Creative Ways to Improve Recruiting

and Retention

Steve Brubaker

It starts with being recognized as an employer of choice – raising awareness• Getting your name out there in the community

• Media relations• Community relations

• Applying for and winning awards recognizing great employers• Use best practices in human resources• You can’t win an award you don’t apply for

• Don’t be afraid to tell your great company story!

• Differentiate yourself from other employers• The people you target may have worked in your industry

before – what makes you different, better?

Human resources policies and procedures

• Best practices for your industry• Best practices for your region• Don’t be afraid to turn people away if they’re not

the right fit for your company• Be specific in recruiting messages so prospective

employees know what you’re looking for• Target messages to ensure the proper audience is

reached.

Creating an environment where employees can excel

• Provide specialized training for employees to give them the tools to exceed at their job.• Training for their specific job• Training for your company in general to discuss your

company values and mission• Provide ongoing training and development

• Training to excel in their current role and adapt to changing technologies, best practices, etc…

• Training to help them be ready for a bigger role• Also helps you single out employees that are actively

looking to get ahead• Partner with local colleges and universities if doing the

training in-house is not an option

• Offer on-site amenities that make employees lives easier• On-site fitness, exercise programs• On-site wellness, smoking cessation • On-site education• On-site childcare• On-site food services with healthy meals and snacks• On-site convenience programs – dry cleaning,

banking, etc…• What do employees rush out on their lunch breaks to do?• Can we offer that service on-site?

Creating an environment where employees can excel

Engaging employees - helping them achieve self-actualizing goals

• To find out what employees want and need out of the company – just ask them• Surveys• Open forums with senior management• Suggestion boxes• Performance and peer reviews• MBWA

Engaging employees - helping them achieve self-actualizing goals

• Contests and goal setting to help motivate employees to achieve desired results and make work fun

• Giving back to the community – giving people opportunities to make a difference in the community

• Promoting these efforts so employees feel like their efforts are appreciated, and to further position yourself as an employer of choice in the community.• Takes us back to raising awareness