Think Like a Marketer, Hire Like a Pro: How to Fix Your Workforce Funnel

Treat hiring like sales and marketing: Respond to applicants as quickly as you would to sales leads, prioritizing speed-to-lead for potential employees.

Revamp your job descriptions: Change internal, requirement-heavy job descriptions into marketing tools that highlight benefits and reasons to work for your company.

Prioritize employer branding: Understand that your employees are your brand; invest in how your company is perceived by current and potential hires.

Develop a structured onboarding playbook: Create a 30-60-90 day plan for new hires to ensure consistent information, resources, and support, improving retention.

Automate early-stage communications: Utilize tools like text messaging and automation to efficiently screen applicants and schedule initial interactions, especially since many applicants aren't desk-bound.

Engage leadership in retention: Owners should actively participate in the new hire experience, like welcome videos or meet-and-greets, to signal the importance of retention and set expectations.