This piece is sponsored by TEAM Software by WorkWave
In a tight labor market, commercial cleaning companies need help both recruiting and retaining a quality workforce. The right hiring tools can drive efficiency, profitability and growth. SmartBrief asked Team Software by WorkWave’s Jeff Davis to discuss ways that building service contractors can address hiring challenges.
How have industry employment retention rates changed nationally and globally in the last 12 months? What can we discern from these figures?
There is still a shortage of workers who are willing to join or rejoin the workforce. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 8.8 million job openings in the country, and the unemployment rate is 3.8%. Both numbers have been relatively consistent over the past few years, when economists stated that the US is at full employment.
It was also reported that there were approximately one or less unemployed persons per job opening. For commercial cleaning companies, a lack of access to job candidates raises questions of how to keep contracts fully staffed, while facing growing demands from clients to deliver quality services.
What should companies look for in an application tracking system? What are the benefits and what kind of ROI is possible when using an applicant tracking system?
An applicant tracking system allows companies to source applicants at high volumes. BSCs can use Hire By WorkWave. It publishes job openings and tracks candidates throughout the recruiting and hiring process. This allows it to reach a wider audience of potential applicants, track applications, review work history, review resumes, screen candidates and run background checks.
Clients who use Hire by WorkWave to simplify hiring processes, on average, see a 42% reduction in their time-to-hire. Some even have been able to cut their time to hire by 60%, giving the company back valuable time toward its bottom line.
How can BSCs set their company brand apart from the competition in the world of recruitment?
For BSCs to set their company brands apart in the labor market, they have to adopt company brands and focus on building their brands. You’ve got to focus on:
- What is your unique value proposition to prospective employees?
- Are you offering flexibility?
- Do you have perks that no one else is offering in the industry?
- Are you flexible in your scheduling?
- What is it that sets you apart?
Because, at the end of the day, bathroom cleaning is cleaning the bathroom. It’s not much different wherever you go, but there are company cultures that set brands apart.
What elements does a best-of-breed company career website include?
With regards to BSCs, almost 75% of job applicants came from career sites. With that said, it can be tough to create a strong management profile using only a job site, because that’s your only source for applications. Companies that want to know details about ROI, cost per applicant, applicant volume and other relevant data are going to gain that type of information and more from an ATS like Hire by WorkWave.
A company can take advantage of a career website to attract applicants. A successful career website answers why your company is a great place to work. It allows the applicant to imagine themselves as an employee and valued member of the team. It showcases company benefits, team culture, employee profiles and available openings. Just as you sell yourselves and what sets you apart to customers, you must do the same for potential applicants.
The goal is an invested applicant who is ready to move forward in the process. Using a career site in conjunction with Hire by WorkWave, it’s possible to discern where exactly hires originated. For example, did they find the Indeed job link online or on the company website? And that information enables companies to better answer other questions, such as what is my cost per applicant.
Jeff Davis is Senior Vice President of Marketing Services at Team Software by WorkWave.