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Giving the right impression to job applicants

Hiring good employees is the foundation of any successful business and also is key to controlling your Workers’ Compensation costs. According to the employment agency, Hudson, more than four in 10 workers are looking for new jobs. Moreover, 60% of the men and 52% of the women think it will be easy to find a new job. With heavy competition, it behooves employers to spruce up the impression they project to prospective employees.

Our strategic partner, HR That Works!, provides a checklist for first impressions – how employers represent themselves to job applicants, as well as existing employees. Here are some of the pointers:

Job postings – What message do you send out to job applicants? If you were to compare your ads with the others out there, what makes yours stand out?

Your website – Job applicants will review your website to see what message you have put on it about your employee relations. If you have no message, that in and of itself speaks volumes.

Community press releases - Are you constantly announcing the promotions and successes of your employees in industry and local business periodicals?

Industry and association awards – Do you hold yourself out to the public as a great place to work? If so, how have you proven it? How do you show it? Where are the articles and awards?

On your vehicles, in your stores, in your advertisements -How are you using your existing “billboard” space to brand your company?

Telephone greeting – How is the phone answered? How about starting with “It’s a great day at _____! My name is ____. How can I help you?”

The waiting area – How are job prospects treated while filling out a job application or waiting to be interviewed? Are they treated like one of your most important clients? Is their name on a welcome board? If not, why not?

Your working environment – What does it say to someone just by looking at it? Does it show on it how your employees are acknowledged? Are their pictures on the walls? Are client letters on the walls? Are employee awards on the walls?

The interviewing process – The way in which you interview someone causes him or her to want to work for your company, or not. Do you conduct the interview in a clean, well-lit place? Are you well organized and is it a rigorous process that makes folks understand this is a “special workplace” or simply an effort to get it over with?

Orientation process – Management gurus will tell you the first 90 days of employment can make or break employee relations. How fine-tuned is your orientation process? Are you clear about its purpose? How are newcomers included into the team, group, culture and so on?

The employee entrance – It is amazing how many employees walk through a de-motivating entrance every single day! Ask a simple question, is your employee entrance adding to employee motivation or not?

Uniforms – Whether it is affinity clothing or your dress code (casual vs. conservative) – what we wear speaks volumes.

The quality of employee performance begins with the quality of the hire. Employees are evaluating you as much as you are evaluating them. Companies that are best at building and retaining their workforce recognize the importance of a positive first impression.