Ways to Attract Talent in a Tight Market

The American unemployment rate dropped to 3.7% in October. This is the lowest level since 1969 and this translates to the lowest unemployment in half a century. Though this is great for job-seekers, it’s tough in a tight labor market for employers. This would mean that they would have to improve perks, policies, and pay to attract the best talent.

This presents employers with a need to get creative. This means that they have to make the right tweaks to ensure that new employees stay happy. This could include remote work options to diverse compensation plans. Employers will have to tailor-make employment packages to match their employees.

Attract talent in a tight market
Remember to always offer employees what they want an not what you think that they want

Employers have no choice but to follow the path that successful businesses use to stay competitive in tight labor markets, that is if they want to hire the best resources. They do not look at it as an obstacle but rather an opportunity to demonstrate their companies’ merits and entice soon-to-be employees.

Perks Are out of Fashion

While Startup cultures have fun fringe benefits like ping-pong tables, free pizza, and a beer tap, you should consider if it’s worth it at all. Surely, you should wonder if employees would choose to spend a Friday socializing and snacking. It turns out that employees would leave their current job for a competitor if it offered better flexibility and money, and not perks.

Not all adult workers enjoy arcade games or a gymnasium, some would rather leave early to pick up their kids and take longer vacations. This means that you should create strategies that would attract talented candidates to join your company.

It implies that this job market puts the power in the hands of the worker and businesses cannot simply dish out perks. To attract high-quality employees, you should be practical, provide competitive benefits with a long-term appeal. Here are 6 methods to attract the best of talent in a tight market.

1. Help Towards Student Debt and Housing

The student loan debt crisis is bad and getting worse. College graduates are finding jobs, but their wages aren’t going up. Those in the workforce are making payments late and falling into delinquency. This issue does not stop with just students as people older than 60 also have student loans and this has quadrupled over the last 10 years.

This terrible cycle can be broken if companies offer student loan support in addition to regular salary. There are providers of the 401(k) programs that offer employers student loan assistance. It’s a given that student loan assistance will help in a long way. Also in addition to this, you can consider offering a mortgage assistance program for housing. The best part is not only will employees enjoy a fast track way to homeownership, but it will also make them stay with the company longer.

2. Forward-thinking Travel Policies

It is found that 59% of candidates consider travel policies when they choose an employer. They take this into account more than just book a flight. The movement to make employee comfort a priority in business travel plans is what 79% of business travelers regard and this affects job satisfaction.

This is important for smart employers as they do not cram employees in the cheapest non-chain hotel closest to the airport. This means that they take care of the small things like storing and shipping business clothing. In a way, this will better the travel experience and make it go smoothly. Businesses should allow traveling employees to earn loyalty perks and points from hotels and airlines for personal redemption. Though these are small courtesies, it will go a long way in making a big difference to the workers.

3. Preparation Help for Retirement

Employees would feel more confident that there would be retirement savings to make it to retirement. It was found that 42% believed that they would need to use money from retirement for other expenses.

Employers should work with retirement plan providers and financial service companies to provide employees with resources and tools to plan for the future no matter what their salary grade is.

Through retirement literacy and investment-education options, enterprises can help workers make the most of their paychecks. You should not put the resources out there but let employees figure it out themselves. Get financial advisors to come to talk to employees every few months about their options.

Also, employers can invest in the workers’ futures and they will more likely to spend that future with the company that helped them. Even if employers find it hard to offer a 401(k) match, employees will still appreciate the savings plan.

Even though you introduce ping-pong tables and free alcohol, it’s still not what employees want. They are more interested in stability and flexibility than entertainment. Use practical benefits to attract top talent and retain the best workers.

4. Use Your Own Workforce

You can get the help of your workforce to find new talent. This can be in the form of a referral program. There are several organizations that have referral programs that use incentives. But this can work without incentives too. This is a great way to reach out to an audience which would be otherwise hard to connect with using the regular channels.

5. Be Critical, Not Picky

These requirements should be something that is actually needed. This means that you should be looking for specific skill sets and measure for those skill sets. You should understand the essential requirements of your position. So you should determine if the candidate needs a high school degree and if they need problem-solving abilities. You should look for basic competency model and assessing candidates for these skills. If you are removing candidates based on criteria that is not essential as compared to those skills that are really needed, then you’re missing out on the picture.

6. Be Efficient

You should be efficient when it comes to hiring. This means that you should have a cut off time to have a hire. Reduce time by using automated assessment as the first step of the application process. Then assess the candidates that meet the requirement and screen out the rest and have the right number of candidates to schedule interviews. You can streamline the process and weed out the individuals through an assessment and this frees out your interviewers to focus on the right people to do the job.

Employing Talent in a Tight Market Can Be Difficult

With the job climate skewing towards the perfect storm, there are bound to be problems. This would mean that there are unemployment, high job growth and skill gaps in the workforce. These strategies should be used across different industries to make them more efficient and effectively find, hire and retain quality candidates. This will make your organization succeed in a tight labor market.
The biggest part of this problem is due to the tight market and growth in the manufacturing sector in the U.S. When you start to look at the impact, you will understand that this hampers skills and creates a skill gap which makes it more difficult for talent to find jobs. So, how do we find the right individuals to meet our needs and those that have the right knowledge, skills, and abilities? This means that an organization has to rethink how they attract, hire and retain talent. Read more articles that are beneficial to employers.

