What Are You Doing to Attract New Workers?

Companies are working harder and harder to fill those critical labor shortages. Some of the hottest ideas are stock options and company cars. Profit sharing, referral and sign-up bonuses up to $1000 are working for teachers and truckers. One company with good visual access to a major road had considerable success with a rooftop banner. Recruiting retired workers with critical skills is a technique many are applying. And access to on-site health clubs, tuition reimbursement and employee discounts are other ideas you should consider.

Larry Wilson, corporate marketing/communications manager for Intermec Corporation, a leader in bar code and automated data collection technologies describes some other considerations and ideas:


"You can have all the programs in place, but unless there is a corporate culture and a feel to a company that is genuine, the programs don’t matter, because they just won’t work," explains Wilson. "There’s a whole mix of things that come together that make a company successful at recruiting and retaining employees, but basically, management has to support the programs and promulgate them. Otherwise, employees know that they are not being supported and turnover will be high."


Work/family initiatives


Wilson credits the depth and breadth of the programs offered. "We are committed to work/family initiatives," he says. The company offers employees an employee assistance program (EAP), a referral service for child care and eldercare, flexible schedules, telecommuting options, health promotions, an in-house exercise facility, and financial and retirement planning.


Employees also have the opportunity to receive training in different areas. "If they go back to school to earn their B.A. or M.A., we pay 100 percent of their tuition and 50 percent of their books," Wilson notes. The company also has a training department dedicated to encouraging employees to add to or fine tune their skills. "We offer courses in performance management, conducting legal job interviews, business writing, influencing strategies for managers, exercising influence—classes that help people build skill sets so they can be more successful."


Intermec knows that just offering programs and benefits won’t matter unless employees feel that the company genuinely cares. "There are a lot of companies that say, ‘Well, we offer this and this and this,’ but they don’t feel comfortable when you walk in. Here, our employees know that we want to help them balance their work lives and their family lives. In terms of retention and recruiting, you have to take that into account if you want to keep good employees."


TIPS



Employees know if you don’t really buy into the programs you offer.
If the company makes it difficult to schedule flex time, or employees don’t feel that HR is responding to their requests in a timely matter, the end result will be an atmosphere of distrust.
Create an environment that tells employees their needs are important. This builds loyalty.


HELPFUL HINTS



Don’t neglect the basics. Employees care about good pay and benefit packages.
Offer additional training opportunities so employees build new skills to make themselves more attractive for promotion.
Employees like to know that their opinions count. Give them an opportunity to feel they have some influence.
Recognize long-term employees. It gives newcomers a sense of stability within the company.
Understand that employees need flexibility. Develop programs that consider them as whole people, not just employees.