Globalisation, technological innovation and a rising tide of entrepreneurship have all contributed to the emergence of a globally connected workforce. In fact, if there’s one thing they have in common, it’s that employees are expected to be actively engaged with a wide range of activities to stay relevant in their jobs.
The fastest-growing age group in the UK, millennials have more career options open to them than previous generations. An unpredictable and ever-changing economic climate, combined with younger people’s need to juggle a range of responsibilities at home and at work, has also driven many millennials to explore different career options.
For employers, digital technologies have become one of the main components of the job application process. These technologies are driving productivity and are creating new opportunities for businesses across a wide range of industries, sectors and roles.
Against this backdrop, it’s an exciting time to be in the business of staffing and recruitment. It’s your job to understand the requirements and potential demands of your target and alternative audiences, which makes it important to have a clear strategy in place. However, it’s not just about how you manage the change; you also need to consider how your organisation develops and optimises its people to meet the demands of this rapidly-evolving market.
Understanding what drives your audience, and then developing a strategy for how you plan to keep them engaged with your organisation over a long period of time, is the best way to make sure you can achieve business goals and a strong client-partner relationship.
What’s your team made up of?
A recent study conducted by iCIMS, entitled ‘The Life Cycle of Your People’, found that about 70pc of employers consider how their teams function together as the biggest driver of employee engagement.
Understanding the concept of an organisation’s portfolio of people, you can begin to understand the dynamics of your team. Here are some common components of an organisation’s portfolio that you might want to consider, including the five key people types, their job descriptions and potential differences:
- HR: The first point of contact with each candidate and potential employee. HR also determines what people skills are required at each stage of the journey, and focuses on recruitment, management, development and retention.
- Talent: A talented, motivated, forward-thinking and entrepreneurial employee. Talent is also often defined by the skills they have or are looking for, such as the ability to learn new technologies quickly, understand new cultures and navigate new environments.
- Sales & Marketing: For companies in the innovation and technology sectors, they are usually the tech-savvy and marketing-oriented employees. You need to make sure these individuals have a variety of experience across the wide spectrum of sales, marketing and technology, as these are critical to the success of your organisation.
- Finance: These employees are responsible for the budgeting, reporting, capital investment and general financials of an organisation. Most organisations’ finance department employees are role-focused and have a degree in accounting, while the sales and marketing teams often rely on a mix of finance and technology.
- IT: The IT department is typically made up of a mix of business analysts and specialists, often working closely with development or operations teams. Many IT professionals, particularly those working in the technology-focused jobs, are developers and software engineers, and also possess the business skills to be successful in their jobs.
Tackling the challenge head-on
The industry is changing and fast. To stand out from the competition, an employer must offer a modern, innovative and future-proof candidate experience.
Organisations need to address the changing nature of the world, and ensuring they retain and recruit the best talent and develop existing staff. They also need to use technology to their advantage, so they can be proactive and increase engagement with candidates.
Providing a great employee experience is an employer’s responsibility, and their workforce are the agents for change within their organisation.
Getting it right, according to iCIMS, means that the best talent is not only attracted, but retained, as well as energised, educated, engaged and inspired. A strong candidate experience, and a positive work culture, help to attract and retain candidates for longer periods of time.
Even better, these employees help your organisation stay relevant.
And remember, when things change, our candidates do too. And in today’s world, it’s not the degree that matters most, but the experience that counts.
If you’re looking to hire, feel free to drop me a line for a chat to see how we can help.
Alternatively if you’re looking for a new position please take a look at our vacancies page.
