You want to hire top talent, but you can’t offer job seekers top dollar.
Are your chances hopeless?
Not at all!
Many small dog companies are experiencing hiring pains around pay.
-Employers may feel that applicants don’t deserve the pay they’re asking for based on their experience.
-Or they simply can’t afford it regardless of experience and are therefore losing top talent to big dog companies.
Here’s my advice…
As a small dog company, you need to focus on marketing your non-pay-related benefits to your job seekers instead of trying to play the “pay game” against big dog companies that will always win.
The important thing to remember is that not all job seekers all the same, therefore they aren’t all looking for the same thing.
Sure, some job seekers’ main priority is to find the highest paying job they can, but other job seekers prioritize non-monetary benefits such as schedule flexibility, work culture, or career growth.
Today I want to talk specifically about career growth and how focusing on it in your job ads can help you beat out big dog companies for talent, without increasing your initial pay rate.
The solution is not to hire less qualified candidates who will accept lower pay.
You don’t want to settle for a candidate that isn’t going to add value to your team, because if they aren’t adding value, then they are costing you.
So how do you attract highly qualified candidates to take your lower-paying jobs?
You need to create a marketing pitch in your job ads that outlines your non-monetary benefits to incentivize top talent to take your job over a higher-paying one.
Here are some points that your job ad should include…
-A Clear Career Path.
What jobs could they move up to? When could they expect to move up to them? What do they need to do to become qualified?
Explain to them how taking this lower-paying initial job is a first step towards advancing in your industry.
-Educational Growth.
Do you offer paid learning and training within your industry?
In the end, this is a win-win for the employee and the employer. Employees get to grow within the industry and employers help cultivate more qualified employees.
-Perks and Benefits.
Do you offer full benefits? Can the position work flexible hours/days? Can they start accruing PTO on day one?
80% of employees value perks and benefits over the highest paying salary.
Remember, the goal is to create an environment that is appealing to attract and retain high-quality employees.
If you can’t offer the highest initial pay, you need to get creative and market your other benefits to compete with Big Dog Companies.
If you have any questions about how to update your job ads to attract top talent without increasing your initial pay rate, feel free to reach out.
We’d love to help you start reaching your hiring goals!
Employers, if you have been failing to hire and keep experienced employees, an apprenticeship might just be your magic hiring (and retention) solution!
Still struggling with low applicant flow no matter how you change your job ad? It may be time to shift your focus towards improving your company culture.