As employers overcorrect their pandemic-era hiring sprees and the pace of new hiring slows, it may feel like organizations once again have the upper hand when recruiting. Yet they should still be careful to not ostracize potential talent with bad policies and practices.
Whether expressing their views on political matters, or demanding employees return to the office with no formal plan in place, employees are still sensitive toward employers who don’t have their best interests in mind. For example, while more than half of employees have discussed politics in the workplace, according to Glassdoor, they don’t want their employers to follow their lead. Less than half of workers believe organizations should voice their opinions on political and social matters, and one-third would not apply for a job at an organization if the CEO publicly supported a political candidate they don’t agree with.
To avoid potential clashes, employers should outline their company values in job postings and on their website. This is the place to communicate their stance on relevant issues, and will provide a framework for when and if they should wade into these issues at a corporate level.
Read more about when it’s appropriate to take a corporate stance on political issues in today’s climate: Should employers weigh in on politics? What Gen Z and baby boomers think
For some employers, they’ll never know what they did to potentially offend a candidate, as increasingly, job seekers are ghosting employers after the interview process. One-third of workers have avoided responding to a potential employer because of a poor interview experience that didn’t match their expectation, or due to discriminatory questions about their age, race or gender, according to software platform Greenhouse.
“This signals a good opportunity for companies to invest in creating interview processes that feel streamlined, equitable and transparent,” says Ariana Moon, head of talent planning and acquisition at Greenhouse. “If you can keep a very open line of communication with a candidate, you can do a lot to mitigate some of these negative experiences.”
Read on for tips on overhauling your interview process so employees don’t disappear for good: Job candidates are still ghosting employers — and the interview process is to blame
For many prospective employees, family-friendly perks are critical to keeping them in the workforce, and a major red flag if these policies are lacking. Increasingly, small businesses are leading the way in benefits that support working parents, be it maternity and paternity leave, as well as child care coverage, according to data from The Best Place for Working Parents, a public policy office.
“We’re overcoming this idea that family-friendly is only for big business,” says Sadie Funk, national director at The Best Place for Working Parents. “A critical way where small businesses can really get ahead of the curve is in offering better benefits, because then they have a silver bullet when it comes to not only retaining their top talent, but attracting top talent as well.”
Read about small businesses’ efforts to support families: How small businesses are leading the way in support for working parents
If you do hire a new employee, make sure the office culture they’re joining is intentional, especially amid contentious conversations around return-to-work mandates. There are some standard steps managers can take that will make the process easier for organizations to implement — and easier for employees to accept.
“Some people believe we can just return to business as usual, and other folks are just unwilling to do that,” says Shamis Pitts, founder of Pitts Leadership Consulting. “I’m working with clients to think and talk through what they’ve tried, what they’re thinking of trying and what gaps or assumptions they might be making. It’s a coaching-type conversation that helps them open up some ‘aha’ moments about actions they can take.”
Read on for Pitts’ suggestions for establishing a plan that works for everyone: 5 steps to crafting a return to office plan employees won’t hate
