Best Places to Work in Maine

13 B E S T P L A C E S TO W O R K 2 0 1 8 SMALL COMPANIES [ 15 - 49 employees ] Standin th Ts of m " Bs Paces to Wr i Maine" How to: Attract talent in a red-hot economy As CEO of a firm that specializes in recruiting and out- sourced human resource services, one of the most frequent questions I hear is how to attract top-quality talent in a tight labor market. The answer is simple: before making the pitch for why a candidate should consider our client's company, we ask already-employed professionals what they value most in their job and what's lacking. We then look for ways our clients can demonstrate to candidates how their company meets their criteria. Once a candidate is interested, we work with employers to make sure that they are ready to quickly respond to questions and make a decision, because top candidates will not wait. If you want to attract strong candidates, you had better look like it. Put yourself in a candidate's shoes Being ready to attract top talent does not always mean what employers think. Ask yourself, are you just "talking the talk" or are you demonstrating what your company has to offer? • What's your value proposition? Simply claiming that "we have a better culture" or better benefits isn't enough. These claims need to be backed up by evidence on your website, in the news, and in online reviews where can- didates can find it. • How easy is your application process? Perform an audit of what's out there about your company and your application process to experience what you're asking candidates to do. Is your site mobile-friendly? Can someone apply in five minutes or less? • How quickly are you responding? Top-quality candidates expect the per- sonal touch. Even a simple personalized email confirmation from a recruiter can go a long way over the automated reply message. • Is your company embracing technology and, if so, are you dem- onstrating it? I recently interviewed a savvy manager in her 30s for a mid-level managerial role. She made it clear she only wanted to work for a company that was on the cutting edge with technology. This is increasingly becoming the norm. If your company is not keeping up with technology, you may struggle to attract top talent, especially younger candidates. Compensation is key Compensation expectations are among the key concerns for employers, especially nonprofits and small business. Employers need to find the balance between costs and competitive salaries to retain and attract top talent. Many employers are already making changes to ensure that equal pay for equal work is mandatory. Some states are even taking legislative action around employee compensation. The best way to do this is to develop a competitive compensation and salary administration program. In my experience, the most effective programs: 1. Evaluate fairness, competitiveness and effectiveness of your pay programs, including surveying employees on reward program effectiveness. 2. Conduct job evaluation and job analyses and make sure the job description is up-to-date. 3. Study internal equity analyses, including adverse impact analysis by race and gender for each job family. This should include an external equity market examination. 4. Develop flexible and effective salary management programs that ensure ex- ternal completeness and internal equity. (Be aware of expected 2019 "federal exempt" change that may be coming.) 5. Include base pay plans with pay grade and range structures. 6. Provide market reference guides. 7. Incorporate evidence supporting your base and total compensation offer so you can justify your pay practices. Recruiting in a red-hot economy is hard work. Employers need to have a realistic view of what candidates want, how candidates see them in the market- place and how candidates are interpreting their value proposition. To achieve the best outcome, consider seeking professional outsourced HR consultants and executive recruiting services. David Ciullo is CEO of Career Management Associates/Dale Carnegie Maine and talk show host of "HR Power Hour." He can be reached at dciullo@cmacareer.com By David Ciullo, CEO of Career Management Associates

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