Let’s face it, it’s a challenging time to be sourcing new talent. As we navigate a post-covid landscape, changes to social values, candidate expectations and new ways of working. But it might just be the perfect opportunity to consider what you are doing to widen your talent pool.
New Parents, older workers and individuals with disabilities are often overlooked within the recruitment process, due largely to misconceptions about the level of effort required by businesses to accommodate their needs, when there are simple, low-cost adjustments that you can undertake to attract and retain the untapped workforce. In addition to pre-existing skillsets and knowledge, new mums and dads offer a range of sought after transferable skills, honed, and perfected as a result of becoming a parent, including increased resilience, conflict management, organisation and emotional intelligence to name a few.
Older workers have shown to enhance team and peer performance, as a direct result of bringing their wealth of knowledge and experience to a new role. As well as being unlikely to jump ship for the next opportunity (therefore boosting your retention rates), Older workers tend to have reduced rates of absence and a greater appreciation of processes and policies. Win, win!
Becoming a disability confident employer not only solidifies your commitment to fair practice but enables you to draw from a broad pool of hard-working, skilled candidates, who bring forward a unique and alternative lived experience, which can positively impact and change the way you work for the better.
Businesses who offer flexibility and understanding to support the needs of a diverse workforce, reap the rewards of loyal and committed employees, who feel valued and in turn, enhance business performance. Of course, championing diversity and inclusivity in practice will equally boost your cooperate reputation, attracting not only new prospective candidates, but business from clients who share your vision and values.
So how can you tap-in?
Tip 1: Introduce processes and policies that attract and retain diverse candidates: Flexible working, family friendly policies, inclusive reward and recognition and training practices.
Tip 2: Rethink the way you recruit. Can your resource needs be met through job shares, part-time working, or hybrid arrangements? Consider where you are posting your role advertisements, are they reaching a diverse audience?
Tip 2: Shout about your values! For candidates, lived-by values are important, they aren’t just buzz words, but something to be celebrated and embedded.
What steps are you taking to attract your super workers?
Having worked within businesses as a Line Manager, I know first hand some of the frsutrations faced…