How to Strengthen Your Employer Brand with Social Responsibility

According to a recent survey by Cone Communications, over half of all employees consider corporate social responsibility (CSR) an important factor when considering a new job. This percentage includes employees across all age groups, genders and backgrounds.

The survey also indicates that social responsibility is an increasingly important factor for today’s employees, alongside factors such as salary and culture.

Increase your appeal to top talent by incorporating social responsibility into your employer brand. Here’s how.

Mission statement

Does your mission statement reflect a broader social purpose to your business objectives?

Research by Deloitte shows that employers who incorporate a social purpose into their mission statement get 40% more engagement from their employees. Cover social responsibility in your mission statement by touching on how your company strives to make a positive impact in the world.

Company values

For another opportunity to incorporate social responsibility into your brand and gain added appeal as an employer, revisit your company values.

Here, you can show audiences how your organisation goes about conducting business in an ethical way, with a nod to socially responsible behaviours. Is your company supportive to its staff? Does your company take special care in its relationships with stakeholders and community?

Use your company values to reflect the ways in which your company is a great place to work.

Employee development and welfare

It’s not enough just to take care of your employees. Give your employer brand an added appeal by sharing and showcasing the ways in which your company benefits more than just the bank balances of its team.

Use social media to share real stories of employees whose work lives have been positively impacted by benefits, physical or mental health support, career development training and opportunities.

Community impact

Research by Employee Volunteering shows that today’s workforce want their employers to give back to the community, and they want employers who will support them to give back in the same way.

By offering employees paid time off to undertake volunteer work, you can encourage positive feelings towards your company and a develop a socially responsible brand. Don’t forget to share these stories of your employee’s involvement in community support through social media and video marketing.

Tie these community support stories back to your company’s mission and value statements to create a socially responsible brand that appeals to new employees.

Environment

Employees and jobs candidates are increasingly looking for employers who incorporate green, sustainable practices into their business model. This might be policy that preferences public transport over car transport, cycle-to-work incentives, and offices fitted with energy efficient appliances.

Again, share and promote your company’s social and environmental responsibilities by displaying office policy regarding recycling and sustainability codes of practice. This will encourage an environmentally sound culture among existing and future employees.

Want more strategies on attracting and retaining talent? See how our unique approach to recruitment can help your business. 

How to Use Empathy for Better Recruitment

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If you’re using a one-size-fits-all approach to your candidate engagement strategy, you could be limiting your ability to truly connect with candidates. Having a connection with your candidates is one of the markers of a successful recruiter. Here we’ll discuss some ways that you can better connect with candidates and boost your recruitment strategy.

What is empathy and what does it mean in recruitment?

Empathy can be defined as an understanding of people’s feelings and experiences. In a diverse and globalised world, empathy can be difficult. But the good news is that empathy can be developed and improved with practice. Coming to empathise with your candidates–and your clients–means understanding who they are as people and what matters to them in their employment.

People are looking for jobs for many reasons, ranging from redundancy in their last roles to hopes for career progression, even things like illness or conflict. By the same token, hiring managers and executives are also under the pump to employ lasting employees while meeting budgets and business objectives. Coming to understand how these people feel will give you an edge as a recruiter. 

Why is empathy important

According to a study by Business Solver, 90% of employees will stay with their company longer if that company empathises with their needs. In addition, 80% of employees would be willing to work longer hours, and over 60% would be willing to work for less money. No doubt empathy is a huge part of recruitment and HR. Using empathy in your recruitment strategy helps you bridge the gap between candidates and clients, fitting better candidates who will stay in their roles longer.

How to build empathy in your recruitment strategy

1. Observe the role

Start by observing the role that you’re hiring for. This could involve interviewing your client or even following them around the office to see that role in action. You’ll discover things you could never have anticipated, and be better able to hunt for, and choose, the right candidate.

