Today's new recruits are smarter. More Gen X'ers have 4-year degrees than any preceding generation. They're tech- and info-savvy. They shop the market to learn how salary, benies, and career opportunities shape up against your offer. Resources like www.salary.com clearly spell out the "going rate" for the position you're offering.
Simply put, your tired old lure may not be enough to set the hook in today's shark infested waters. How do you frame a job offer that is greeted with an enthusiastic "YES!"?
ASK QUESTIONS
Start by learning about the recruit. What matters to them? A former client used to incentivize all their sales staff with cash bonuses. Cash is nice, but as the sales force matured and started families, benefits like quality health insurance and time off to spend with children became more important.
To find out what matters to recruits, ask open-ended questions like:
What can I do to make you LOVE coming to work every day?
Why are you interested in our organization?
If you could design the ultimate incentive program for yourself, what would you include? Why?
What volunteer activities or charities are you involved with and why?
If we could design an ideal position for you here, what would it look like? What kinds of projects would you be involved in? What kinds of work atmosphere would it be?
If you were to put together a highlight film of your career, what footage would you use? What made those projects/teams/experiences highlights for you?
LISTEN FOR THE ANSWERS
The answers to these questions will show you the recruit's individual values and preferences. Not every IT candidate values working in a basement, living solely on a diet of Doritos and Mountain Dew.
A quality Q&A session will help you excavate a candidate's career and lifestyle motivators. This information is used to create a personalized, kick-butt value proposition. (If you're still following the fishing analogy, a value proposition is tasty, customized bait.)
DESIGN A VALUE PROPOSITION THAT MEETS THEIR STATED NEEDS
Emilio is a CPA who graduated at the top of his class. For the past two years, he has held a junior position at a Big 6 firm. He's well liked and consistently produces excellent work. But the environment frustrates him. Emilio is one of over 19 million young employees who will change jobs this year.
After deliberating between three offers - one from an upstart accounting firm, another from a non-profit organization, and a counter-offer from his current employer - what did Emilio do?
"In the end, I took a salary cut as a trade-off for the opportunities to run a one-person accounting department for an organization that helps families in need."
In his interview with the non-profit organization, Emilio was asked why he was interested in the job. Emilio shared a story about how an organization similar to theirs helped his family after his parents divorced and his mom became disabled.
"Without their help," Emilio explained, "I probably would have started working after high school to support my Mom and two brothers. With their help, I didn't have to do that, and I went to college instead."
When the non-profit organization extended their job offer – including the modest salary – they reminded Emilio of the lasting and positive impact he could make on other young men and women like him. "That sealed the deal for me," Emilio said, "I can always make more money, but at this stage in my life, I don't have a family to support, so I can afford to live on less in exchange for making a positive impact in the lives of others."
Well said, Emilio! (By the way, "Pay" is listed 5th in a list of reasons young talent accept job offers.)
USING VALUE PROPOSITIONS AT YOUR ORG
Linda Pettinger of People3, an IT consultancy, suggests designing value propositions for three demographics of candidates: 1-Twentysomethings and new hires; 2-Midcareerists; 3-High Skill sets. Twentysomething may be motivated by free laptops, but not 401K plans. Midcareerists may value job security and good benefits.
However you slice your demographic pie, it's critical that you have your org's value propositions worked out in advance of making an offer. In Emilio's case, the non-profit organization clearly understood the value of working for a non-profit organization and leveraged that information in creating a job offer that Emilio accepted.
It's all very simple: Find out what the candidate wants, include it in your job offer, and then present it to them.
What are you doing to attract and keep the next generation?
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