04 May Relevance, Recruitment, and Retention – The Business Challenges Through a Pandemic

We are all negotiating our way through an unprecedented situation – as in life, so too in work.

It was recognised from the outset that one of the key priorities must be to protect as many jobs as possible and support businesses large and small to keep them viable. This presents new challenges for employers. Perhaps they are supporting staff working from home for the first time, perhaps unhappily. Or maybe they are thinking about the return of furloughed workers who may feel disorientated and particularly anxious about the inherent value of their roles and contribution.

But even as we deal with these novel circumstances, there are some constants: businesses will still need to stay relevant and competitive and retain [and recruit] people who make a positive contribution.

One unforeseen outcome from this situation may be that remote working is here to stay. If so, then some of the traditional barriers ton attracting and retaining a more diverse section of our working population are removed.

The companies who are most often voted as great workplaces share a few things in common: among these traits are having a great culture, a diverse cohort of employees who feel engaged and included, and investing heavily in staff development/ career progression that its open, fair, and available to all of those that want it.

Recruitment and retaining great staff, particularly when times are hard, are not easy. Hiring [or promoting] the wrong person carrie a huge cost, financially and culturally. Attracting the right people is an art not a science. People join an organisation for different reasons. They will do so if they see a culture, ways of working and benefits that stand out from other businesses. This will not only attract new people but encourage people to stay, improving retention rates. Having a lens on attracting and retaining staff creates a good environment.

What if our talent pool will now be national or even global with fewer of the traditional barriers to bringing different voices and experiences to our collective table?