When I was about to complete my bachelor’s degree, I was allowed to deal with a topic that was completely new to me at the time – the job search. As described in my last blog post, I already knew pretty well that I wanted to work in the world of online marketing. I conducted some research about companies that I would like to work for and also narrowed my search results down companies located nearby. So far so good. But I was very quickly disillusioned by something and that is what my following blog post is about.
The War for Talents
In general a job advertisement is divided into the following three parts:
- Your future challenges
- Your qualifications
- The company’s offer.
These three parts have their justification and there is not much more to say in a job advertisement. But in my opinion, the problem lies more in the weighting of these three parts.
For several years now, recruiting companies and human resource departments have been talking about the so-called “War for Talents“. The term describes the increasing struggle of companies for the best talents. While there is a surplus of labour supply over demand for very simple jobs without long training periods, the last few years have seen the emergence of a shortage of occupations. Companies have to come up with a lot of ideas for attracting and hiring the best applicants wherever there is a shortage of labour.
How not to Participate in the “War for Talents”
Despite the awareness that new talents are rare and have to be sought after, most job advertisements show a clear lack of this aspect. 90 percent of the job advertisement content only communicates what the future job involves and what qualifications a candidate needs to have. But only about 10 percent of the job advertisement content indicates what the company wants to offer a candidate. And that little bit of content is probably more than questionable and vague. Below is a small list of the best phrases most companies are still using in job descriptions and ultimately scare candidates away:
- Modern organization
- Advanced work time models
- Success-oriented culture
- Interested colleagues
- Realistic future perspectives
I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t really feel the “War for Talents” here. I only feel rusty and outdated corporate cultures, where the average age of the workforce is probably 50+. My dear team leaders, managers, headhunters and human resource managers, do you really think you will be able to attract young talents to your company with such offerings?! Let me answer this question for you…
What Companies have to Offer instead
As previously outlined there is a clear lack of know-how on how organizations have to position themselves as an attractive employer for the millennials generation. It does not mean that an organization now has to reconstruct their whole human resource department and their offering-portfolio. But when looking at the following examples, I hope that one or the other team leader or manager, who reads this blog, will take something of it to heart.
1. Organize social interaction and clubs
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a soccer team, a company band or something else. Do organize regular group activities that are all about cultivating interests beyond the daily work and make your employees feel like they are having a second family. And since most of the employees spend more time at work than being actually with their families, I think this point is super important.
2. Host regular drinks and / or barbecues
Nothing strengthens a working community like sharing their food or having a drink together. It is not about the food or the drink itself. It is more about the ritual and connecting with each other on a personal level. Hint: everyone feels extra appreciated when it’s on the house.
3. Suits and ties are not mandatory anymore
Of course there are still certain industries where a well-maintained dress code simply is part of the game. Nowadays however, this doesn’t necessarily mean anymore wearing a suit and a tie. Having a smart casual look is perfectly sufficient for most of the jobs. Personally, I have sworn to myself that I will never have to wear a suit and a tie. It doesn’t sound much different when having a chat with my friends. So it’s imperative that the traditional patterns in workwear are finally loosened up.
4. Offer flexible hours to your employees
Some people need a little longer to wake up, others can’t always be in the office at 08:00 because they have a longer way when commuting to work. Flexible working hours does not mean less work (most managers still don’t get that!). It means that employees can manage their working hours in a way that suits them best and how they can be most efficient in the end.
Conclusion
I clearly believe that many companies have missed the boat of modern employment conditions. Managers and recruiters simply told each other what used to work will still work tomorrow. But that’s not the case. With every generation change the demands on the employers change as well – sometimes more, sometimes less. Much has changed with the entry of the millennial generation into the work place and the consequences are now quite serious for the companies that did not adapt to it.
Fortunately, it can be said that the above mentioned four points do not require much change. They are small steps in the right direction and can make a big difference when it comes to finding the right talents for an organization. But these steps are mandatory, because an organization, its managers and its team leaders are only as good as their own employees.
Sources
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284689712_The_War_for_Talent