2. Engage with job seekers

Next, learn more about the type of job seekers you want for your role. You’ll interview them to find out their thoughts, emotions, goals and motivations. In particular, you’ll find out what they want from the job they’re going for and what they need from an employer. During this interviewing process, you’ll also learn to communicate with these candidates better, how to speak their language and how to attract them.

3. Immerse yourself in candidate experiences

Develop a strategy to immerse yourself in candidate experiences–yes, even those candidates who you don’t end up matching with jobs. One approach could be to offer free career coaching sessions or consultations. The result would not only be better understanding of your candidates, but also ‘wow’ experience that makes those candidates tell their peers about you.

 

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Why You Should Negotiate Your Salary

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Did you know that failing to negotiate your salary could cost you in the order of $1 million dollars? Research by Carnegie Mellon University indicates that, over the course of your career, not negotiating your salary could see you miss out on between $1 million and $1.5 million. This is a very good reason to negotiate your salary. But why do so many people hesitate?

Fear of repercussions

Most people who don’t negotiate their salaries with a new employer are usually fearful of the repercussions. They fear they could offend someone, that they will be less likely to get the job, and that their offer might be revoked. However, careers experts believe that negotiating your salary with a new employer doesn’t have these negative consequences at all, and is actually more likely to earn you respect.

How to do it

Step 1: Prepare

Career advisers recommend negotiating your offer no matter what, even if your employer’s original offer was what you were hoping for. Why? Because they are expecting you to negotiate, meaning they’ve got room to move.

Step 2: Keep your lips sealed

It’s very common for employers to ask you what you’re expecting in terms of salary. Don’t fall for this trick! Always let them give their numbers first. If they ask you what you’re expecting before they have given you an offer, tell them that you’re flexible based on the salary range and package inclusions.

Step 3: Value Yourself

Do some research to find out what you’re worth. Look at what other professionals in your industry are earning. You can then negotiate with your employer by going back and forth several times. Never base your negotiations on factors like student loans or mortgages– this is making things too personal. Instead, focus on your resume, qualifications, skills and experience. Use these as your leverage for a better deal.

Step 4: Plan Ahead

Don’t rely on salary rises in years to come. These could be few and far between, and minimal in amounts. Your initial negotiation is your best time to get paid what you’re worth, so take advantage of this moment. See yourself earning the same amount in one, two or three years’ time.

Step 5: Breathe

Don’t feel pressured to respond to an offer straight away. It’s normal to ask for 24-72 hours to think it over. Let your employer know how long you need to come back with your counter offer.

Looking for work in construction engineering? Get in touch with Quadrant Exec today.

Onboarding Strategies For Better Staff Retention

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What do your onboarding practices look like? Do you have a program in place or do you throw new hires into the deep end? Given that 30% of new hires leave within the first three months, onboarding is essential to staff retention. Effective onboarding lessens a new hire’s stress and alleviates pressure for your team. It also saves your company huge costs of having to hire again. So let’s take a look at what it is and how to do it.

What is onboarding?

Onboarding is the practice of helping your new employee adjust to their role in your company. This involves physically, professionally and emotionally adjusting to your existing company culture, and to the demands of the job itself. With an effective onboarding program, employees will not only stay longer, they’ll also be more productive.

What onboarding isn’t

If you have an orientation program in place, you may be wondering if this counts as onboarding. But while orientation is part of onboarding, they aren’t the same thing.

Orientation provides an overview of your company. It may include training, and is all completed within the first couple of days of the new hire’s employment. Onboarding is more specific to your new employee. It takes place when the new hire starts orientation, and should continue throughout their first year of employment. Orientation is what gets your new hire started, but onboarding is what keeps them going.

Effective onboarding

Effective onboarding involves time and planning. This is why companies will often consult recruitment specialists or purchase onboarding software. Get started with effective onboarding by first considering where and when your new hire will undergo their orientation and training. A slapdash effort of throwing them into a spare room and assigning a busy staff member to the role can make the new hire feel unwelcome. By the same token, the new hire’s workspace should be ready before they commence. Research shows that a new hire’s trajectory can be mapped within their first two weeks, so be sure to make them feel special.

