Although we now know when lockdown 3.0 will hopefully come to an end, it’s safe to say that this period of restrictions remains the toughest yet. With the UK in another lockdown and the economy facing a potential ‘double-dip’ recession, it might seem there are few reasons to be cheerful. In such a climate, businesses may find it harder than usual to support employee wellbeing and boost motivation.
Many may understandably look to their HR departments for solutions in the form of employee benefits, rewards and recognition or work perks. Of course, this can help to retain talented staff and can contribute to a better workplace culture. But attracting the right staff is also key.
How strategic recruitment can boost workplace wellbeing
Of course, having a recruitment strategy is important for all businesses to ensure a functioning and high performing workforce. But it’s one thing getting staff through the door and another thing finding the right hires for your specific team.
This can be a challenge that varies depending on the type of sector or department you’re hiring for and the type of employee you need. Ultimately though, it’s not just about the candidate’s CV, but also about whether they would be a good cultural fit for the company. A candidate who ticks all these boxes is likely to fit into the business faster and more easily. Additionally, they’re more likely to stay for longer, saving the employer money in the long-term and creating long lasting team bonds that improve workplace happiness.
Variety is the spice of work life
A varied strategy can help yield these results from your recruitment drive. As well as using traditional headhunting methods, or placing job adverts on the company website and with third party recruitment firms, employers are urged to consider other options. Referrals are another great way to find the most qualified staff and the best cultural fits. Rather than judging applicants with the same box ticking methods, seeking recommendations from trusted networks and connections can improve recruitment success.
This approach gives your team and contacts the opportunity to invite in people who they know from experience are a trustworthy hire. In particular, existing staff who will know better than anyone what makes a candidate a good fit and what the team needs most in terms of skillset and personality.
Contrary to common misconception, sharing roles is also one of the most powerful ways to boost workplace diversity. It allows you to hire from specific communities by targeting them more precisely, for example sharing job adverts with LinkedIn groups representing ethnic minority workers.
Crucially, ensuring you have a diverse workforce is a great way to boost employee wellbeing. Onboarding staff with a variety of personal and professional backgrounds makes them collectively more adaptable to significant changes – such as we have seen during the pandemic – and can offer more innovative ideas. The effect can be a more vibrant workplace.
A 2017 Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study also identified diversity as a key driver of performance, producing 19 per cent more revenue overall. Of course, profitability isn’t essential to improved workplace happiness but it can support it.
Rewarding employee participation
Whatever method or combination of methods you use for recruitment, employee participation is important to its success.
Often the hiring manager or recruiters are solely responsible for new hires. But this only creates a disconnect between employer and employees and can even demotivate staff if their concerns and desires aren’t taken into account. By asking for their input before, during and after the recruitment process, you can demonstrate that you trust their judgment and show you care about their opinion. By incentivising employee participation with rewards for successful new hires, you fast-track the hiring process, increase the likelihood of finding a good candidate and can show recognition for their contribution.
The pandemic and its economic impact has caused huge disruption to the UK labour market. With unemployment sadly rising, the upshot for businesses is that there has rarely been such a large and diverse pool of talent to hire from.
With the vaccination roll-out gathering pace, the economy is soon expected to rebound quickly – as it did in Q3 2020. But this time with more stability. Businesses are urged to prepare their recruitment strategy for the reopening of the economy in the near future so that they can respond dynamically to the opportunities the pandemic has created in the labour market. Choosing a varied approach, encouraging employee participation and promoting diversity can support a successful recruitment drive that also boosts workplace wellbeing.
