The Association Blog

With current staffing shortages, and a shared vision to create a more equitable and just industry, the time to assess your hiring and retention practices is, well, NOW. That’s why we’re excited to have staffing and recruiting guru Tom Erb join us this spring for two webinars, The Future of Talent Acquisition and Retention and Finding and Recruiting a Dream Team. For a sneak peek, we asked Tom to share three specific things all agencies should be doing if they want to remain fair and competitive. 

“The biggest change has been supply and demand,” shares staffing industry consultant Tom Erb. “Employers have been used to being in control, but that has shifted drastically in the past several years, and it is now a candidate-controlled market.”

How does that play out when looking to bring on new team members? “Gone are the days when you could post a job and get dozens, even hundreds, of qualified candidates,” says Tom. “Candidates now have a variety of choices, so employers must focus on being more attractive to candidates.”

Here are three things you can do to bring your talent acquisition and retention policies into the future:

Identify 3 significant features of your company and/or the position you are hiring for that will most successfully attract and retain the right talent

It’s all about making jobseekers excited to work for you from the get-go. What’s unique and engaging about your organization, your community?

Create job postings that are marketing pieces, not just job descriptions 

Most JDs out there include long, bulleted lists of necessary skills and qualifications. With a little reframing—you’re offering an opportunity, not asking for requirements—you’ll set yourself apart. For the animal welfare industry, Erb recommends including simple questions like, “Are you somebody who wants to have purpose-driven work?” and “Do you love animals?” 

Ask your longer-term employees what initially attracted them and why they stay with your organization. 

This one may seem obvious, but it will offer the most relevant insights into how to attract and retain future employees.

More tips? There’s lots more where that came from—be sure to register for Tom’s upcoming webinars:

Photo: Unsplash