni says. On that first day, this can look like walking them through schedules and/or having key personnel take them to lunch. “Continue to have someone be the point person to keep them in the loop for their first week,” Tiffany says.
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October 2020 / TodaysWomanNow.com
You’re off to a rousing start and a healthy working relationship. Now it’s all about strengthening that relationship. There’s a lot that can be done to keep people engaged in a work environment. “Along the path is always managing their expectations,” Toni says. Establishing a habit of honest communication can extend trust so that your working partnership can grow. “It’s all about radical transparency in regards to what we’re doing right and what we can do better,” she says. Should the channel of communication fall to the side and your employee decide to move to another job opportunity, don’t fret. First, speak to them to assess why they’ve decided to leave, and see if perhaps adjustments can be made. “Sometimes you’re in a place to offer a different position or give a raise, and then sometimes this isn’t an available option,” Cindy says. If adjustments simply aren’t an option, Toni says, “Be true to yourself as a company. Our team members that leave, we want them to be happy wherever they go.” Hiring the best match for your company means finding your most compatible team player. Once that goal is scored, keeping the lines of communication flexible and open can make your working relationship a partnership that thrives for the long term.
