It has never been more challenging for startups to find employees than now. Gen Z is the new wave entering the labour market. And these young professionals are not happy with just a monthly paycheck. As Olinio recruitment specialists know from many recruitment campaigns, the digitally native generation has aspirations for a meaningful career and a great work-life balance. These aspects must define your employee recruitment and retention strategies.
It is a challenge because you must learn on the go how to make your business vision happen and transmit it to your team. You must learn to delegate tasks, instead of doing them all yourself. And, most essentially, you must be able to trust that the people you hire can help you succeed, and not tank your fledging business.
So, let us discover the most effective recruitment methods to attract and retain talented employees.
1. Do Not Minimise the Challenges
Getting a startup off the ground is hard work for everyone. In the beginning, employees must be flexible and fulfil several roles. And you should be clear about this in your job ad and interviews with candidates.
Glossing over the difficulties just to hire someone is not a good idea at all. Startups recruitment specialists know that it is better to keep a position vacant until you find the right fit than to get a bad hire. As we explained in a previous blog post, the cost of a bad hire is tremendous and can be fatal for a startup running on a limited budget.
2. Communicate Your Company Mission and Values in Everything You Do
As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, Gen Z wants to find meaning in their career. They are looking for companies that share their values – be they related to sustainability and environmental protection, or to involvement in community projects and social responsibility tasks.
How does this affect your employee recruitment and retention strategies? In every aspect:
- How you describe your company in the job ad
- How you interact with candidates during the recruitment process
- How you detail the job role, key responsibilities and benefits.
Young talents are savvy and know how to read between the lines. They will quickly evaluate if they want to work for your company or not.
3. Create a Positive Work Environment
We spend a third of our life at work – and this is why younger generations want more than the 9-5 grind the Baby Boomers were happy to accept. They want a workplace where they feel empowered to grow and share their ideas. They want a positive and friendly environment and awareness of the importance of mental health and wellbeing.
Mostly, they want to feel that they can be a part of a team where collaboration is open and equal. The good thing is that you don’t have to invest a lot of money to create such a work environment.
You just have to make sure that you hire people with good work ethics and soft skills. Step by step, you will be able to build a thriving company culture for everyone.
4. Encourage Employee Development
Including professional growth among the key benefits is among the top 10 recruitment strategies for any company. Young professionals are looking for careers, not just jobs. They want to learn and become better.
They want to be prepared for promotions and new roles. As a startup owner, you probably would not have the financial power to invest in expensive training courses. But you can offer your employees paid study time and celebrate each new achievement, certification and new skill they acquire.
5. Offer Flexible Work Arrangements
Last, but not least, your employee recruitment and retention strategies should include flexible working hours and locations. Hybrid work is one of the perks Gen Z is looking for. They still view the office as an important hub for collaboration and efficient work, but they enjoy the flexibility to work from home a few days a week.
Not sure how to start looking for your first employees? Let Olinio help you! Contact us today to open your first recruitment project for your startup!