When looking for new staff, how can you communicate that your work place is great? Peter Wilson, the Chairman and National President of the Australian Human Resources Institute, opens in new window, shares tips for marketing your business to potential employees.

Workplace flexibility

Allow flexible work practices to strengthen employee engagement and get the best output from your team. Younger workers will often put in ‘performance hours’ rather than ‘office hours’ to achieve a work-life balance. Also, parents may favour workplaces that allow them to work at home in the evening in return for leaving early to do the school run. Enabling employees to work on their own terms is a way to boost productivity at work, build company loyalty and decrease staff turnover.

Connectivity

Communication in the business world is vital, so invest in technology to ensure your team remains contactable when working outside the office.

Web marketing

Good website design and engaging online content are essential. Consider whether your website is effective: are potential candidates able to easily navigate the site and find the information they need?

How do you communicate with your employees? Social media, such as a business blog, can be an effective channel. “But you have to be open to this being a two-way street, to hear things that might be uncomfortable and then to act on them,” Wilson says.

Building a brand

Consider how to market a business to employees as well as customers. Communicate your community involvement and environmental awareness. Employees want to see that their workplace is trying to reduce its environmental impact and is involved in the local community. This helps them feel good about their company and brings the benefits of employee engagement such as commitment and motivation to deliver the best work.

Use experience

Offer older workers the opportunity to mentor younger staff. This enables skills to be passed on, is generally welcomed by young people looking for guidance, and helps keep long-service staff engaged. With an ageing population, businesses will benefit from retaining the skills and experience of older workers. In return businesses can offer older staff job sharing and a shorter working week.

While many businesses already have these measures in place, actively communicating these benefits to prospective employees can become part of any company’s brand strategy.

Investing in your team and becoming known as a great place to work will help attract and retain the best employees. This, in turn, should boost productivity, enable a better customer experience, and deliver business growth.

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Important information

 The information contained in this article is correct as of July 2018 and is intended to be of a general nature only. It has been prepared without taking into account any person’s objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this information, NAB recommends that you consider whether it is appropriate for your circumstances. NAB recommends that you seek independent legal, financial, and taxation advice before acting on any information in this article.