Blog

Mar 11, 2022 | Jim Bernier

In many respects, a company is only as good as its talent, and your employees are investments in your company. To get the best ROI, you’ll need to put in the effort to attract and retain top talent. Recruiting specialists Black-Peak shares some ideas to help you recruit new employees, as well as retain employees once you’ve hired them.

Implement an Employee Referral Incentive

Having current employees recommend new candidates can be an effective way to recruit new talent. Employees often refer former colleagues with whom they had a positive experience or relationship. This dynamic is proven to help referred employees fit better within their new workplace’s culture, and referred employees tend to have higher retention rates than other hires.

The key traits of a successful employee referral program are financial incentives and a no-hassle system for referring candidates. You want to offer compensation to the referring employee for successfully recommending new talent. This could be a flat rate for all positions or on a sliding scale based on the role. Additionally, the process for referring candidates should be as simple as possible. Consider setting up an internal email address managed by the human resources department for employees to forward information about potential recruits. 

Create an Internship Program

When executed properly, Fortune magazine notes that internship programs can create an effective intern-to-employee pipeline. An internship can introduce younger adults to the workforce and help them gain valuable experience early in their careers. For employers, internships provide a way to secure extra help, especially during the summer months when full-time employees take vacations, and they can play a role in discovering leadership capabilities in your current staff.

Your local colleges and universities are great places to scout for potential interns. Many schools have special online job boards to help students find internships, and they may have career centers that host job fairs. As a bonus, former interns who’ve transitioned to full-time employees can represent your company at recruiting events.

Offer a Sign-on Bonus

Few things motivate people more than cold, hard cash. Offering candidates a hiring bonus for joining your company entices them to make the leap and can act as an incentive to stay at the job. You’ll need to run the numbers and see exactly what type of bonus system works for your company, whether it be paying a one-time, lump-sum, or spreading out payments over a certain length of time.

Develop an On-boarding System

The first few months of a new employee’s tenure are crucial. Just as employees want to make a good impression, so should you as an employer. To avoid new recruits feeling overwhelmed or unsupported, TriNet advises having an onboarding system in place that clearly outlines developmental goals and key milestones for their first 90 days on the job.

Tailor the process to each role and gather input from seasoned employees. Organize all onboarding documents into one place, and update this information periodically to account for new or modified processes or job duties. 

Recruiting the Best Employees Attracting and retaining talent is one of the most important aspects of operating a business. As the market evolves, you need to develop new ways to show job-seekers that you’re a great employer. Black-Peak can help you fulfill your industrial and engineering staffing needs.

Black-Peak is a total recruitment solution for hiring experienced engineers and technical professionals in process controls & factory automation, robotics, building automation and HVAC, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, maintenance, and sales professional staff.