Great employees are out there, but how do you find them? Here Jim Kyger, Assistant Vice President of Human Relations, shares valuable tips from a revealing new HR survey.
In May, PIA’s HR Department conducted an ad hoc HR Trends survey on common questions from PIA members. Recruiting sourcing for various types of positions (production, sales, management/administrative, and IT). Employee referrals and on-line job banks were deemed by survey participants as the top sources for each category above.
Employee referrals have long been a successful recruiting tool for printers. The incentive for the referral typically varies from the company to company. I have seen some members offer a higher incentive for hard-to-find positions. The incentive can vary from a few hundred dollars to even $1,000. Some firms vary the payout, such as half at time of hire and half six months later.
Where do employees find these referrals? Friends at previous employers, family members, and friends and neighbors are often cited. A word of caution however; a company employee referral policy should state that the prospective employee should be someone that your current employee knows. You don’t want to get into a situation where an employee is recruiting for you and is misrepresenting the company or get the firm into trouble with EEO laws or friendly competitors nearby.
On-line job banks were cited as the most effective source of recruiting for management/administrative and IT employees. Fortunately, there are lots of job banks available. While cost is a consideration, effectiveness should be your primary concern. A job bank geared to the printing industry is probably going to be your most effective source. Most PIA affiliates offer local job banks. Plus, Printing Industries of America offers a national Job Bank for members at a discount. Use this link to access and get the discount.
See Jim when he presents Identifying New and Qualified Employees for a Changing Printing Industry at GRAPH EXPO 15, September 13–16, in Chicago.