Reaching out to the new generation

Tools to attract and retain young talent in today's competitive atmosphere

By Cheryl Burke, 3/31/08

Companies today are facing greater challenges in attracting new talent. With several industries facing a labor shortage, it is increasingly difficult to differentiate your company from the competition.

In addition, younger job seekers are savvier when gathering the information they need about potential employers. A few ways companies can set themselves apart from the competition is by understanding their target audience, offering comprehensive and career-building benefits, and fostering open and honest communication.

Know your audience

The first step in reaching the younger generation is to understand your audience. Recent college graduates have grown up with the Internet, making technology as much a part of them as any other information source. It is therefore a safe bet that candidates will have read everything about your company online before they even meet with you. There is no doubt that research conducted by candidates will have an impact on their decision. Therefore, it is in your best interest to be fully apprised of the information that is published on the Internet about your company.

The Internet can be a great resource for a company's human resources department as well. Search for your company on sites such as Google, Yahoo and Vault to see what candidates are seeing. Also, ask the IT Department for website statistics to better understand the pages visitors are viewing. Then, update those pages frequently.

You can also position your company as one that the younger generation would want to work at by having a company blog. To a potential employee, a blog is a great go-to guide to learn about a company's success stories and to follow discussions on current industry trends. A blog helps position your company as leading edge and fosters open communication.

Benefits that matter

Early on in the interview process, the younger generation asks about benefits and training. Be prepared to answer some tough questions. Benefits such as health and dental insurance and 401ks matter, but they also want to know about other benefits. Offering the latest technology and tools is a huge benefit to most job seekers. Depending on your industry, potential employees expect to have updated technology at their finger tips.

Flextime is also important to young candidates. Flexible hours, work arrangements for sick days and possible summer hours to offset a busy season go a long way in achieving healthy company morale.

Future employees also want to know what the company can offer them in preparation for their career, not just the job at hand. Candidates will want to discuss with you the programs you have in place, including classes and seminars, tuition reimbursement, and coaching and mentoring.

Listen, act, and follow up

Tactical recruitment strategies are important for human resources departments to recognize and implement when reaching out to the younger generation. Most important for retention, however, is to listen, to act and to follow up.

Listening to your employees is the key to developing a happy workforce. A good way to encourage open communication is by hosting a forum where employees can air concerns about things that are important to them. Employees will feel they are being heard and will feel valued.

The next step is to take action and demonstrate your company's commitment to its employees. A show of support could be anything from offering an occasional company paid lunch or allowing employees iPods in the office.

Another useful tool in building good communication is to set clear expectations. For example, if you know that the next few weeks are your firm's busiest season and long hours will be expected, communicate this early on. As a result, employees will be more receptive to the demands of the position. Then take the time to listen to what is important to them. If they express they would appreciate the option to leave early on Fridays or to take longer lunches in the off-season, reward them with these perks when possible.

Listening to employees makes them feel connected to the workplace and taking action demonstrates your commitment. Don't let it end after you have acted on something - follow up! Check in with the employees on a regular basis, both formally via employee surveys and informally by simply asking "How's it going?"

Conclusion

When setting out to recruit today's best and brightest, be sure to know what is most important to them. The Internet is a vital tool for all parties. Use it to your advantage. Offer compelling benefits that help candidates build their careers, not just their jobs. Retain employees through listening, acting and following up. These simple steps create open communication between companies and employees, and the benefit will be to both sides. The positive energy these steps create will greatly improve your chances of hiring and retaining younger employees.

Cheryl Burke is COO of DiCicco, Gulman & Co., a CPA and business consulting firm in Woburn, MA. Reach Cheryl at cburke@dgccpa.com or (781) 937-5300.