Blog #12 Recruiting: a balancing act for companies

By Natascha de Raad
reading time: 4 Minutes

Unfilled vacancies and high staff turnover: a lot is currently being demanded of HR staff. All departments are affected by the shortage and the situation is particularly precarious in sales. That's why I'd like to shed some light on some aspects of recruiting in today's blog post.

The shortage of skilled workers is one of the mega-topics with some extremely controversial discussions. I don't want to join the ranks of the lamenters. My aim is to highlight a few key points on how we can find a viable way to ensure the long-term success of our company given the current conditions and the forecasts for the future.

You know the complaints you hear everywhere: "We're not getting any staff". You hear this almost as often as: "Someone has resigned from our company again". Complaining doesn't help us, but of course I also know that recruiting is an issue with many facets and that there are no universal solutions. So what can be done? There are two main factors to counter this trend. We need to identify and use new tools - and the conditions in companies need to change.

I can only report specifically on what we have already changed at Med-X-Press, focusing on the area of sales and marketing. But, and I have to say this clearly, changes can only be successful if everyone is on board and there is consensus across all departments. 

This is the situation 

In sales in general, there are hundreds of thousands of vacancies and it is sometimes like playing the lottery to be able to hire an employee. The reasons for this are complex and much of what is bothering us today are unresolved problems that have been dragging on for years. Demographics play a decisive role here. The rising average age in the teams contrasts with the younger generation, which is coming up in smaller numbers. In contrast to the boomers with their belief in unconditional motivation, the younger generation is placing new demands on work and focusing on work-life balance. 

What needs to be done? 

In a previous article, I have already reported on the employee benefits, free and discounted offers and in-house measures that Med-X-Press offers its staff.

Just a brief insight: There is regular free fruit at the workplace and an employed physiotherapist with offers ranging from gymnastics to health advice that can be taken advantage of during working hours. These are just two examples of the extensive employee benefits. - Incidentally, I also know companies that come up with completely superfluous technical gimmicks with the sole aim of attracting young people to the company. Here, as in many other areas of life, it's all about the right balance. Following a survey of our employees, we are planning to switch to a bonus card at Med-X-Press this year. Instead of the many small tokens of appreciation and gifts, be it for St. Nicholas, Easter or Valentine's Day, the new card will be issued with an X amount and can be used in many stores and service companies. The majority of our employees like the idea.  I will report back when the plans are fully developed.

But back to the tough conditions - one of the main ones is pay. Salary is one of the key factors, but it is not everything and anyone who reduces applicants to this is wrong in many cases. Other important key points are: working atmosphere, employer branding, new work and, of course, the location factor - all of which interact with the competitiveness and success of the company. 

Forming effective teams under challenging conditions 

Internally, it is important to me that the chemistry is right, that different characters and ideas come together. A good mix of young and old has many positive effects and also keeps experience and expertise within the company. In my opinion, the age mix is good for a team. It's not for nothing that the over 50s are once again an attractive group on the job market. A group of people who have been age-discriminated against for years and are now in high demand again. Of course, this is a temporary solution that is not the only solution. At the same time, it is just as important to raise the next generation in-house - to further qualify trainees and make them fit to operate successfully in the market environment. Special trainee programs prepare young people specifically and usually successfully for new tasks.  

Networking

Although I think the term is so overused, it essentially hits the nail on the head across all areas. Regional, national or international networking offers considerable potential and opportunities. In my last blog post, I described the idea of networking in connection with involvement in associations, which is just one of many facets. For example, we are a member of a local association, pro Studium, which supports the promising "Digital Technologies" course. We are now considering whether we should become a partner for dual study courses in the long term in order to retain good people in the company at an early stage. In the training sector, networking with regional business development agencies is an important building block for us when recruiting young people. 

Social Media

Now let's move on to the tools. Today, applications go online. A whole series of studies show that companies with digital HR processes and e-recruiting tools are more successful in recruiting new employees than analog companies. For SMEs in particular, this is often not (yet) an option due to a lack of expertise and resources. From my own experience, I can say that it is not easy to choose the right channels and use them appropriately. However, more than a third of all job advertisements are now posted via social media. But, caution is advised.  Running digital campaigns in-house without the necessary expertise can be a gamble. My advice is always to bring in external expertise. 

How do you ensure success with your team? 

Until new measures become the game changer that we need, we need to develop new models - for me, new sales models.

The pandemic and climate change have provided a push for digitalization. For sales, this means that digital formats are taking a prominent place in the customer relationship. Video calls and team meetings have replaced personal customer visits. You might complain about that. The pandemic in particular has shown us how essential and valuable personal encounters and face-to-face interaction are. But, and this is what counts, new sales models open up new opportunities and save on personnel resources and budgets. The results of studies conducted by Ruhr University Bochum on digital communication formats show that online visits and video calls have seen the strongest growth since 2019 - and are having a positive impact on sales success.

I've only been able to touch on a few points, I hope to provide some impetus and perhaps we'll get talking about it.

There are no simple or general solutions, especially not in times of crisis. All the models we consider must be geared to the individual circumstances of companies. Feel free to tell me about your experiences in your company, because this BLOG is also a platform that I have already received a lot of positive feedback about and which is an excellent medium for networking.

I look forward to your feedback! 
Get in touch with suggestions or criticism: blog@med-x-press.de