Yesterday’s Advisor featured BLR® Legal Editor Jasmin Rojas’ take on Zappos’ new approach to recruiting—all on social media with no postings. In this issue, more of her thoughts about how you may learn from their initiative.
 |
In the past year, Zappos received about 31,000 applications and only hired about 1.5 percent of the applicants. This prevented the company’s small recruiting team from “working in a purposeful way,” according to Bailen. Thus, the onus here will really be on the candidate to make himself or herself stand out from the crowd in a much less impersonal setting.
A New Way to Think About Recruiting
Zappos is not alone in its attempt to really think out of the box and take novel approaches to its recruiting strategy. Recently, Amazon announced that it would pay workers who were not happy with the company money to quit. The thinking is that the company really doesn’t want disgruntled workers around, so the “Pay to Quit” program is well worth the money. It doesn’t completely solve the problem of unhappy workers but, at the very least, the gesture invokes some loyalty among the workers.
Further, as social media facilitates communication, companies such as General Motors keep in touch with candidates who have been runners-up for job openings. The company wants these applicants to know that they really made an impression. These “Silver Medalists” (as the company calls them) are invited to join networks such as LinkedIn and Facebook, where they stay in touch with recruiters. They receive updates about potential job openings and, apparently, do get hired from the “Silver Medalists” pool.
For Zappos, the question is whether the company will really retain the attention of potential job hires over an extended period of time. Potential candidates may be initially extremely motivated to impress the company, but without any results, they may choose to focus their energy elsewhere. However, for now, aside from hiring more recruiters, given Zappos’ current popularity, the risk may very well be worth it for the company.
The second HR Playbook from BLR® is here! Enter code HRMAY for 15% off both the print and download versions of the new guide, Employee Retention and Satisfaction: How to Attract, Retain, and Engage the Best Talent at Your Organization.
What Does This Mean for You?
Your company may not be in a position to totally do away with job postings, but Zappos’ new approach may inspire you to take a look at your own hiring strategy. Of course, you can always hire new staff, but is there a way to better engage quality candidates? You may want to ask your staff about any potential ideas. You may also want to look at your online presence.
- Does your company look like a place where people want to spend a great deal of their waking hours?
- Does it reflect your company culture? Of course, employee referrals are some of the best referral sources.
- Do you actually take time to follow through on these potential recruits?
Investing some time in thinking about possible improvements could pay large dividends in the future.
Regardless of the strategy, the related challenges of retention and turnover are always on every HR manager’s front burner. Turnover is your organization’s most debilitating disease. Retention—of the people you want to retain—is the backbone of your organization’s success. Gain an advantage with the new guide, Employee Retention and Satisfaction: How to Attract, Retain, and Engage the Best Talent at Your Organization. For a limited time, enter code HRMAY to receive 15% off the print or download versions!
This second HR Playbook from BLR explores the many facets of retention and engagement, giving practical guidance, new approaches, and proven methods for achieving excellence in these challenging times.
Once you have top talent, be sure to retain them! It’s all in the new HR Playbook, Employee Retention and Satisfaction: How to Attract, Retain, and Engage the Best Talent at Your Organization. Save 15% on both print and download versions when you enter code HRMAY at checkout.
Learn about the following crucial issues regarding retention and employee satisfaction:
- The high cost of undesirable turnover
- Recruiting and hiring for the long haul
- Management’s role in retention
- The value of strong mentoring
- Perks that employees truly value
- And much more!
When do you start thinking about retention? On day one. Start strategizing today with Employee Retention and Satisfaction: How to Attract, Retain, and Engage the Best Talent at Your Organization.
Click here to learn more or order your copy today!