Attracting and retaining talent is key to any organisation’s performance and success and there is considerable and helpful research into how employers can best recruit the performers most suited to their sector.
It may for now be a buyers’ market for employers but a clear and robust approach to recruitment and retention is critical to retain or achieve competitive advantage and the organisation’s Employee Value Proposition (“EVP”) is critical. The EVP is the organisation’s unique set of benefits, rewards and opportunities; it reflects the mutual give and take between employer and employee. It goes beyond pay and benefits and is about values, career development, brand, working conditions. It is more important than it sounds as evidence shows that done well, it leads to greater loyalty, commitment and engagement from employees. When communicating EVP to potential recruits, being clear on your values and culture is more likely to lead to a better ‘fit’. This is not about creating a homogenous workplace but about bringing together the people who will best meet the organisation’s objectives.
Claire is well-placed to work with organisations on determining, refining and communicating their EVP. Doing so is a critical strategic action that underpins other organisational objectives. Her Masters, completed in 2024, explored the extensive research in this area and its findings.
Job analysis and competency modelling in recruitment – that is, identifying in detail the key tasks and attributes for a strong performance – is often overlooked on account of time constraints. But a deep understanding of the Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other characteristics (or “KSAOs”) of a role has been proved to lead to better and more successful recruitment when applied to recruitment methods.
Research shows that original recruitment methods are key to attracting a wider range of potential candidates and in particular, “passive job seekers” – those individuals who are in employment, not actively seeking a new opportunity and to whom conventional appeals go unnoticed or ignored.
In terms of selection, research has demonstrated that the best assessment for selection should be reliable, valid, fair, cost-effective and easy to use. Of these, validity is the most important – that is, a legitimate measure of what it claims to measure and predicts something useful. Given that no method is 100% valid, research suggests that in order to recruit the candidate who is more likely to perform best, employers should apply a range of methods that demonstrate KSAs.
Often overlooked as an important feature of recruitment and retention, ensuring a strong and consistent onboarding protocol in any organisation has been shown to lead to clear benefits: new joiners reach productivity sooner, greater engagement and lower rates of attrition. An effective onboarding process should incorporate the 4Cs, or the critical building blocks Compliance, Clarification, Culture and Connection.
Thorogood HR is well-placed to work with organisations to review their recruitment and retention strategies and support efforts to revise and/or assess their effectiveness.