Gilman Partners hosted 21 senior HR leaders to talk about the top trends for influencing the attraction and retention of talent in 2020. Below are just some of the highlights from our conversation:

• In today’s tight labor market, candidates expect – more than ever – to be courted. They want to know how an opportunity will impact them in the present moment as well as in their career development. Employer marketing messages need to focus on the benefit to the potential employee.
• Sourcing and attracting candidates is getting more personalized with organizations doing a great deal of research in order to tailor personalized messages to potential future employees. The goal is to create such a strong relationship with potential candidates that they will be willing to turn down even a higher offer from another company because they want to work for your organization.

• Recruiting doesn’t stop once a candidate accepts a job offer. Several attendees noted that ghosting is a real problem their organizations face and they’re working to ensure there is a meaningful connection with the future employee between accepting the offer and starting the job.

— One HR leader noted she copies the hiring manager on congratulatory emails to candidates who accept job offers. That prompts the hiring manager to follow up with his/her own welcome message.

— Several organizations send onboarding packages to future employees after they accept the job offer. The boxes are often filled with company swag as well as notes from future team members. One organization even includes a 90-day onboarding timeline in the package so the employee knows what to expect once he/she starts the role. Another company includes lists of favorite spots for coffee, lunch and happy hours near the office to get the future employee excited about day-to-day life in the new neighborhood.

• Organizations that hire early career employees like high school students or new college grads are sending onboarding packages to the future employee’s home. The goal is to get the attention and support of parents/guardians. One company even sends electronic surveys to parents of high school employees to ensure his/her job and schedule are working for the entire family.

• Organizations continue to add benefits to attract and retain employees, but many of these perks are focusing on improving work/life balance as well as boosting physical, mental and financial wellness. Employee concierge services are growing in popularity and help demonstrate an organization’s commitment to managing some of life’s stresses that can take focus away from job responsibilities. Other attendees noted they’ve added financial coaching classes, an on-site change coach (who operates like a full-time EAP), on-site health screenings and mental health programs.