Onboarding for retention

Sometimes it can be hard to tell if your new hire is thriving or floundering. You don’t know them well and they may not be expressing themselves fully. Assign your new hire a buddy to help them build relationships with colleagues and get any questions they have answered. You’ll need to track your new hire’s progress with monthly meetings during the first year. At these meetings, you and the new hire make sure everyone’s clear on deliverables and is making progress towards achieving them. It’s also an opportunity to discuss any feedback they may have.

How To Resign From Dominating Bosses In The Construction Industry

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With so many strong leaders in the construction game, giving notice of resignation can be a bit intimidating. But whether you’re looking for work elsewhere or have already landed a new job, you’re entitled to leave your current job in one piece! This blog will take you through each step of your resignation, and offer some tips on overcoming obstacles along the way.

1. Negotiate notice

Before you sign any papers with your new employer, dig out the contract you signed with your current employer. Here you’ll find the terms of your resignation, along with the required notice period. Negotiate your start date with your new employer so that it comes after your required notice period. If no notice period is given, a good rule of thumb is 30 days.

2. Meet your manager

Always meet with your immediate manager to provide face-to-face notice of your intentions to leave. And do this before providing written notice. Organise a short meeting with your manager in a quiet place. They may want to know why you’re leaving or ask questions you don’t want to answer about your new job. Maintain your professionalism and stick to what you liked about your old job, not what you hated.

3. Provide written notice

You may choose to take written notice, in the form of a printed letter, with you to your meeting with your manager. These days, email tends to be more convenient for everyone involved, which you can send as a follow up after the meeting. Keep it short, sweet and to the point, and include the relevant dates. Don’t forget to ’cc the HR department.

4. Don’t gloat

Never tell your colleagues you’re leaving before telling your manager. While you may have developed close relationships with some teammates, you never know who will spread the word, making you look unprofessional. When giving verbal notice of your resignation, check with your manager that it’s okay for you to tell the office, for example, by making at an announcement at the next team catch up. This will ensure you exit the company gracefully, and it will serve you well should you require references in the future.

5. Stick out the notice period

So you’ve accepted your new job offer and have given notice of resignation, now for the hard part. The 30-day notice period can be daunting, as others may try to unload more work onto you or even treat you differently to how they did before. Maintain your poise and integrity by working fairly through your handover. Don’t try to take longer lunch breaks of use up your sick leave, as this kind of behaviour will only backfire.

6. Avoid bad-mouthing

Some of your colleague may take this opportunity to vent about their gripes with the company or the job. Now that you’re leaving, they feel you’ll offer a sympathetic ear to their grievances. Don’t let gossip get the better of you, because what you say could come back to bite you. By staying neutral and professional, you’ll keep your professional connections for longer and earn great references for the future.

7. Give an exit interview

Some companies like to give exit interviews to discuss the reasons why you’re leaving. Remember, you’re always entitled to keep the reasons to yourself. But if you do want to provide some feedback, make sure that it is constructive and never critical of others.

Get more goss in construction & engineering. Connect with us on LinkedIn today.

Unexpected Skills Recruiters Bring To Companies

Volume-based recruiters often have an overload of roles to fill. They’ve got a stack of clients they don’t know very well and a directory of candidates they’ll hardly get acquainted with. With this sort of thing going on, it’s no wonder recruiters get a bad rap. However, good recruiters have a search-based, rather than a volume-based, approach. These HR professionals are famous for their skills in dealing with people and relationships. Let’s take a look at the unexpected skills that recruiters, aka HR professionals, have to offer construction companies.

1. Engagement manager

Once upon a time, managers would get together and assess their employees performances. There was little dialogue between workers and their managers, and employees would be assessed at 3, 6 or 12 month intervals. These days, organisations prefer ongoing conversations between workers and employees around performance and happiness. This can be facilitated through technology such as employee engagement software or it can be managed by an expert HR professional.

