How to Staff Your Business
The Chino Valley Chamber conducted a panel at their weekly Business @ Breakfast meeting. The topic was Employee Recruitment and Retention. The panel shared their best practices on employee recruitment and retention!
Speakers were:
- Renay S. Mehta – CVCC Workforce Development Director
- Manuel Zavala – Founder, Student Hires
- Rhonda Brogdon – Owner, Servpro Chino/ Chino Hills
- D’andre Lampkin – CEO, Care Staffing Professionals
Panelists suggested using all the recruiting tools available.
Manuel Zavala asked if attendees were familiar with Handshake. Handshake is a tool that connects college students with employers. He also pointed out that it is essential to capture your applicant data through your website.
His company, Student Hires, emphasizes the company culture and training. It’s also fully automated.
They also hold regular growth meetings for all employees on an individual basis. They try to keep work and personal life in balance.
D’Andre Lampkin, the CEO of Care Staffing Professionals, suggested paying close attention to the resumes to ensure they match your job descriptions. You may have to adjust your job description to ensure it is accurate and corresponds to your needs. He also suggested employers use their websites to tune their sites to appeal to job respondents.
One of his key points was to remember that your employee’s problems are yours. If you want to retain employees, you have to have clear policies and make sure communications are open. They have an employee assistance program available to employees’ families.
Their goal is to help employees perform at their highest level through training and remediation. They even help with employee tuition costs.
Rhonda Brogdon, the owner of Servpro, asks employees what their career paths or goals include. They measure aptitude and offer an online training program called Servpro University to help employees achieve those goals. They even allow employees to change roles if they feel better suited to a different position.
She also addresses burnout by recognizing employees during difficult work times. They also help them to be noticed when they get good reviews. She said that people need some time to decompress and spend time with their families.
Renay Mehta, the Chino Valley Chamber Workforce Development Director, explained how the chamber helps newer employers recruit and even pay for the initial costs of hiring.
She highlighted actual chamber members’ examples who have utilized and benefitted from the program.
Below is some staffing advice:
Breaking through from zero employees to ten employees in recruitment can be a challenging task, but it is certainly achievable with careful planning and execution.
Determine your business needs: Before you begin hiring, it’s essential to identify the roles and positions that need to be filled to achieve your business goals. Determine the skills and qualifications required for each role and prioritize them based on their importance.
Build a strong employer brand: Create a compelling employer brand that attracts top talent. This includes developing a solid company culture, offering competitive salaries and benefits, and providing opportunities for growth and development.
Leverage your network: Reach out to your personal and professional networks and let them know you are looking for candidates. Ask for referrals and recommendations, which can be an effective way to find qualified candidates.
Post job listings: Post job listings on relevant job boards and social media platforms to attract a wider pool of candidates. Be sure to include a clear job description, responsibilities, and qualifications.
Use recruiting tools: Consider recruiting tools such as applicant tracking systems (ATS) and video interviewing platforms to help streamline the hiring process and evaluate candidates more effectively.
Conduct thorough interviews: Conduct thorough interviews to assess candidates’ skills, experience, and fit with your company culture. Consider using behavioral interview questions focusing on past experiences to predict future behavior better.
Make competitive offers: Make competitive offers that reflect the market rates for each position. Be prepared to negotiate with candidates to ensure that you can secure the best talent for your team.
By following these steps, you can increase your chances of breaking through from zero to ten employees and building a successful recruitment team.
The chamber does Business @ Breakfast each Wednesday morning at 7:45 and offers business advice and networking. The events are held at the Chino Hills Community Center (14250 Peyton Dr, Chino Hills, CA 91709).