Recently, Fortune released its list of best places to work. What these companies do that makes them magnets for employees should be of interest to every employer. To start with, here is a sampling of companies that made the list and why:
Google ranked in first place, in part for its corporate social responsibility initiatives and its policy of giving all employees company stock. SAS, a software developer, made the list for its on-site health center for staff and their families. Genentech, a medical company, helps motivate employees by way of demonstrating to them how their work can save real people. Other companies were recognized for their incentives and employee recognition programs, or for their practice of supporting employee health and fitness through various wellness initiatives, according to Business Insider.
Fast Company went deeper into the results, pulling out the overall traits that the best companies to work tended to share. Your company – no matter what you do or where you are located – likely shares some characteristics with the best places to work. Here are a few things to highlight in your free job postings:
1. Let Applicants Know they Can Advance with You
China Gorman, the CEO of Great Place to Work, the company that created the list Fortune released, told Fast Company, “One of the most staggering statistics we found is that the 100 best companies offer nearly double the hours of on-the-job training to full-time, salaried employees as companies not on the list.”
This indicates workers are extremely interested in chances to advance their careers at a single company, rather than engaging in the job-hopping behavior often ascribed to the modern workforce. If you can show applicants they can learn more about their chosen disciplines and advance through the ranks, they may be more likely to take a serious interest in the position on offer.
On-the-job training may not be the only way to demonstrate opportunities for advancement. Consider whether your company also offers career counseling, mentoring programs, affinity groups or anything else along these lines.
Fast Company and Gorman also noted the top companies to work for all put considerable thought into succession planning. This is of course another component in a focus on advancement opportunities.
“What is brilliant about it is how it integrates with their career development program,” Gorman said of Bright Horizons, a daycare and kindergarten that ranked highly on the list. “Every employee throughout the organization is assigned [a] rating and plotted on a grid tracking their readiness for promotion.”
While it’s not at all necessary to outline the succession planning protocol of your company in a free job posting, it’s a good idea to note that there are real avenues an employee can take to rise up in the ranks at your company.
2. Showcase Your Values
Each of the companies on the list also had a strong tradition of integrating its values into nearly all of its operations. Everything from recruitment to marketing is an opportunity to demonstrate company values. Employees find this an important element of job satisfaction, whether or not it’s the first thing you’d think to mention in a free job ad.
Any elements of corporate social responsibility or mission-directed policies should be something a job post highlights. No matter how you demonstrate your commitment to various tenets of your mission, you should try to show these initiatives in a job ad.
Even something that seems as commonplace to you as seeking referrals from employees on a regular basis for open positions can show applicants your company’s values. A commitment to promotion from within and valuing the input of existing employees on new hires is part of a business’ values in action, and it can be showed to its best advantage in that context.
It may be a good idea to review your company’s mission statement and put some thought into what each element of it really looks like in practice. From companywide volunteer days to healthier options in the office kitchen, many things can show how important a company’s mission is and applicants are very likely to be interested in them.
3. Allow Corporate Culture to Shine Through
A free job ad should give applicants some insight into how a company’s culture operates on a daily basis. A challenging position and reasonable compensation are very important for applicants, but the environment in which they’ll work every day is for most people the deciding factor in which job they accept.
Again, company culture can be so constant at a workplace that it doesn’t occur to anyone to really highlight it in a job ad. However, a bit of thought and some descriptive ability can bring a job posting to life and show applicants what really sets a company apart.
A good way to start conveying culture is to ask a wide selection of employees how they experience their working life and attempt to write those aspects into the job ad. Companies may also wish to use video interviews or employee blog posts to supplement a candidate’s look into working life there.
