You Are NOT Just Lucky to Have a Job - Anymore

The employment equation is directly tied to our economy and reverses itself every few years as business conditions change for better or worse.  As the pendulum swings back and forth; we go from a "job candidate's marketplace," in which job-seekers seem to enjoy the upper hand when negotiating for better wages, benefits and working conditions to the "employer's marketplace," wherein businesses wrest control of same back from them.  

Both sides have long memories and though they may forget the details of their employment relationships, they almost never forget how they were made to feel by the other side.

It's A Job Seeker's Marketplace, Again

Today, we are once again in a job-seekers marketplace.  We haven't been here since the mid-2000's.  That was the last time there seemed to have been many more jobs than enough good candidates to fill them. There was also much more "job hopping" for better opportunities, with a strong economy emboldening otherwise comfortable employees to risk making a move.

Those next seven or eight years (2007 - 2014) were all about zero pay increases; impending lay-offs; burdened employees doing more work for less pay; and that constant gut-wrenching reminder for employees  - "you are lucky to just have a job."

Employers Have to Be More and Do More for Their Employees

 Finding high-quality hourly employees is once again harder than it was when unemployment was nearing 10% (worse, unofficially) and stacks of job applications were even higher!  As unemployment has fallen, there are fewer workers actively seeking new opportunities.  And, the ability to both motivate and retain existing employees has become tougher as direct employers and headhunters seek to lure them away with higher wages and better promotional opportunities.

Given the tight labor market, it’s important for hiring managers to show prospective candidates why their companies are great places to work.  Marketing and sales have become as much the recruiter' friend as the bottom-line's.

It's time for companies seeking to hire good people (and retain them) to stop looking for decent candidates just wanting to work and - instead -  start looking for the best people that are seeking better jobs.  

To get the best people, companies must increasingly tap into the passive job seeker's pool (those people not currently reading ads) and be prepared to offer more in order to create real candidate interest.  These employers must also do much more than just tell their blue ribbon candidates that their company is a good place to work.  They must be able to cite examples and offer tangible evidence that they are a special employer in many additional ways.  Before people throw in their lot with any new employer they need to know that if they live up to their end of the performance bargain, they will be rewarded in kind. 

Why Would Someone Want to Work for Your Company?

One way for HR to define a company’s unique value proposition is to create a list of the top 10 reasons to work there, according to some experts. This exercise helps leaders to fine-tune the company’s brand and motivates top management to live up to its own promises.

Additionally, companies that want to retain their best hourly workers need to match how they treat these employees to the employees’ value in the workforce.

The easiest employees to lose are often the best ones, so focus on finding ways to give top performers growth opportunities—listen to them, assign them interesting work, and make them feel valued with competitive pay and benefits, he says. Too many companies wait until their top-performing workers are leaving to ask, “What do we have to do to keep you?”

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer, Edgewood Properties (Company), or any other entity of the company or ownership.

_______________________________________________________Author Bio: Want to learn about Property Management Job Openings? Go to:www.edgewoodproperties.com/careers. Like us on Facebook at:https://www.facebook.com/CareersatEdgewoodPropertieshttps://www.facebook.com/CareersatE...

Marc LeVine is currently employed by Edgewood Properties as its full-time corporate recruiting specialist; charged with building an employment function from the bottom up, staffing the company and developing and administering full-cycle employment policies and procedures. In collaboration with corporate marketing and internal systems, Marc functions as architect of an employment branding strategy designed to establish an employee value proposition message fashioned to attract, reward and retain talent.A highly sought after Digital Strategist for e-Recruiting, Writer, Speaker & Social Media Consultant & Trainer, Marc has a diversified background in BOTH B2C and B2B Social Media initiatives, Marc uniquely bridges Recruiting Strategy,Targeted Objectives and ROI with Social Media, Recruiting & Staffing, Digital Media, Public Relations and Traditional Marketing Initiatives.Mr. LeVine is also a respected thought-leader, whose popular Social Media Blog has caught the attention of many major trade publications interested in publishing his insightful works.Mr. LeVine is a proud graduate of Syracuse University and previously served as Director of Social Media Marketing for RiaEnjolie, a division of InfoPro Worldwide, Director of Human Resources for New Jersey Press, the former operator of Asbury Park Press, Home News and Tribune and NJ101.5, as well as General Manager for Brickforce Staffing.

Specialties:RECRUITING/STAFFING* e-Recruiting & "Employer of Choice" Strategies

You may reach Marc at 732-985-1900 x1140 or by email at [email protected].