A lot of time and money is spent recruiting employees, about $4,000 per position, and that effort is wasted if your new employee quits before the year is out. So how do you recruit employees that will stick around long-term? Many of the top techniques you use for retention can be implemented during the recruiting phase as well.

5 Ways to Recruit for Long-Term Employees

1. Set Clear Expectations from the Start

Just as your current employees want transparency about their performance and hwo the company is doing, candidates also want to know exactly what they’ll be doing and how it impacts the company as a whole. If you advertise one role but have your new employee doing something different, he or she could quickly decide the job isn’t for them. A realistic job description starts constructive conversations during the interview process which helps set performance expectations from day one, according to the HR Bartender. Plus, a clear, detailed job description helps pull in qualified candidates and weeds out the ones who don’t fit.

A good job description should include:

  • key duties and responsibilities
  • tools and skills necessary
  • physical demands
  • scheduling requirements
  • levels of authority and supervision
  • clear, engaging and inclusive tones (skipping the male pronouns)

2. Showcase Your Company’s Culture

Company culture is intrinsically tied to employee engagement and retention. In fact, one in five employees have left a job due to workplace culture. Integrating your company culture into the recruiting process can lead to more successful hires. Is your company more buttoned-up? Keep the recruiting formal. But if your company is laid back, opt to recruit in a less formal way, like after hours over drinks or by including employees along with managers.

Don’t forget to promote your culture on social media and your website as a quality candidate will research your company before accepting the job. The results will be worth it as a candidate who its with your company before accepting the job. The results will be worth it as a candidate who fits with your company culture can be the ideal choice even over those with better qualifications. Skills and experience can be developed, but 91% of managers say how an employee fits with the company culture is just as important, if not more, according to Robert Half.

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3. Promote Development Opportunities

Don’t neglect to mention to potential candidates all the development opportunities they can expect if they are hired. These opportunities can substantially improve retention. LinkedIn states that 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their careers.

Invest in developing employees through,

  • Apprenticeships
  • On-the-job training
  • Mentorships
  • Ongoing learning throughout their careers
  • Creating a career path that allows employees to grow with your company

4. Pay Attention to Benefits

Your company benefits could be what tips the decision for a potential employee to accept a job. According to Glassdoor, job seekers look at attractive benefits first (48%), a convenient commute (47%) and then a relatively high salary (46%) before they apply. Standard benefits are expected but more innovative perks can make your company stand out. Think about your employees’ work-life balance when deciding on benefits to help make their lives easier. This includes,

  • Remote working options, flexible hours and transparent shift-scheduling
  • Financial assistance for childcare expenses, student loans and/or tuition payment
  • Lactation rooms for nursing mothers
  • Catered lunches, pet-friendly workspaces, gym memberships and flu shots

5. Offer a Competitive Salary

Not only will offering a competitive salary entice a potential employee to take the job (41% of employees say a significant increase in income is “very important” to them when considering a new job) but it helps keep those employees loyal. Paying your employees a competitive salary keeps them from look elsewhere, like towards your competitors, especially in today’s job market where there are more jobs than applicants. To start a competitive pay practice Villanova University suggests,

  • Research what your industry is paying for your region
  • Look at salary ranges annually
  • Come up with a plan that supports your business goals but keeps employees engaged
  • Discover pay inequities between your loyal employees
  • Keep your employees in the look about compensation

BirdDogHR’s Applicant Tracking System can decrease recruiting costs while simplifying the entire process. Our ATS automates the recruiting process from posting job descriptions to communicating with candidates, so you can focus on hiring the person who will stay with your company for the long haul.