At Glassdoor, we know that a company is only as good as its people — that’s why we’re passionate about helping employers recruit candidates who are the perfect fit for their organisation. And while we carry out this task every day with our products and services, there’s one day a year where we really go all out to help hundreds of employers live and in person: Glassdoor Recruit.
With guests from some of the biggest and most exciting brands in the UK and, of course, internal Glassdoor experts sharing insights and advice, Recruit 2018 was a conference to remember. Wondering what exactly you missed out on? Read on to learn more, or watch the entire event here if you prefer.
Cutting Through the Noise
Whether you’re an employer searching for engaged candidates, or a job seeker searching for your dream role, the blaring noise surrounding the job market can be deafening. Matt Alder, industry expert, author of Exceptional Talent and host of the Recruiting Future podcast, served as the event’s MC and discussed tactics for not just finding the right people, but most importantly, cutting through the noise and convincing quality candidates that you’re better than competitors in one of the tightest labour markets the UK has ever seen.
● Be Real: Alder refers to recruiters and TA professionals as “professional persuaders”, but that doesn’t mean spinning sales pitches that fall flat with candidates because they seem canned or don’t ring true. Or worse, doing a bait and switch on a great new hire, who will only end up leaving your company prematurely because the reality of the job and company culture doesn’t match what was sold to them. The solution? Authenticity - and not trying to hide your company’s imperfections, but rather owning and addressing them, especially when they’re mentioned in a Glassdoor review. Alder says the best way to present this authenticity is through story-telling.
● Engage Candidates Through Stories: We all love a good story, especially those that are relatable and unearth some truth. Alder recommends using the art of storytelling as a powerful recruiting tool to build real emotional connections with candidates. And the best part? You don’t need to go far to find a rich source of inspiration for these tales. By harnessing your employees’ own experiences, you’ll quickly (and inexpensively) build a body of compelling content.
[Related: 5 Strategies for Building Company Culture with Content]
Inside Barclays: Driving Innovation Through Change
Barclays may be one of the oldest banks in the UK (325 years old, in fact), but this banking giant isn’t afraid of embracing change to stay competitive. Here are a couple of key takeaways from Sarah-Jane Walker, Global HR Director of Customer Experience at Barclays, who delivered the keynote speech:
● Dynamic Working: Believe it or not, when Barclays approached Walker more than eight years ago with a hot offer to join one of the UK’s leading banks, she didn’t instantly jump at the chance; it took her three weeks to accept. Walker said it was the possibility of being an autonomous ‘dynamic worker’ that hooked her. This flexible working scheme meant that she could do school runs for her daughter, and also keep up as a keen netballer and dedicated volunteer to the elderly in her community. The assumption is that dynamic working is great just for parents, but Walker noted that it’s also an attractive perk for millennials and people like herself who have outside hobbies and interests. One of Barclay’s key recruiting strategies, dynamic working is embraced by 59 percent of their current employees.
“It shouldn’t matter where you work, it’s about output,” Walker said. The proof is in the pudding: employees at Barclays who work dynamically are the most engaged (79 percent report feeling a strong sense of belonging to the organisation). What’s more, 87 percent of employees working dynamically at Barclays recommend the bank as a good place to work.
● Glassdoor Feedback is a Gift: Since Barclays first decided to build their employer profile on Glassdoor in 2016, their company page has received nearly 6 million job seeker page views. And in the past year alone, they’ve experienced a tremendous 80 percent growth in applications and 51 percent growth in job seeker page views.
The feedback found on Glassdoor has also proved to be an “awesome source of data” Barclays uses to direct their recruiting and retention strategies. “Feedback is definitely a gift,” said Walker, who added that Barclays combines Glassdoor reviews and exit survey results to determine where their organisation needs to focus their recruiting and retention strategies, such as dynamic working and career development initiatives.
“Glassdoor offers free and extremely valuable insights,” Walker said. “If you’re smart, you’ll listen to it.”
[Related: How to Respond to Reviews Template]
Hiring Better: How to Do It
In a lively panel discussion, Glassdoor’s Director of Sales, Lauren Wright, sat down with industry leaders from Auto Trader UK, Hatch Analytics and OnlineMediaExperts to address critical issues facing recruiting today, effective solutions and tips for forging new paths in talent acquisition practices. Here are a few key takeaways:
● Glassdoor Candidates Really Are Quality Candidates: One of the biggest advantages of Glassdoor compared to other job platforms is that candidates spend a lot more time on Glassdoor, becoming truly informed about potential employers and creating golden opportunities for brand exposure, noted Dominic Sumners, Managing Director of OnlineMediaExperts. “Candidates love Glassdoor, but clients (employers) have to catch-up with candidates and realise that Glassdoor is a fantastic tool,” he said.
“It’s worth investing in Glassdoor because people who come through the site are quality hires,” said Jane Fitzmaurice, Employer Brand Manager at Auto Trader UK. Ninety percent of her candidates reference Glassdoor in interviews and therefore already have a really good idea of who Auto Trader UK is – the good and the bad – before they meet in person. “We aren’t perfect and candidates know this already,” said Fitzmaurice, adding that Glassdoor takes a lot of the leg work out of the recruitment process before candidates even arrive at the interview.
● Using Glassdoor to Attract, Hire & Retain the Best: Did you know that Glassdoor sees 5.8 million monthly visits in the UK and the number one reason people come to the site is to search for jobs? And these job seekers are markedly different: they’re well-researched, engaged and apply thoughtfully, making them twice as likely to be hired and more likely to stay. Lia Albers, Senior Customer Success Manager at Glassdoor, described how Glassdoor is a key resource throughout the entire candidate journey, from attraction to hire and retention. She also explained Glassdoor’s array of solutions designed for companies of all sizes and shapes to gain that competitive edge by: 1) increasing brand awareness, 2) targeting the right job seekers and 3) getting jobs in front of informed candidates at scale. After the session talks, Recruit attendees had a chance to visit Glassdoor’s Demo Zone to learn more about the different tools.
[Related: Hiring Candidates on Glassdoor Saves Thousands & Boosts Retention]
● Hiring for Humanity: Finally, the afternoon closed with a dynamic, thought-provoking talk from Monica Parker, founder of Hatch Analytics, who describes herself on LinkedIn as a “speaker, author, behavioural nerd & status quo challenger, inspiring and guiding businesses through change.” Job seekers are like consumers, she noted, with a new level of power and transparency at their fingertips that’s radically changing the way we work, look for jobs and hire.
According to Parker, job seekers are looking for the following four elements when searching for that perfect job that will get them out of bed in the morning:
Community: More than ever before, people are looking for a sense of community and connection in the workplace, and they want to read evidence of this in Glassdoor reviews. In fact, 89 percent of employees report that their relationships with colleagues are the primary contributors to engagement at work.
Control: Employers have to be willing to give up control, and trust employees to work dynamically. People want to feel a sense of control over their day to day lives, have flexibility and autonomy, Parker noted. And it’s a win-win for employees and employers. Companies that gave their teams greater autonomy grew four times faster than those that did not, according to a groundbreaking study by Cornell University.
Cause: Try to get to know your candidates and employees on a human level, and what causes inspire or drive them, said Parker. Tap into that and it’s what will keep them engaged and around longer.
Curiosity: Be on the search for the curious candidate, said Parker, noting that people who are curious are scientifically proven to learn faster.
The Bottom Line
With world-class speakers and unparalleled insights, Glassdoor Recruit is the can’t-miss talent acquisition event of the year. Receive the recordings from this year, and make sure to sign up when we announce next year’s event!