Talent in the time of COVID-19

Being great to you employees is not just about ‘doing the right thing’ right now.  It’s about what happens when things turn around.  Think about it.  If good people are treated badly they may not leave their employer today as there are sector wide hiring freezes on at the moment.  But as soon as these sectors pick up, they’ll have their CVs out there in a flash, knowing that because they’re good, they’ll find a better employer with relative ease.  And, if they see your employees talking about all the good stuff you’re doing to help them through this, whether on LinkedIn or Glassdoor, they’ll prioritise you.

There is likely to be tremendous churn in all industries.  The actions you take now will determine whether your employees advocate for you as an employer, and whether you’re a beneficiary from this churn or not.  And there is nothing better than authentic advocacy from you current employees to help talent shortlist your business over your competitors as a place to apply for a job. Even better, if you get all your talent attraction ducks in a row now - LinkedIn, Glassdoor, campaigns, referral programmes, etc - you’ll be a magnet for all that fabulous top talent that comes onto the market.

And why am I writing about this?  Brands create value by driving choice…and not just choice among prospects or customers. Employees choose to stay. New talent chooses to apply. The best businesses need the best people, and so they orientate their brands to attract them.  More and more of the work I am doing has an employee/talent/culture dimension to it, as my clients realise that it’s easier to win in the market if you attract the best people first.