2. Diversity rep

In construction and engineering, as in many other industries, companies are realising the value of cultivating a diverse workforce. Taking on staff of various backgrounds, irrespective of gender, race or age, ensures a fair and open workplace, and one that is enriched by the diverse experiences the employees bring. Your HR professional will act as a diversity officer, not just ensuring that the right people are hired without prejudice, but that diverse employees have their needs met post-hire.

3. Talent nurturer

As much as they want to, companies can’t always be on the lookout for great talent. After all, they do have a business to run! Standard recruiters typically don’t source the best talent for the companies they represent because they’re simply too swamped with work. Even if you aren’t looking to fill a specific role, a good HR consultant will have a vast network of industry connections to top talent. They’ll have their eyes peeled for talent, and will know your company well enough to keep you informed on who’s out there when it’s time to recruit.

4. Wellness Coach

Employees can disengage from their work when they are overworked, overtired or for a variety of other personal and professional reasons. Your HR professional can help you identify factors that may be causing your employees to disengage, and recommend some wellness programs to get them back on track. This can include education on work-life balance and healthy office habits, suggestions on stress management and even therapy.

Get a construction recruitment specialist with 10+ years in the industry. Contact Quadrant Exec today.

What You’re Doing Wrong When Hiring New Staff

While most hiring staff want adaptable, resilient and courageous new employees, hiring trends tell a different story about who is being hired. Despite the need for open-minded and flexible candidates who can keep up with ever-changing roles and technologies, HR still focuses on specialisations and experience. The nature of job roles has changed, and it’s time for hiring habits to catch up with them. Read on to discover what you’re doing wrong when hiring new staff, and how to hire better.

Focusing on skills and experience

Hiring managers put undue emphasis on skills and experience, typically by having a long list of must-haves along with their job roles. But by limiting their possible candidates with these strict guidelines, they are also limiting the number of candidates that are able to upskill, adapt and innovate within their role.

  • What to do instead

When hiring new staff, reconsider your must-haves and change as many as possible into nice-to-haves. You’re better off choosing a candidate who can learn new skills and technologies rather than someone who is set in their ways.

Picturing the perfect candidate

Similar to the above, hiring staff are often on the hunt for something specific, like a candidate with “building experience in Melbourne”. In having such a specific set of requirements, they won’t look at candidates outside of the building sector, and filter out a lot of great candidates who could have equivalent skills and experience.

  • What to do instead

Consider that an “imperfect” candidate may actually be perfect for your role. Candidates from the mining or civil industries could have just the right skills and experience for a role in the building sector.

Relying too much on resume, interview and references

A candidate’s resume and cover letter is going to reflect the typical expectations of your role, again, prioritising skills, experience and education over the ability to adapt and grow. If you’re relying on resumes, interviews and references, you’re not gaining a good understanding of your candidate’s ability to innovate within your role.

  • What to do instead

Incorporate a psychometric assessment into your hiring process. This will help you find candidates who indicate an adaptable approach to work and open-mindedness.

Thinking too narrowly about the role

Ending up with employees who are not adaptable can be a direct result of the company’s perception of that role. Hiring managers need to ask themselves how important today’s must-have qualities will be in five or ten years’ time, and look for someone who will take the role into the future.

  • What to do instead

Another way to think about how you hire new staff is by shifting your attention away from the candidate and taking another look at the role. Consider how the requirements for that role might change in the future, and redefine what’s important in your candidates.

Not taking an organisation-wide approach

Try mapping talent analytics across your organisation what your staff are capable of now and what skills will be required in the short-to-medium term. Take these insights with you when you hire new staff.

  • What to do instead 

    Try mapping talent analytics across your organisation what your staff are capable of now and what skills will be required in the short-to-medium term. Take these insights with you when you hire new staff.

Need better candidates for your roles? Read about our process for hiring great staff.