AMA Presents: Hiring Strategies: The Evolution of Seeking Talent

June 24, 2022 9:00AM

Sponsored by Marcomm. By Madi Olejnicak

On May 24th, 2022, Marcomm partnered with AMA MN and Minnesota C-suite business leaders to discuss one of the greatest challenges facing companies today–hiring strategies. In a Q and A style, each panelist provided insight into how their companies are confronting hiring issues during the tightest job market in several decades.

Each individual spoke on topics related to modern day hiring challenges such as:

Learning how to “flex” for the right candidate
Working with compensation challenges
Marketing your company to stand out to recruits

Attraction with flexibility

Question: What does your company do specifically to attract new candidates?

In terms of attracting new candidates, incorporating important community values and flexibility into onboarding were among the primary topics panelists focused on.

Kelli Schnieder, President of SafetNet Consulting, dove into the heart behind incorporating community values. For Kelli, one of the most important qualities for candidates to see is how a company positively gives back to the world. Speaking about candidates, Kelli said, “They’re looking for connection to the company, to the mission, to their vision in order to give them meaningful work.”

Andy Dulka, CIO of Restaurant Technologies, dug deeper into how simplifying the onboarding process can attract new candidates as well. Andy said, “We’ve had to flex to how we make the onboarding process effortless. How do we give them the tools that make their job easier?”

For technicians and drivers at Restaurant Technologies specifically, Andy emphasized how they have catered flexibility based on the human need. Andy said, “We’ve had to flex to understand the human needs in those roles. We go talk to our most productive people in that role and we ask: ‘Why are you here? Why are you staying? What gets you excited about this?’”

To see how Marcomm incorporates flexibility into work, read this article on contract staffing.

The Challenging Landscape of Compensation

Question: What has been the impact of using compensation and what are compensation challenges in that industry?

Panelists each took a moment to acknowledge the difficulty of compensation challenges in the current market. Focusing in on new hires specifically, the group explained the difficulties of hiring individuals at salaries similar to tenured individuals.

Bill Sullivan, President and CEO of Brin Glass Company, explained how the adjustment had affected their company. In his experience, having proactive conversations with employees about compensation challenges was the primary goal. Bill focused on emphasizing long-term benefits and values, especially in the current fluctuating market. “Trying to paint that picture is a challenge, because people want it (compensation) here now, they don’t want to look at it 10 to 15 years down the road,” Bill said.

Jamie Simpson, CRO of Marcomm, also spoke to hiring challenges from a consulting perspective. She said, “All we can do is help educate and inform what market value is…More and more we’re actually providing insight for the market.” To read more on this topic, check out Marcomm’s blog on overcoming challenges with inspiring solutions for 2022 staffing. Kelli added, “We have similar challenges to Jamie being in the consulting world as well. Educating our clients on the talent and what they’re looking for. But we also educate the talent too as to what the clients are looking for.”

Using Marketing to tell the story of Your Company

Question: How are you marketing your company?

Lastly, panelists took a moment to touch on the individual ways each one markets their company to the community, and how they use marketing to find new recruits.

For century-old companies like Brin glass, the evolution of recruitment has centered around the ability to inform target audiences through digital marketing avenues. Before hiring Marcomm in 2021, Brin glass had used traditional marketing strategies. “We didn’t realize how connected marketing was to recruiting, and how marketing can leverage recruiting to impact our culture,” Bill commented.

For businesses like Restaurant Technologies, a primary component of marketing their company culture is within the first several steps of an interview. Andy said, “I do a culture interview as one of the first touches. I want to know who they are, what they’re looking for, are they going to be a good fit in our culture, even before we get into the technical aspects of that.”

Priscilla Koeckeritz, Fractional CMO of Marcomm, dove deeper into the ways job inclusivity could change how companies market themselves. “We’ve got to get better about qualifying the talent coming in. Because if we find the right people and have the right person for that company, the right seat can be developed. Those talents and skills can be developed.” Priscilla said, “Don’t let good recruits go. It may not be now, but it may not be ‘no.’” Over the years, Marcomm has also found it helpful to incorporate the voice of customer insight into their marketing strategy.

Looking for more?

Whether you’re interested in how Marcomm could fill gaps in your company, or still figuring out what services you need, we’re here to help. Looking to schedule a meeting with Marcomm? Contact Jamie Simpson today to find out more information about how our services can meet your needs.

If you have more questions about Marcomm, check out our Contact Us page! If you’re interested in seeing what positions are available, visit our jobs page for more information. Lastly, make sure to check out our blog page to stay informed and up to date on topics related to marketing, staffing, and hiring solutions.

Host: Diana Osberg, MN AMA

Emcee: Priscilla Koeckeritz, Fractional CMO, Marcomm

Panelists: Kelli Schnieder, President, SafeNet Consulting; Bill Sullivan, CEO, Brin Glass Company; Jamie Simpson, Chief Revenue Officer, Marcomm; and Andy Dulka, CIO, Restaurant Technologies