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Almost every HR advisor or recruiter has the same goal: to get and keep the right person in the right place. But how do you actually do that? We have tips for getting into the head of your ideal employee!
Neuropsychology and HR. They seem like two completely different worlds. But if you think about it longer, it's not surprising to go shopping at science with that pompous name.
Because neuropsychology knows exactly how to get into the head of the applicant you've been looking for so long, or the employee you'd love to keep in your organisation.
When you have a vacancy, you want nothing more than to fill it quickly. Not with anyone like that, of course. It must be someone with the talent you are looking for, who fits into your team and is full of creative ideas.
And oh yes, it is useful if the person stays in your organisation for quite a few years, so that you can enjoy them for a long time.
But how do you do that?
It helps to focus on the unconscious brain. That piece of prehistoric heritage, hidden deep in everyone's head, that unconsciously responds to external stimuli and determines subsequent actions. The key word here is: emotion.
If you manage to trigger the right feeling, and thus reach the right target group and the intended goal, you will really bring your HR policy to a next level.
Create a persona. That sounds complicated, but it's actually nothing more or less than sketching an imaginary, ideal person.
Decide who you would like to reach with your vacancy, or which employees already present are indispensable to your organisation and who you therefore want to retain.
Which image triggers a positive emotion in your ideal employee?
A photo of a child playing happily will have a more positive effect on a daycare employee than on a car mechanic. An IT specialist's heart will beat harder with the image of a high-tech computer, while the same image will leave the average chef cold.
It is attracted like a magnet by photos of exclusive dishes or a state-of-the-art blender. Exploit those differences.
Once you have determined which images suit your target group, you can start playing with them extensively. Incorporate the topics into creative videos and compelling photos that you can keep coming back to anywhere.
On your website, in vacancies, on social media and floodlights. Just make sure you don't get bogged down in the same theme over and over again.
Once a brain gets used to certain stimuli, it will respond less and less to them.
You have to keep surprising, so that the emotion touches something over and over again.
The brain is always in survival mode. It wants to protect us from danger. As soon as there are threats in the environment, we get into the fight or flightmode.
Adrenaline pumps around, and people either kick back or leave.
This also applies at work. To stay in HR terms: you either get an employee who is overflowing with stress, or someone who takes a hard time to go to another employer. Both, of course, are not a good idea.
Make sure that the signal is always set to safe in that brain case. Create a work environment that is stimulating, but also offers sufficient safety to try out new things and take on challenges.
For example, through a transparent management culture, where employees are invited to contribute ideas, make mistakes and develop.
But the physical work environment is also important.
A pleasant temperature, pleasant light and not too many sound stimuli calm the brain and allow you to focus on what you get paid for: getting a job done in the best possible way.
A brain loves success and wants to be rewarded. He needs a boost every time to decide to persevere, go for it and stay somewhere.
In addition, you need the word 'reward'not to be taken too literally. It's not so much about hard cash. Reward also comes in other forms, which are perhaps even more important, because you can use them in ever-changing forms at different, unexpected moments.
The first reward starts when you apply. A well-designed online application page, with the right tone of voice and easy to navigate options encourages the applicant to indeed apply for that “apply!” click -button and participate in your race.
Place an enthusiastic trigger that appears after completing each page, surprise with original questions.
This is how you give a brain a gift. Someone stays interested, completes all questions without dropping out.
But even if an employee has been around the organisation for a while, you shouldn't be complacent. Reward is an important trigger for every person. No fat salary outweighs an old-fashioned pat on the back.
A sincere compliment after a good performance feels good and will taste like more. The employee becomes motivated to achieve such a result again next time. But occasionally an unexpected treat such as a flower, a cheerful postcard or a handy gadget with your company logo also helps you to think “Oh yes, that's why I chose this employer!”
A person is a social being and wants to belong somewhere. Apart from a single self-employed person, most people would like to be part of an organisation.
This is not surprising, because this is also related to our brain's desire for safety: it was easier for a group of people to keep dangerous predators at a distance than a few.
That is exactly why it is so important for a new employee to be “painted” in the company colors quickly. Knowing how the hares run within the organisation, where the coffee machine is and what house rules exist provide a sense of safety, of being part of the herd.
So make sure you have a good induction program and give the fresh addition a warm welcome. This can be done online, through links to company information and introductory videos, but it also helps, for example, to appoint a mentor who can act as an informal buddy for the newcomer.
Just make sure that the herd remains intact, especially if many people are working from home. The interconnections must then be additionally maintained. So plan regular meetings where everyone looks into each other's eyes live again.
A functional work meeting in the office is a great idea, but an informal drink or team activity also strengthens the “we feeling” and strengthens the relationship with the organisation.
That's possible! At Pluvo, we have many tips and tricks to consciously and unconsciously keep employees on track. Sign up for the newsletter below and we'll keep you up to date!
As an educational expert specialising in online learning, I have been writing blogs for Pluvo for 5 years. My focus is on powerful learning solutions for organisations. Universal Design for Learning and inclusive learning are my passion; I believe that education should be accessible and fun for everyone.
I've been combining my 35 years of HR experience with copywriting for over 15 years. And even then, I learn new things over and over again. That's what makes writing blogs for Pluvo so incredibly interesting!
