Over the past couple of years, there’s been an outcry for talent not only within the property industry but across sectors in the UK. A mass of people leaving the workforce following the pandemic, a mental shift in work ideals, and a demand for a more flexible way of working are all some of the reasons why a talent shortage is happening.

In conversations with our clients, there has been a shift in dialogue to focus on what they can do better to attract the talent they need. This win-win situation has enabled them to make long-lasting placements and elevate their business. In keeping with making things easy, we’ve listed below 7 ways your company can make your next hire, the best hire:

1) Be proactive and move quickly, especially when it comes to hiring new talent. If there are too many hoops to jump through such as a drawn out interview process or too many recruitment stages, then you are at risk of talented employees being poached by your competitors who have a faster, more proactive recruitment strategy. We always recommend having a clear interview process in place before promoting your new role to ensure everyone is on the same page and knows what to expect.

2) Be clear about your expectations from new hires and current team members. Carry the job advert into the role and make sure everyone in the team knows who the expert is for each task. Done right, and this will allow everyone to see how each role is important in ensuring the success of the business as well as providing clear stepping-stones for ambitious hires who are looking for promotion.

3) Show off your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) – of course, potential new hires want to see what benefits you offer but they also want to read about your company values, how you speak about your employees, and get an insight into how they would be treated if they were to join. If you don’t have an EVP already, we thoroughly recommend spending time putting one together.

4) Engage with your current team to find out what they want – make any changes you can to accommodate that and then trust in your team to be your biggest advocates. We all know word of mouth is the greatest marketing initiative out there and that happy employees are the best marketing you can get.

5) Be flexible where you can. Work flexibility to ensure a healthier work/life balance isn’t going away anytime soon and truthfully that’s a good thing. Employees want to know from the get-go how flexible working with you is going to be to ensure your priorities and values match theirs. This isn’t an argument for or against remote/hybrid or office working but instead an approach that showcases you are an employer that works with your team promoting a level of trust and good-will in return for a job well done.

6) Be clear about the role, particularly when it comes to discussing pay, workload, and responsibilities. New hires leave quickly when they realise they’ve been mis-sold a role during the interview process. Being clear about what you’re offering and what you expect in return is critical.

7) Match your branding to your culture– people can spot disingenuous advertising a mile away. If what you’re putting out into the world isn’t what you’re saying behind closed doors or in interviews then quite rightly people will feel blind-sided. Your branding and company culture should come across in everything you do, to ensure everyone including current and new hires as well as customers know exactly who they are working with.

All of these points can be concentrated into your EVP which will enable you to demonstrate exactly what you’re about and the type of person you’re looking to hire. If you don’t have one already, take a look at our blog to see how to write one or speak to one of our team for more information.