As
a disability service provider, you probably don’t need reminding that 460,000
Australians are set to become eligible for funding thanks to the federal
government’s NDIS rollout. The changes
place participants firmly in the driver’s seat, leaving providers – that’s you
– with the challenge of positioning themselves as the ones to choose.
Naturally,
to continue doing what you do best, you want to be able to equip yourself to be
an NDIS provider of choice. And to do that, you need staff.
With
the scheme taking such a holistic approach to participants’ total wellbeing, it
will be difficult to settle on a full-time model that will guarantee success.
Instead, it’s very possible that your best bet for survival is to beef up your
offering with part-time staff. But when you can’t offer full-time hours, how do
you attract the best talent?
With
a strong Employer Branding strategy.
What does this mean for you?
Imagine
you’re at the helm of a modest, non-profit organisation in Canberra. Your
service record is great, your small, close-knit team of Support Workers and
Allied Health professionals is happy – and with those regular government
contributions helping you provide those essential services, so are you. Or, you
were.
Now
that the NDIS rollout is here, you’re concerned. You don’t want to be spending
all day and all of your recruitment budget on ads for part-time staff, just so
that you can cover enough ground to attract the participants’ dollars.
You’ve
probably heard the phrase “Employer Branding” before. But if you’re not used to
the idea yet of your company having a separate brand just for employment, now’s
the time to adjust and catch up. What you want is for candidates to come to you
– not the other way around, and the best way to get this happening is to ‘sell’
the experience of working for you.
Simply
put, if candidates are looking for work, they might have the purest of
vocational intentions but at the end of the day, each individual decision will
boil down to the question,“What’s in it for me?”.
Find the positives.
Consider
what you can offer. Subsidised education. Generous leave provisions. Salary
packaging. Perhaps you have a really good coffee machine in your office. Or
maybe one of your team’s sons works at a local bakery, meaning your Monday
morning meetings are always plentifully (and deliciously) catered.
These
things might sound small, but they’re not inconsequential. It’s time to flaunt them. Put them front and
centre in every ad you write.
Consistency is key.
Even
better, take one step back. As far as Employer branding best practice goes, look
no further than an ‘always on’ approach with a dedicated long-term campaign,
which constantly puts out positive messages about what it’s like to work for
you. You can then set up a talent pool of interested applicants (a good Candidate
Management System will take care of this for you), and then dip into that if,
and when, the need arises.
If
you’re keen to get going on this right now, great! The good news is, it’s nice
and simple. And it doesn’t have to cost much either – the key takeaway is that
you do it often, over a sustained period of time. Think of your efforts like
feeding a baby: ‘little and often’ should be your mantra.
Want to do
it on the cheap?
Social
media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are a great place to start. If you
don’t have a dedicated account for each set up, you’re missing out! Then next
time you have a meeting, special event or just want to showcase an incredible
member of your team, go for it!
Knowing
what it’s like to work for you, a cutting-edge, service-driven NDIS provider -
especially if it’s a positive message – will give you the edge over your
competitors. Nobody likes uncertainty, especially candidates.
You
may feel like the NDIS’ arrival pits you against an insurmountable obstacle -
but this doesn’t have to be the case. With some forward-planning, you too can
staff for the NDIS rollout and stay afloat. We’re here to help!
No comments:
Post a Comment