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  1. I applied for unemployment in New Mexico because I wasn’t getting my full-time hours and my checks were never correct I was constantly fighting with the company now I’ve exhausted my unemployment benefits and they sent me a questionnaire about my work and it says adjuctation what does that mean.. I am extremely frightened

    • Amal,

      Adjudication is like an “Appeals” process. You may be asked to present facts and paperwork relating to your claim. If everything is fine with your claim, please face it with confidence. You’ll be given a sound hearing.

  2. I applied online Friday September 6,2019
    When will i receive confirmation on my online application.
    Thank you

    • Carolyn,

      If this is your initial claim, it will take a min. of 7-10 business days for the determination to be made. Please reach out to the Unemployment Office for more.

  3. I’m trying to file unemployment from my phone but I can’t figure it out, What phone number should I call..thanks

    • My initial unemployment benefits run out next month. How long does it take for the extension to be determined? As I havent found suitable work. And have met all requirements to find employment. Filed in TX. If I qualify for benefits do I automatically qualify for an extention?

      • Le,

        The E.U.C(Emergency Unemployment Compensation) remains expired. There is no extension available. Please inquire further with the labor authorities in your state by calling them.

    • David,

      Please let us know the state you’re writing from. You can also visit the Unemployment Office’s official website for phone numbers.

  4. I COLLECTED ABOUT $5000 OF UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WHEN I WAS WORKING AND NOW THERE IS A PENDING COURT CASE AGAINST ME OUT OF PHOENIX TO GO TO COURT FOR 21 COUNTS OF FRAUD..WILL I GO TO JAIL? I AM SOO SCARED.JOJO

    • James,

      The E.U.C(Emergency Unemployment Compensation) remains expired. There is no extension available. Please inquire further with the labor authorities in your state by calling them.

  5. I am Disabled I have had several surgeries on my lower spine. I found that I was not able to male it die to Bills became overwhelming.
    I got a Job with S3 security in Tallahassee f. Where I found out that all company rules were online and They said I needed to find them and opine to them. I told them I was with Dyslexia and I. could not find them. and 2. if I could have would not have been able to remember them. this is one of my life time Disabilities. I asked to be explained the Rules but was not. For 6 mounts I was praised by the places I worked. Then recently the Sargent told me to help a student locked out there Apartment. So I did. Next day he wanted to write me up for doing what he told me to do. I told him No I would not sign a demerit that would follow me around for ever Paper work does that! I all ways did the best I could. The Captain had made a open threat that he would do all he could to take badges and make us look bad to Fla. AG. I had hurt my ankle and am getting over it. They say the wishes of Property manager was reason I was Terminated with not following post orders. Not signing the forms excepting the wright ups. With just having Epidurals to ease the Spinal pain and them being 1/2 done I had attitude to being lied on by my Sargent. When I was told to do a job. I am kinda Glad I am out of there. No Supervision just the Sargent larking in shadows waiting to wright me up to make him look good so it seemed. I had to use my own Ins. to go get help for my leg. Now I don’t know if I can get Unemployment due to what they say I did after suitability doing the best I could to keep the Complex and Students as safe that I could.

    • William,

      UI benefits are offered to claimants who’re able and available for work. Please call the Unemployment Office for clarification. Hope you get well soon!

  6. I have been trying to fill out unemployment application on line, but it will not let me put my social security # in the spaces
    required.

  7. From 1/2018 to 10/2018 I worked for a Merriville-based organization but I live in Illinois. The employer told me I couldn’t claim unemployment from Indiana because of my Illinois residency. Yesterday, I learned that I should have been able to. Can I claim those benefits now? I was unemployed from 10/19/2018 until 8/24/2019.

  8. I am trying to file a new unemployment claim on line and the link says it cant be reached. Are you experiencing any web site problems?

  9. I RECIEVED A”MY DOCUMENT” DATED 8/26/2019-TODAY STATING I DID NOT SEARCH FOR 2 JOBS LAST WEEK…BUT,1- 1/2 DAYS AGO, EARLY SUNDAY MORNING, JUST LIKE I HAVE FOR 9-WEEKS,I DID WHAT THEM SYSTEM TOLD ME TO DO. I FILED MY WEEKLY BENEFITS TELLING Y’ALL THAT ON THURSDAY 8/23/2019 I BEGAN WORKING AGAIN. I TOLD ON MY CLAIMING WEEKLY BENEFIT FORM THAT I ALSO WORKED FRIDAY. I TOLD THE AMOUNT OF MONEY I EARNED PER-HOUR, I TOLD THAT I I worked 16hrs for the week ending 8/24/19,i gave the total amount,and i told i have not got 10 cents of the money yet,and $12.75×16 is not more than $326.00. I just got home to learn payment is being held,once again i’m being punish for an unemployment crime i did’nt commit. Four hours of interviews last week led to me getting hired, that led to 16hrs of work,that was reported within the rules. I did everything right.

    • Please register with PAcareerlink and attend the RESEA orientation as required and take the necessary documents with you. Then
      begin an active job search. The state wants to see this activity and is done in order to receive your benefit compensation.

      Take care

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