In the 7 Phases of Engagement, I proposed that each phase ties directly to the employee lifecycle and has the potential to impact the success of a company in terms of its ability to engage employees.
Today, we’ll look at the first phase of engagement: Pre-hire.
When people consider working for a company, they base that decision on preconceived notions of whether or not the company would be able to meet their needs. In what ways can companies position themselves to be top of mind? Let’s consider how people come to learn about a company.
There is a wealth of readily available information for most companies. A company’s reputation precedes it and that reputation will impact who will or will not consider it as a potential employer. The company’s mission/purpose, marketing efforts, social media presence, and employee word of mouth are some factors to consider.
Strong mission/purpose
Does your company have a strong mission/purpose? Ask a few people in your company and you’ll quickly learn if you do. People want to do work that is meaningful and are drawn to companies that enhance the lives of their customers, contribute to their communities, and impact the world in a positive manner. A company’s mission/purpose can be a differentiator that competitors cannot replicate.
Marketing
Marketing is the area most likely to affect a potential employee’s opinions of a company. For the most part, people approach companies from a customer standpoint first. As customers or potential customers, their interaction with the company website, experience with customer service, and reactions to advertising (radio, TV, print, etc.) form an impression of the company.
Social media
Social Media is increasing the transparency of companies. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. can be a gateway for companies to connect with customers and future potential employees.
Word of Mouth
While companies may be able to influence or control the factors mentioned above, employee word of mouth can enhance or negate them. If you remember from previous posts, 70% of all employees are either “Not Engaged” or “Actively Disengaged;” only 30% are “Engaged.” What employees share with their friends, family, and complete strangers can directly impact the ability of your company to attract and retain customers and/or potential future employees. A focus on better engaging your current employees can offer huge dividends in terms of enhancing your company’s reputation and has the added benefit of helping to increase the productivity and discretionary effort of current employees.
In the Pre-hire phase, there is an opportunity to engage future potential employees. Companies need to set the stage to encourage qualified candidates to want to work with them.
What are your thoughts on Pre-hire engagement? In what ways does your company actively engage future potential employees?
Next, we’ll look at how the Hiring Process Phase impacts engagement.
P.S. First time here? Welcome to the Agent In Engagement site. Thanks for taking the time to stop by! I hope you’ll explore the rest of the site. Let me know what employee engagement topics interest you.
If you enjoyed this article, you may also like…
- 7 Phases of Engagement
- Take the Day On – March Forth!
- Engaging Through The Infographic
- Just Say Hello!
- Naches and Employee Engagement
- Employees Are Might – Amazon meets Harry Potter
- Start with Why – Book Review
Let’s Get Engaged!
I’m Agent in Engagement Simpson…Gregory F Simpson.
I’m excited about this opportunity to connect with fellow “Agents.” Subscribe to the RSS Feed to receive the latest updates and/or register to comment on posts.
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Learn more about me at www.gregoryfsimpson.com.
