Practices to Attract New Employees
The modern perception of employment has gone beyond the conventional patterns of placing a position opening and waiting for a response. Today’s job market is overwhelmed with opportunities for employment, especially when considering the fact that millennials, as the vast majority of the modern talent pool, are constantly seeking better opportunities for growth (Fernández-Aráoz, 2014). Thus, when creating a model for attracting employees, it is paramount to conduct preliminary research on job-seeking trends among potential employees.
The first practice to attract new personnel would be to secure a qualitative shift from assessing one’s education credentials toward the model of talent assessment, placing one’s skills as a priority for hiring (Mercier et al., 2018). Despite the contradictions revolving around the use of social media platforms during recruitment, various social media platforms remain the most efficient way to search for an employee, as they provide employers with evidence of one’s skills and expertise in the field. As a result, when being recruited and evaluated based on explicit evidence instead of the conventional indicators such as degree and years of experience, potential employees feel “seen” by the company. According to Sahlman (2007), the most challenging aspect of hiring people is the employer’s natural desire to spend less time on finding the right person. Hence, when recruiting people with evident talent in the sphere, the probability of hiring good employees shifts from a fluke to an exhaustive regularity.
The second practice required to secure quality employment is the development of a strong and trustworthy employer brand. Researchers claim employer branding stands for “the development of an organization’s image and reputation as a prospective employer and would affect its ability to retain employees” (Gilani & Cunningham, 2017, p. 240). Thus, the first step of employer branding is an overt outline of the company’s value proposition that would serve as a foundation for content plan creation. In such a way, recruiting would be easier for both parties, as the roles, expectations, and responsibilities would be already defined within the team (Dewhurst et al., 2013). Employer branding also helps directors allocate fewer resources to advertising job positions, as the company’s image of a reliable employer attracts more talent.
Finally, the third practice would concern the development of an explicit model of benefits from employment. If previously job candidates were eager to obtain social security, steady income, and an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, the modern approach to employment has become less bound by stability benefits. Millennials and Gen Z candidates, representing the vast majority of the talent pool, are seeking autonomy and respect more than stability and benefits package (Mercier et al., 2018). As a result, the job description should primarily include minimum limitations in terms of presenting ideas and participating in the company’s discussions.
Practices to Retain Employees
The first and arguably the most efficient practice to secure retention would be the introduction of mentoring, coaching, and collaboration as central management techniques within the team. Today’s patterns of employment indicate that employees are willing to pursue continuous learning, which means that workers seek new opportunities as soon as they feel like they have no opportunities to learn and grow (Nkomo et al., 2018). Hence, when managers are seen solely as authority figures who delegate tasks, they lose the chance to motivate employees to grow professionally and mentally. The development of mentorship and collaboration as driving forces of management prevents employees from losing interest in the position soon after they become accustomed to the company’s ecosystem.
The second practice concerns the development of a proper onboarding program that does not confuse employees regarding their job description and managers’ expectations (TMA Method, 2012). During the process of assimilation, the employee should be presented with a challenge that provides them with a real picture of the position. Frequently, employers regard onboarding programs and internships solely as an opportunity to see an employee in action and decide on the extent to which one is suitable for the team. Undeniably, they obtain a better perspective on one’s opportunities within the company, but the very process of onboarding is mostly about providing employees with the most efficient and non-harmful way to adjust to the new environment (Dinnen & Alder, 2017).
Finally, explicit training programs should become an integral part of the company’s workflow in order to secure retention and a sense of professionalism in the team. According to Scott Kriens from Juniper Networks (2006), workers who are allowed to grow within the company feel both professionally and emotionally attached to the team and, thus, less willing to seek other opportunities outside the setting. Thus, the introduction of both formal and informal training increases the company’s chances of securing retention and job satisfaction.
Practices and Systems to Secure Employees’ Creativity, Innovativeness, and Freedom
The first system to groom creativity would be to introduce peer networks among employees. According to the researchers, employees are frequently more likely to share innovative ideas with peers rather than with senior executives, as they subconsciously fear criticism and, thus, undermine the value of their ideas (Cohn et al., 2008). Hence, it would be beneficial to assemble peer discussions for issues relevant to the management in order for them to brainstorm ideas and then present them to the leader. Such an approach to innovation provides employees with more freedom in terms of doing their best work, as they are allowed to express every detail that comes to mind without any executive supervision. In other words, presenting a problem to the team without an introduction of any solution blueprints liberates the employees from a biased perception of an issue.
Another beneficial practice to secure innovation is to present potential innovators with the ability to generate ideas and approaches to a new leading position. This practice was earlier approved by the executives of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worlwide, Inc., as its managers considered a responsibility to be a driving force of innovative thinking and creative approaches (Cohn et al., 2008). Evidently, leaving the employee with much responsibility and little supervision is unacceptable due to the fact that stressors would outweigh creativity factors. For this reason, it is necessary to help the innovator while they psychologically feel freer in terms of coordinating teamwork and presenting tangible and unbiased solutions.
The aforementioned practice serves as a precursor for the introduction of entrepreneurial leadership as means of creative and innovative management. This type of leadership stands for the leaders’ ability to motivate employees to achieve common goals through innovation, an opportunistic approach to issues, and a dynamic and agile environment (Cai et al., 2019). The research indicates that the employment of entrepreneurial leadership accelerates creative solutions on both individual and team levels (Cai et al., 2019). Such results are mostly achieved with the help of high levels of autonomy within the team and the creation of a safe space for employees’ ideas, as they are not pressured by systematic supervision.
A significant part of securing innovativeness is maintaining the employees’ motivation through financial and emotional encouragement to contribute to the team. The motivation itself may be secured with the help of financial incentives for the ideas embraced by the company. Although such motivation should not be an exhaustive encouraging factor, it still serves as a fair bonus for the employees’ dedication and willingness to participate (Maclean, 2011). The major emphasis, in its turn, should be placed on the opportunities for professional and career growth within a company. It is of paramount importance to create a supportive network that encourages employees not only to create new visions for the company’s challenges but to accept partial responsibility for the idea embodiment in the current framework.
Finally, the companies should reconsider their attitude toward the on-demand workers in terms of promoting innovation. Previously, the on-demand workers were regarded solely as executors of an already established scenario, leaving no room for creativity and participation (Fuller et al., 2020). In such a way, while saving some time, companies are at risk of losing possible valuable perspectives on the tasks given. For this reason, it might be beneficial to create an agile innovation framework that takes into account every possible vision of the issue. It may be concluded that when considering such notions as creativity, innovation, and freedom among employees, it is of paramount importance to motivate them, be open to their suggestions, secure peer networks, and treat every contribution equally.
References
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