UK-wide employment has been disrupted post-Covid. But not in the way you might think. A movement has emerged that’s taken employers and the economy quite by surprise. It has been coined The Great Resignation.
Call it foolhardy or enlightening but since mid-2021, people have been reconsidering their roles in record numbers. Perhaps the pandemic has realigned priorities, fundamentally altering what matters in employer-employee relationships. Many now feel encouraged to take a shot at a career they’ve long pined for, decided to get serious about work-life balance, or seek out opportunities where causes they’re passionate about are part of the job.
But herein lies a challenge. Employers, especially those in the transport sector whose operations were affected by lockdowns, are keen to recover and press on with transformation. This calls for retaining and attracting the very best talent. However, The Great Resignation has made pinning down talent far harder.
The Largest Recruitment Drive in Eight Years
Many in the transport sector put large-scale recruitment on hiatus. However, change is upon us. According to The Guardian, 80% of businesses are planning to recruit in the coming 12 months – and the transport sector will be a big contributor.
Moreover, in a recent survey of 22,700 employers by a multinational recruitment company, more than three quarters experienced skills shortage in 2021. Nearly half said that this shortfall had a negative effect on productivity. 37% said that it affected morale. What’s the result of this? The largest recruitment drive in eight years.
These black-and-white statistics make for a complicated reality. They show that more than ever, if our people aren’t feeling engaged and valued, it becomes harder to be effective. Transport professionals, who know that continuity, personal resilience, and innovation are fundamental to performance, should be especially mindful of this.
Now, to address these challenges it can be tempting for businesses to go on a recruitment spree, filling and creating positions rapidly. Whereas there’s nothing inherently wrong with getting talent through the doors, this approach may not align with commercial objectives.
As any shrewd business will tell you, strategic recruitment is driven by a skills and culture fit. Especially for senior leadership and c-suite talent. It’s about understanding short and long term value, and ultimately aligning ways of thinking, working and being with the best interests of your organisation. One of the best ways to achieve this is through your EVP.
What is an EVP and why is it important?
Your EVP – employer value proposition – is essentially the give-get value exchange between an employer and its talent. A well-rounded EVP can sharpen your identity, strengthen your brand and be a catalyst to attracting perfect-fit talent to drive your business forward.
- Your EVP is connected to more successful onboarding
Candidates are now gravitating toward employers that openly share their values, have inclusive cultures, and reward in meaningful ways. And we know that when there’s a strong skills and culture alignment between employer and employee, the latter will be more effective in their role.
This is essential for personal productivity – those who feel they’re a good culture fit with their organisation are 36% more productive – which of course comes with big commercial gains. From our experience as transport talent consultants, we also find that new placements deliver results far faster upon joining an organisation they really gel with.
Therefore, putting your EVP at the heart of recruitment strategy sets you up for both short and long term benefit from the get-go.
- Attracting the very best talent centres on your EVP
You’re also more likely to attract that fantastic talent in the first instance. In an extremely competitive recruitment landscape that goes beyond brand prestige, an EVP could be the deciding factor. This harks back to those priority realignments we discussed earlier.
Working life has changed dramatically in the last few years. But in all honesty, a larger emphasis on attractive company culture was trending pre-pandemic. Not only that, having an EVP that aligns with commercial goals and future plans, with an emphasis on social responsibility, directly influences high calibre candidates.
Senior leaders aren’t so much concerned with ticking a box and taking a salary. They really want to make a difference that they’re recognised for and be part of change that they enjoy implementing. The culture and value-exchange shown by your EVP will be the litmus test.
- An EVP could make your recruitment investment stretch further
Having an EVP can potentially reduce recruitment expenses, which when searching for senior talent inevitability comes at a cost. There’s no question that the commissions paid for the perfect person are worthwhile, however, also expend significant budget on speaking to talent that although excellent, just isn’t right for your particular opportunity.
Just think about recruiting for transport’s key strategic areas. Sustainability, commercial skills, and digital transformation are just three priorities that spring to mind. That’s a lot of candidates!Two steps can be taken to streamline the process. First, putting your EVP front and centre to “qualify out” candidates. LinkedIn found that today, those looking for new opportunities think carefully about how prospective employment will affect their wider wellbeing. Your EVP paints this picture, allowing both parties to be transparent early on.
And secondly, partnering with a talent consultancy like Intuitive who have an immersive sector and organisational knowledge, and a dedication to diversity and inclusion. Through experience, intuition and meaningful candidate relationships, we can recommend shortlists with precise skills and culture matches. This is in addition to connecting you with a diverse talent network, helping you to develop a more inclusive workforce that supports strategic policies and fresh, innovative thinking.
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