The way we work is changing, and work-life balance has never been more important. Now that many people are working from home at least some of the time, balance is both easier and harder to achieve. It’s easier in that employees don’t have to be in the office all day and can work with a more flexible schedule. It’s harder in that there are fewer boundaries between work and life.
Job-seekers are often looking for employers that prioritize this balance. They want to know that they will have flexibility and enough time to recharge when the workday is over. When recruiting, it’s important to keep this in mind and market your business’ commitment to a healthy work-life balance.
Here’s how to highlight work-life balance in your recruitment strategies.
Why Work-Life Balance is Important
In the past, many employers took a short-sighted view of benefits that support work-life balance. The “more is more” philosophy might work for a short time, but ultimately leads to an unhappy, burned-out workforce.
Today’s leaders are starting to realize that work-life balance helps to keep workers engaged, happy, and productive. By highlighting work-life balance in your recruitment process, you can not only find the best candidates but you can also help to keep turnover low.
Work-life balance is a win-win. Although there might be some upfront “costs,” providing these benefits is a worthwhile investment.
Start With a Work-Life Balance Mission Statement
The first step in emphasizing work-life balance is creating a mission statement. Work-life balance can mean different things to different people, and it’s important to get clear on what it means in your business.
In addition to defining what work-life balance looks like in your organization, this mission statement will also help to define your company culture and commitment to balance. Make sure this mission statement is posted on your career page and each job posting.
Write Job Postings to Emphasize Work-Life Balance
Your job postings can do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to attracting candidates. If you want to highlight the work-life balance that is available within your organization, then putting it in your job postings will make a great first impression.
Highlight specific benefits. How do you support employees in finding balance? Do you offer flexible hours? Remote work? Mandatory vacation time? These benefits will help to attract candidates and give you a larger talent pool to consider.
Consider the words you choose carefully when writing job postings. Remember to use the four C’s of communication: clear, concise, captivating, and convey to pique the interest of potential candidates.
Leverage Employee Testimonials and Success Stories
Anyone can claim that they emphasize work-life balance in their organization, but that doesn’t mean they actually do. Social proof can help build trust and help candidates see how they might fit into your company’s culture. Employee success stories posted to your career page and in job postings are a great way to showcase the environment you offer.
Leverage testimonials from current employees that describe how your work-life policies benefit them. You can use both written and video testimonials to appeal to a variety of candidates and provide all-important authenticity.
Integrate Work-Life Balance Questions in Interviews
Finding candidates who are a “culture fit” is just as important as finding people with the right skills and experience. Use the interview as an opportunity to talk about the company’s work-life balance benefits and expectations. You can even weave in interview questions about this topic that will help you understand each candidate’s expectations and compatibility.
Establish Work-Life Balance Policies and Practices
It’s easy for work-life balance practices to start slipping over time if they’re not clearly defined and modeled for employees. In addition to a mission statement, it’s a good idea to establish work-life balance policies so that everyone is on the same page.
Without these policies, some employees will try to “go above and beyond” by ignoring their personal needs. This can ultimately lead to burnout and also puts pressure on other employees to put in more hours.
Having supervisors act as role models by disconnecting at the end of the day and taking time off can not only help to uphold the policies and practices that support work-life balance but also help everyone to relax and feel more secure.
Develop Employee Wellness Programs
Candidates aren’t just looking for a competitive salary; they also want to see competitive benefits. An employee wellness program is something you can promote in your job postings that will attract candidates and help current employees maintain their overall health and wellness. Some of these perks might include gym memberships, healthy food in the office, and meditation sessions. Not sure what your employees want? Ask them!
Collect Data and Adapt Recruitment Strategies
As you start to incorporate work-life balance into your recruitment strategies, be sure to collect data on your efforts. You’ll want to find out how effective they are in both hiring and retaining employees. Be sure to send out regular surveys to both employees and candidates so you can find out what’s working and what isn’t.
Over time, you’ll have enough data to adapt and adjust as needed. Let employee and candidate feedback guide your strategic decisions!
The Power of Work-Life Balance Support
Committing to employee well-being is not only the right thing to do, it’s also the smart thing to do. Happy workers perform better and are more likely to stay loyal— it’s as simple as that.
Creating a culture that supports work-life balance successfully can be a challenge, but it’s well worth the effort. In today’s workplace, emphasizing work-life balance can give you the edge you need to recruit the best and brightest talent (and to keep them).
