As ongoing labor shortages across the U.S. continue to place strain on businesses and job-seekers alike, the need for effective recruiting practices becomes increasingly apparent.
With 90% of all recent job-seekers in the United States having researched jobs online–and 84% of them applying using this method–a robust online presence has become a necessity for businesses looking to attract top talent. This can take the form of a strong social media presence: studies have found that more than 84% of organizations recruit using social media alone.
Of course, there is more to the hiring process than simply attracting candidates. Effective retention strategies have become the priority for most businesses, and tech has a significant role to play in this regard as well. For many modern job-seekers, some form of hourly work is ideal as it has the potential to offer unprecedented levels of autonomy. However, most job-seekers also hope to find steady work — flexibility and autonomy are important to worker satisfaction, but employees also need to pay the bills. Fortunately, digital tools are making it easier than ever for knowledgeable recruiters to strike this coveted balance.
1. Keep an Eye on AI
As AI continues to grow increasingly sophisticated each year, strategically deploying automation throughout the recruitment process can help build strong teams while also ensuring that team members stick around. There are several ways to effectively integrate AI into recruitment, such as by adopting customer-relations management systems, which can be used to store resumes and make them available to everyone in a business.
Another benefit is that workplaces can use tech to automate undesirable, repetitive, or just plain unpleasant tasks within a workplace. This can be something as simple as an automatic knife-sharpener in a kitchen, or as complex as a piece of software that automates payroll. Beyond making workers happier and more content, it also signals to them that a company values their time.
2. Time for Training
The number of digital job training or e-learning platforms available to businesses grows every year. In this expanding market, employers can find apps that enable their staff to go through training materials at their own pace and in whatever setting works best for them. Moreover, lessons on these platforms are always consistent, as each employee is trained to the same standard using the same information, ensuring that everyone is on the same page.
Workers who feel as though their company is investing in them are the most likely to stick with one organization for an extended period of time. These platforms can fulfill this need by allowing employees to constantly refine their skills or learn new ones, which benefits both them and the company.
3. Kudos!
Everyone appreciated receiving praise for work well done, but this can be a rare occurrence for hourly, flexible, part-time, and remote workers. Many of these novel arrangements do not have any version of “employee of the month” plaques to give to exceptional workers. Of course, accolades aren’t everything, but there are clear benefits for ensuring that employees feel appreciated: they are happier, more productive, and more likely to stick around. Platforms such as Wooboard have started emerging to allow employers to provide kudos in a way that is suited to the new reality of work.
While most companies keep their employee appreciation practices to themselves, current and past employees may have these practices in mind when reviewing their work experiences on platforms like LinkedIn. In a roundabout way, providing positive feedback to employees while they’re at the company is one way for businesses to ensure that workers, in turn, provide positive feedback about them.
4. Going Green
Environmental sustainability has increasingly become a top priority for employees and businesses alike. Beyond helping the environment and drawing in more clients, green initiatives can also help attract talent and keep staff members happy. Employees who feel like their company actively promotes their values are far more likely to be personally invested in that company’s mission.
There are a few ways that a workplace can use tech to go green. For instance, a business can collect data from its utility bills and work with an energy auditor to identify the parts of its operations in which energy can be saved. Tech also enables workplaces to cut down on the raw amount of paper they produce and reduce the amount of fuel employees use (in the case of remote work). There are several apps that businesses can roll out in their workplaces to help reduce their carbon footprint while getting employees engaged.
5. Increasing Autonomy
Often, technology is used to increase oversight and connectivity within a workplace. Platforms like Asana can be used to track work progress and establish work schedules, while other platforms like Slack are used to keep lines of communication open between team members. There are clear benefits to this, but it also comes with the risk of overloading staff—particularly hourly staff—by diminishing their level of autonomy through excessive micromanagement.
To counteract this, businesses should consider how they can use tech to maximize worker autonomy. For example, there are a variety of new hiring platforms that give employees unprecedented say in finding employees that best fit their needs. These platforms streamline the process by allowing businesses and workers to search using highly specified criteria, ensuring that both parties find the right fit. This is particularly important for hourly workers who may be trying to find several gigs to work around their schedules.
At the end of the day, autonomy and flexibility are particularly important to today’s workforce. While it’s possible to bog workers down by using app after app or platform after platform, effective use of tech can also enable them to do their best work by increasing their independence. Further, tech can ensure that both employers and employees find exactly what they’re looking for in a dynamic, ever-changing job market.
