How Do You Find Engaged Candidates?
Wendi Kroll, SHRM-SCP
At Essential HR, we are always coaching our clients on the importance of employee engagement. Focusing on employee engagement has proven to increase customer engagement, which results in increased profitability.
Studies show that “best in class companies” focus on employee engagement, which is the emotional commitment to the company and it’s goals (2016 Gallop study). With the knowledge that “the average cost of a bad hiring decision can equal 30% of the first years compensation” (The U.S. Department of Labor), how do organizations find engaged employees?
We recommend that organizations begin the employee engagement development throughout the recruiting process, by considering the four primary drivers of engagement
Job fit
Manager impact
Culture
Team Dynamics
Ensuring that you have the right people in the right job takes intention and effort throughout the recruiting process. Some specific steps that focus on these drivers during the recruiting process include:
Detailed job descriptions
Description of what the ideal candidate would like
Qualifications and experience that would make the employee successful
Identification of core competencies and use of behavioral questions in the interview process (Top-grading, by Brad Smart is a great resource to implement this process)
Multiple interviews with the hiring manager to ensure personality fit
Detailed description of the culture and what a good culture fit would look like
Team interviews that allow team members to participate in the selection process
Additionally, we recommend that employers focus in on candidates that have a “want to” rather than “have to” attitude. These are candidates that have demonstrated that they:
Working for more than just a paycheck
Go the extra mile
Care what customers think
Know that time is money
Work more efficiently
Finding out if a candidate is coming from a “want to” paradigm can be uncovered through the recruiting process through the use of the following:
Targeted interviewing methods
Assessment tools such as the Predictive Index which measures candidate’s drives
In depth reference conversations with previous managers
Candidate self-assessments
Additional ways that organizations can create employee engagement through the recruiting process include:
Building trust with the candidate
Having transparency about the organization and the position
Providing consistent and direct communication with the candidate
Listening and learning about the whole candidate, not just their education, knowledge, skills and experience, but also their values and interests
Include the mission of the organization so that they can get excited about being a part of it
Keeping in contact with the candidate after the offer has been extended
Sending the candidate a welcome package
Providing them with something that makes them feel like part of the organization before they onboard
In our next article, we will discuss how to continue to develop employee engagement with new hires through effective onboarding and training programs.
