There’s always a specific risk when talking about new generations coming into the workforce of sounding like a living cliché— the venerable, bearded commentator passing judgment on new graduates entering the organization.

But for employers, there are some specific trends that are noticeable which have emerged in perhaps the last dozen years, and these are ramping up the pressure on HR departments.

Most pressure stems from technology now being a significant element in everyday life, manifest most obviously in the smartphones in everyone’s back pockets. The always-connected, networked workforce is more than able to work remotely, keep non-standard office hours, and can piece together a pretty good living from two, or even three jobs, or be completely freelance.

In many verticals, a situation where employees’ work-life balance is a crucial driver of job choices, means that employers are now effectively competing against one another to snatch up the best employees. Unless a business can offer the type of perks, working environment, hours, and company ethos that really appeals, the best talent can quickly find better homes for their abilities.

Salaries play a role of course, but not an all verticals — IT is a prime example of where salary isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker.

In the APAC recruitment market, many companies are struggling to present a coherent corporate brand to potential employees, and that’s having a negative impact on recruitment. That’s down to the wide demographic range of the recruitment pools in the region, but also because different business functions each have their own message to get out.

But finding a single image to present is especially important if you consider that even three years ago, a report showed that APAC employers sourced 78 per cent of new signings via social media.

But a positive, harmonious and creative workplace appeals right across the demographics, and can unite the internal voices of the company, from Marketing to HR, to Customer Care.

Creating great working environments isn’t just a case of equipping a “break-out” room with a few beanbags and a new coffee machine. There’s a whole ethos that potential employees are looking for, and there’s no blueprint for employers to follow.

Top Employers Institute

The industry, the demographics of the professionals working in that industry, and where the company or organization wants to position itself are all variables with which skilled HR are well-acquainted.

And even if the company invests heavily in the type of activities that are known to increase employee engagement and retention, how best to get that message out into the jobs marketplace, to attract the talent that the business craves?

That’s where the independent body in the form of Top Employers Institute comes in. Organizations that invest in the very best people practices do better in their market space, so having a guide to those practices, a framework to follow, and a recognized accreditation is a fantastic way to differentiate a business from its competitors.

By investing in its people, an organization not only drives positive change where change is needed and rewards excellence, but the employees themselves become the company’s best advocates— for the brand, for the organization as an employer, and as a workplace where their unique skills and abilities are rewarded.

So how does Top Employers Institute certification process work, and what’s involved? And what are the benefits to staff, to recruitment, and to the company too? Here on Tech Wire Asia, we’re looking to give employers, if not all the answers to their specific questions, at least a picture of the trade body that can.

It’s all in the process

Starting with an in-depth, impartial survey, Top Employers Institute asks all the right questions of the company. The HR Best Practices Survey comprises of ten topics and examines 600+ common people practices. Answers must be backed with detailed evidence, which is then audited at length before results are independently checked, and finally scored — and in many cases, companies find that these processes as of themselves create significant insights for the HR function, and can be the catalyst for rapid improvements straight away.

To qualify for being recognized as one of the APAC’s finest, the business needs formal HR processes and strategies in place. But, like the artist who’s too close to their work to be objective about its worth, sometimes, starting the journey with Top Employers Institute is the breathing room companies need to take a necessary step back and re-appraise.

Top Employers Institute combines its feedback with access to insights that it’s collated thanks to its experience with over 1,500 Certified employers around the globe that have achieved excellence in employee conditions. Its HR Best Practices Survey and subsequent feedback reports help businesses highlight where they excel, what needs to change, and how best to improve.

Certification and the future

With only the best-of-the-best making the cut, certified institutions and businesses rub shoulders with companies that are literally household names, the organizations that regularly feature in lists of the best 100 employers in Asia (for instance).

These are the organizations that put their people at the heart of the business, where the people are the business— its credo, working environment, ambience, and morale.

Here on Tech Wire Asia, in a further article (coming soon on December 5, 2019), we’ll look at how companies are using Top Employers Institute Certification to ensure they get the cream of candidates proactively approaching them, and the other ways that the entire business benefits.

In the meantime, learn more about Top Employers Institute here, and check back in a few weeks for updates.