with a new employer and the level of
support they are likely to receive on-the-job. As with politicians, however,
the deciding factor is often what their
family members think and what they
think it will do to their family members.
To be successful, therefore, recruiters
should take both of those concerns into
account.
Top talent is consistently being courted by one
employer or another. And while there are always many
factors involved in their career decisions, among the most
important is input from family.
Inclusive Recruiting
Since candidate decisions can often
be a family matter, a company stands to
improve its odds of success if it informs
or targets the entire family. In addition,
that dual approach also is a demonstration of respect for the family.
Of course, the advantage disappears if
the messaging isn’t true. In an era when
workers often monitor and comment on
employer pronouncements, a recruitment
marketing campaign that exaggerates
an organization’s family-friendly values
or programs can backfire with devastating results. So, the first step in talking to
and about families is to make sure there’s
something worth discussing.
Admittedly, that can be a challenge
given current budgetary constraints. For
many employers, there may simply not
be the financial wherewithal to offer a
robust program of family support. In
such cases, recruiters should focus on
a different but no less important factor
in shaping a family’s outlook. More
than anything else, families want their
working members to be happy on the
job. In addition to making that case to
prospective hires, therefore, recruiters
would benefit from telling the family
why the work their loved one will do is
important and how doing it will chal-
lenge and fulfill them.
5. Provide additional family-related
information to spouses during the
interval between an offer’s acceptance and a new hire’s first day of
work. Especially since top talent will
often have to give notice and are thus
vulnerable to counteroffers,
One More Perspective
Top talent is consistently being
courted by one employer or another.
And while there are always many factors
involved in their career decisions,
among the most important is input
from family.
They will carefully consider both the
opinion of their family and their own
perceptions of how a job change will
affect their spouse and children—as well
as their elderly parents for whom more
adults these days are providing care.
The most successful recruiters, therefore, mount an aggressive campaign to
ensure both the candidate and his or
her family members have an accurate
and complete picture of an employer’s
family-friendly values and programs. n
Since candidate decisions can often be a family matter, a
company stands to improve its odds of success if it informs
or targets the entire family.
© 2011 Weddle’s LLC. Peter Weddle is the
author of more than two dozen employment-related books, including The Career Activist
Republic, Work Strong, Your Personal
Career Fitness System, and Recognizing
Richard Rabbit. He is editor and publisher
of Weddle’s LLC ( weddles.com), a publisher
that specializes in employment and recruitment. Send your feedback on this article to
success@americanstaffing.net. Follow ASA on
Twitter @staffingtweets.
