Creative recruiting - column

Creative recruiting

Dramatic changes in the labor force between now and the year 2000 will mean a new set of demographics for publishers: older employees (with the median age being 38.9); more women working (they will comprise more than 50 percent of the labor force); and more employed minorities. There will continue to be a shortage of applicants for many entry-level positions in the publishing industry, and severe competition for professional-level employees.

When it comes to attracting potential employees, publishers can either adapt to meet the challenge of the future, or wait and suffer the consequences.

A comprehensive, creative recruiting effort can not only attract the people you need, but also reduce advertising costs, improve productivity, increase the caliber of your staff, raise morale, reduce turnover and lower your training costs.

In addition, there are tax incentives for some of the more creative ideas you implement. For example, when you hire an employee who is a member of a qualified disadvantaged category, the Federal Government will pay up to $7,000 of his/her first year's earnings. Although this program requires a considerable amount of paperwork, that is more than offset by the advantages of reducing your salary costs and acquiring, at practically no cost to you, a person who needs and wants the job.

Depending on the labor market you are in, the newspaper, although effective, is not the only way to seek employees. Some other sources that are successful components of recruiting strategies at publishing companies include the following:

1. Your own employees: If your employees are happy in their jobs and with you as their employer, they can be your best recruiters. You can network among them to find new candidates, and reward them for their efforts by developing an internal employee referral program. Such a program will provide them with a financial incentive, and can save you extensive amounts of time and dollars in recruiting. Most publishing companies with these types of programs pay out the bonuses in increments that are tied to the continued employment both of the referred candidate and the current employee. Keep in mind that the dollar amounts need not be substantial to get the ball rolling.

2. Community organizations: Many organizations exist to help particular segments of the population find meaningful volunteer or paid employment. These segments include the elderly, the handicapped, minority groups, the underprivileged, and so forth. For this approach to be successful, you must be flexible enough to believe that the jobs within your company can be accomplished by people with a variety of backgrounds.

3. Students in work/study programs: One publishing company in New York has developed what is essentially a co-op program for high-school students. The program allows students to work one full week and attend school full time the alternate week. This arrangement provides the company with students who can fill in for vacation periods, serving as messengers, back-up receptionists, production assistants, typsetters and word processors.

Many of the students come to the company with the skills to do the job. Those who require training will be with the company for the entire school year, providing the company with an incentive to invest in some training. Students who do not work out, for whatever reason, can be let go.

This particular company estimates that in the first year of the pilot program, savings realized from the elimination of temporary agencies amounted to approximately $50,000.

4. College internships: Most publishers are taking advantage of this concept already, but some haven't yet caught on to the number of journalism students who are anxious to get into magazine publishing and who will work for a semester or two learning the business at entry-level salaries. Once again, you will have a trained person who is likely to want to come back to work for you once he or she graduates. Smaller publishing companies in rural areas have been very successful in using this approach. Although you may not keep them for more than three years, during this time you have an extremely enthusiastic employee.

5. Other industries: In the attempt to find people with experience in publishing for higher-level positions, many companies fail to consider the transfer of skills from other industries. Many teachers have become successful writers and editors, and many secretaries have made it in production, circulation and typesetting. If you determine the skills necessary and consider what other industries or business might have individuals with those types of skills, you can create advertising to attract those potential candidates.

6. Open houses: Most companies today hold recruitment open houses to get candidates, but few hold open houses for the community or community agencies. This is a great way for those within your geographic area to find out about you. Very often you can develop relationships with the representatives of these same agencies so that they refer people to you or keep recruiting information about your company in their own offices.

7. Re-entry workers: With the continued escalation of dual-career couples, many women are returning to the work force part-time. The attitude that a part-time worker is not as committed as a full-timer is archaic and illogical. Publishers who have allowed for flexible hours to accomodate the school day have been tremendously successful in finding people who are committed, responsible and productive. The employee recognizes and appreciates her good situation and doesn't want to lose it. Some publishers have instituted three days on and four days off as another alternative. Productivity and turnover statistics show that the number of hours someone works has nothing to do with his or her commitment to the job.

My advice is to try it in your company on a small scale, and select those jobs that can be shared or done within certain hours. Some of the jobs where this approach has proven successful include circulation assistants, telemarketers, secretaries, receptionists, art assistants, proofreaders, production assistants, mailroom personnel and word processors.

8. College recruiting and job fairs: The publishing company is one of the most misrepresented in the college recruitment programs today. Only the larger publishers take advantage of recruiting from the major journalism schools or even schools within their immediate areas. Recruiting involves time and preparation, but the results can be terrific. You get fresh graduates, anxious to begin their careers, tremendously self-motivated and eager to start earning their keep.

Job fairs, which are frequently held by local chambers of commerce or associations, provide another opportunity to get your name out in the community and among potential candidates seeking a job change.

9. Nontraditional sources: Take another look at retirees, ex-military members, the handicapped, etc. The Work Equity Program of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is working with dozens of companies, including many publishers, to develop employment programs for retirees. Of AARP's 29 million members, seven million are currently working in paid positions. Ex-military personnel often make excellent candidates for management training programs, and homemakers are well-organized planners who pay attention to detail. One publishing company in New England has an active recruiting program in conjunction with two schools for the deaf, recruiting deaf individuals for word processing, accounting and typesetting positions.

Making it work

Regardless of its elements, the most cost-effective recruiting program is one that saves you money and provides you with long-term benefits. If you provide incentives for joining your company and are able to tout it's reputation, location, opportunities for advancement and work environment, your chances for success greatly improve. Finally, be aware of what your competition is offering in salaries and benefits, and be competitive.

What gets new employees in the door is what the company has to offer. What keeps them there is an environment where they will be encouraged to strive to do their best and where they will be happy and satisfied with the results.

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