Using HR to Become an Employer of Choice talks about how if we see HR in a different light it can be used as a great tool for the advancement or your business/organisation. Pathway Group offer business advice and courses to help you develop your business. For more information about this please call: 0121 707 0550, e-mail: info@pathwaygroup.co.uk or visit: www.pathwaygroup.co.uk or for more free business advice visit: www.pathway2grow.co.uk/blog

1. Using HR to Become
an Employer of Choice

2. Very often the function of HR is
seen as a reactive & administrative
area of the business.
Ensuring procedures are followed,
conflicts are resolved & the business
does not step outside any legal
framework.

3. But what if HR was used to
achieve broader business
goals & seen as a more
strategic and proactive
function in the business?

4. Implemented effectively
within a business, effective
HR can ensure that your
business becomes an
employer of choice!

5. It means that prospective recruits look to find a career in your
business over others because they believe that your business
will offer them the job/career they are looking for & that your
business is correctly aligned with them as individuals.
Being an employer of choice means that staff of competitors
& others in your industry will look for opportunities to either
work for you or work with you, & it will mean that your
existing staff will want to stay.
In short, being an employer of choice means that you
are attracting & retaining the best talent, giving your
business a competitive advantage, productivity improves
& you dramatically reduce costs of staff turnover.
What does becoming an employer of choice mean?

6. Sounds good…
How does it happen & what
part does HR play?

7. These key questions won’t just be defined by the HR function,
however internally discovered values need to be translated by
the HR team into a clear message & ‘employment brand’
positioning.
Creating clearly defined communications around these
messages will create a business that people, seek to work for.
Step 1:
Defining What Being Employed
by the Company Looks Like?

8. 1. Is the work meaningful?
People want to have more than just a job, they want to make a
difference, whether that’s externally or internally & they need to
understand the difference their role makes.
2. What opportunities do you have for growth?
Individual growth is not the same from person to person
or business to business, but giving people the opportunity
to improve themselves, is a strong motivator for many
people, particularly the best candidates.

9. 3. What are the standards & value of the business?
High moral standards & values are attractive in businesses. People
want to work for businesses they buy into & feel aligned with.
4. What kind of leaders are in the business?
Leaders at the top of the organisation have the opportunity to
be inspirational & forward looking. While day to day
management is hugely important, staff want to see
that the business has a clear plan & is moving forward.

10. Flexible working, good working conditions
& a commitment to creating work life
balance, are all important.
Top performers don’t mind working hard,
but they appreciate when that brings flexibility.
5. Does the business value quality of life?

11. One of the key elements of being an employer of choice
is the people you employ.
Sounds obvious, but good people attract more good people.
On the flip side, if you employ people who are not up to
standard & don’t fit into the company culture, you can
create issues with successful teams.
Step 2:
Refining the Recruitment Process

12. 1. HR needs to be involved in sourcing
& screening potential candidates
Very often, department heads or managers will identify a need &
then work on filling it, however the importance of HR specialists
being involved in the recruitment process is vital. If they are
following the guide created by the ‘employment brand’ we have
previously mentioned, the chances of employing the right
candidate is greatly increased.
2. Creation of position descriptions
A position description doesn’t just describe the job that
needs doing, but is specific about the kind of person required
& the attributes they need to be successful in the role &
within the business.

13. 3. Sourcing strategy
Where you recruit from is a huge factor in attracting the right
candidates. Using the person specification element of your job
description, where are these people looking for jobs. Are they
looking for jobs or do you need to headhunt?
4. Recruit on values & personality as well as skills
Utilising the company culture we talked about earlier & the person
specification, we need to evaluate not only whether the people we
are recruiting have the skills to do the job, but will their personality
fit in with the team? Consider involving other members of the
team in the recruitment process to help with this.

14. 5. Be honest & clear about the job
Nothing creates more issues & higher staff turnover
than a mismatch between expectations & the actual job.
Be honest with recruits about the job they are taking on
& the team they are joining

15. Once you have people in your business that you want to keep the key
factor in keeping engaged employees is the communication process.
This is critical for new employees as well as existing staff.
For new employees, the key is knowledge, they have a need to
feel competent & confident in their role.
Taking the time to properly induct a new member of the team
into the company has huge long term benefits. In addition,
this early phase of communication of the business demonstrates
your company’s commitment to training, an activity hugely
valued by high performing employees.
Step 3:
Communication

16. • Company Understanding: The what, why & where it is going.
• Working Knowledge: How do things work within the business?
Policies, politics, standards & norms. These help a person settle in
more quickly.
• The Job: What is their role? What are the expectations? What
does success look like?
• The Products: What does your company sell & why would
customers choose your products vs. someone else?
• Personal Growth: What is the development plan for this person?
What do they want to achieve.
You need to give them:

17. For existing employees, it is vital that they feel
they are part of something and that they are
making a difference.
For existing employees, think about:
• Personal Growth: What is the development plan for this person?
What do they want to achieve & how will this help the business
grow?
• Regular Feedback: On their performance and the company’s
performance.
• Recognition: Timely & clear recognition for great performance.
• Worthwhile Meetings: How much time is spent (wasted) in
meetings? Can your meetings be effective, so team members feel
they are achieving things not just talking?

18. Pathway Group, specialises in
training people to achieve their
individual & business goals.
Our business advisors can work
with HR teams to understand
what they need to do to become
an employer of choice.

19. For more information about this
service and the other services
that we provide please:
Call: 0121 707 0550
E-mail: info@pathwaygroup.co.uk
For more business advice visit:
www.pathway2grow.co.uk/blog