Recruit and retain – top tips from our head of recruitment Christine

As the call and live chat experts, we know a thing or two about recruitment. Our team is made up of over 1000 people, handling calls and chats for companies large and small, from our award-winning stunning HQ in Wrexham UK and our awesome HQ in Atalanta in the US.

We are ranked in Best Place To Work in the UK. Nearly 150 employees have clocked up more than 10 years’ service and we've been perfecting our recruitment and retention formula along the way. Need some help with attracting and keeping talent? Here are my top tips:   

Be a job ad peacock and stand out from the crowd 

It’s well known that there are currently more job vacancies advertised than there are candidates looking for work, so you need your recruitment ad to stand out. Like any sales pitch, always lead with the opportunity, and demonstrate all the reasons that a great applicant should want to apply. Emphasise the company culture and the social side of working with you, highlight the training and career progression opportunities, and make it clear that you want this person as much as they should want you.   

Think of job interviews like (professional) dates 

You are unlikely to be the only company courting an applicant’s interest, so if you want the best talent for your team, you need to give them a good reason to come on board. Share your passion and enthusiasm and this will be infectious and will transfer to the candidate, who will then be excited to join (and keen to impress when they do). Also, the ones you don’t employ are more likely to tell their peers about a positive interview experience and spread the word about your incredible company. 

Think attitude not aptitude 

You may have a checklist of skills you want your ideal candidate to have, but at Moneypenny we firmly believe in recruiting on attitude rather than aptitude.  When assessing whether someone is right for the job, bear in mind that training can soon fill in any skills or knowledge gaps, so long as the person is enthusiastic and willing to learn. Considering those who don’t quite tick all the requirements might help lengthen your candidate list and increase the chances of finding someone who is just right. 

 Offer regular employee feedback sessions on a day to day basis 

Once you’ve recruited the ideal candidate, it’s most important to keep them and to create a happy environment and place people want to be. Just like your sales, marketing or advertising strategies, employee development and satisfaction should be reviewed regularly. Employees will be able to receive praise or constructive criticism, discuss their ambitions and raise any concerns they may have. Both are equally important and allow employees to see that you care about their development and want to find the best ways to be successful together. 

Give everyone your attention 

Those who shout the loudest invariably get the most attention, but don’t forget the quiet ones. Check in with everyone from time to time, finding out if they need any help with anything. Without interaction from the leadership team, unhappy employees will simply plod along until a better opportunity comes knocking, and by then it may be too late to salvage the relationship. 

Support and encourage development 

Richard Branson said “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” Training is a vital part of career progression, be that skills gained whilst working, or through courses and qualifications. If you have the budget, fund external training courses, but it’s also essential to deliver on-the-job training to improve performance and encourage growth.  

Acknowledge good work 

‘Treat them mean, keep them keen’ is never a good idea in the workplace. Weak or inexperienced managers believe that regular praise will make a team complacent, lead to unreasonable salary demands, or give employees the confidence and desire to move on to bigger things. The reality is that regular acknowledgement of a job well done will do the opposite of this and keep them from looking elsewhere. Celebrate the wins both big and small and all the little things, and make a fuss when people achieve something exceptional. You don’t always need to offer gigantic bonuses or sweeping gestures to keep people happy, just tell them they are valued each and every day. It is hugely important.   

About Christine 

With over 16 years of experience of Life at Moneypenny, Christine knows the business inside out. Starting as a PA in our legal department, Christine’s career with us has progressed up through Team Leader and Team Manager. Her Manager experience was then followed by a move to our Working Life team and ultimately, to the Head of Recruitment position she has now. You can chat to Christine and the team about roles available at Moneypenny via phone on 01978 367400, email at careers@moneypenny.co.uk or via our work with us page.