So, why is it that I would want to work for you?

“Thank you, Mr. Knox, for coming in today and interviewing with our organization. We appreciate your interest. In closing, do you have any questions?”

“Yes, just one. Why would I want to work for your organization?”

Has this question left you speechless before? If you are not sure how you would answer this question, then you need to immediately put a halt to the classified ad that is supposed to be running this coming weekend in the newspaper and do some organizational “soul” searching.
Start by asking the following key questions:

What does our organization do?

Every organization makes a difference somehow. Make a compelling case to let people know the impact of your organization and the important work that you and your fellow co-workers do. If you were considering working for an organization, would you rather work for an organization that says “we make widgets” or one that says “we make life easier every day for millions of people around the world because we create a widget like no other”?

Whom do we want to target as potential employees of our company? What skills are we in need of? What type of person will be a good fit for the organizational culture? Who will be dedicated to our organizational mission?

Successful recruiting is just as much about getting someone on board as it is getting someone to stay. If you do not take the time to identify what skills and traits you need to fill a particular position, chances are the new hire may not stay long if it is not a good fit or if he or she will be miserable. So rather than go through the recruiting and interview process again in a few short months, or deal with low productivity issues because your new hire is so unhappy, do your homework first. Having a clear idea of whom you want to fill the position will make the interview process much easier.

What do employees value/need/want in regard to a job? How well does your organization meet these expectations?

Your employees are the people most qualified to answer this question. Ask them about what it is they value in a job and what they want or need. Chances are, your potential employees would have similar responses. Then ask how well you are meeting those expectations. If you currently do a good job of meeting the expectations, be sure to use this information as you develop your recruiting messages. If there is a disconnect between what employees value and feel is important and what your organization offers, you will need to find ways to address this disconnect because over time the disconnect will fuel discontent. Potential employees may ask about employee satisfaction. When they do, you can respond that you are proactively seeking to better meet expectations. Recruits will be impressed that you care enough to take action.

What are the top 10 benefits your organization offers its employees?
Again, your employees are the experts and know what is most important to them in terms of benefits. Depending on age or the type of position an employee holds, the answers may vary, so you may want to consider segmenting your employees’ answers accordingly. Their answers will help you craft the benefits summary for your recruiting efforts and may even help you identify benefits that you want to consider offering in the future.

Once you have answered these key questions, the next step is to shape the message that you want to convey to recruits by using the information that was gathered and to ensure that all of the organizational literature captures powerful ideas that will resonate with your potential employees.
The last step of the process is to empower your employees to be recruitment ambassadors for your organization. While organizational literature may pique a potential employee’s interest, a satisfied—and informed—employee will validate the interest. Provide your employees with the tools that they need to be successful recruitment ambassadors for your organization.

This organizational soul searching process may delay filling a position by a few days, but your recruiting efforts will see the rewards. And you will never be speechless again. v

Susanne C. Medley is president of Customer Communication Group, a business change management and communication consulting firm. For more information, contact [email protected].