Takeover Unfiltered

Brianna Rooney: All right here we are with another super fun, amazing episode where we're here to vent, give advice, and really just bring some awareness. So if you are enjoying this, like I hope you are definitely share with friends. It helps us. So what are we talking about today? We are going to talk about, oh my goodness, that's a biggie. How can companies who don't have the option to just pay higher salaries compete in this market?

Taylor Bradley: Taylor, I feel like our, our listeners subscribers just went up with that. , that's a, I mean, that's a big one in today's world, a big, big one. Um, but before we get into it, don't forget to listen to my broke to boss tip at the end of the episode. Um, but would love to dive right into this. So, um, you guys have seen out there in this market that people are getting creative with what they're offering employees,

Brianna Rooney: Welcome to talent takeover

Taylor Bradley: Unfiltered.

Brianna Rooney: When it comes to working hard and keeping it real. We know our. Self-care happiness, inner peace and time. I'm Brianna Rooney. And this is Taylor Bradley. Hey y'all. And we have thrived in chaos and turned it into in art form. So, Taylor, what are we doing here today?

Taylor Bradley: We're here to give you a raw under the hood view of all things recruiting and finally give credit where credit is due to a long underrated industry. That's full of quote unquote experts.

Brianna Rooney: All right. Well then let's take this show to the road.

Taylor Bradley: So, um, Brianna, do you wanna kick it off or do you want me to

Brianna Rooney: No, go for it. You're gonna roll.

Taylor Bradley: Yeah. So I feel like one of the themes that I'm seeing, which I absolutely love, um, I worked for a company previously that did something to this a little bit similar. Um, it was a nine 80, so you worked nine days 80 hours and you've got every other Friday off. But what I've been seeing, I know we've all been seeing, we've all read the news that, you know, companies are moving to four day or 32 hour work week, but at the same comp ranges for their employees, I'd love to hear your thoughts on that.

Brianna Rooney: Okay. well, I got lots of thoughts on this. Um, and I actually have talked to our director of people ops on this. Um, so I am a big, big advocate for this. Uh, there's tons of studies that show that when you work less, you do more, um, I believe that a thousand percent, I think that there are the people I even think about some of the recruiters I've had, who were literally here. The, before I got here, they were here before, you know, um, when I left and they were, I don't wanna say my worst recruiters cuz you know, that's, that's a mean, but they were, you know, they weren't producing. Right. They were just, it, they just didn't have it. And they were working long hours. And so it's not about the hours, it's about what you're putting into it. And I know for myself, like I'm a morning, I'm a morning lady.

Brianna Rooney: And so it's like, I get all my meaty stuff done in the morning because that's where I'm just on point. And then like throughout the day is like, when I kind of like, okay, I'm getting, I'm not feeling, you know, like as great. Um, but what I used to do is I did give Fridays off for a really long time. Um, now if your employees are, I should say mature enough for that. Absolutely. Now at the time, you know, remember I started my business when I was 24. So did a lot of drinking go down. Yes we did. So we started treating Thursdays like Fridays and as you know, most people only kind of work they're super lackadaisical on Fridays mm-hmm so now it kind of became like a three and a half day work week and I was like, okay, fine. So I fixed that and I said, you guys always have half day Fridays.

Brianna Rooney: So that assured that they worked really hard Monday through Thursday and essentially Fridays were still just kind of a play day, but I was fine with that, cuz that, that was how I got them to work the full four days. Um, but really like, I would love to see four hour work days. Like I, I see nothing wrong with that. Um, but again, I think of some people and I'm like, I don't know if they can manage their time appropriately. So is it fair to only give the people that can handle their? I don't know. That's the question. Yeah.

Taylor Bradley: But I also think you kind of run our company like this anyway, like not with a designated, you know, four day 32 hour work week, but you're really like, and I'm not, I'm not trying to kiss your right now because you know, I'll tell you the real all day, any day, all day, but it's like, I think you're really, it's like as long as you get your done, you really don't care how long somebody's is sitting in front of their computer all day long. It's like, if you get your job done, that's really all you care about. And then for myself as a leader in our org, same, you know, if you're as long as you're doing your job and you're getting your job done, I really don't care to dictate and micromanage the hours that somebody works. I really don't

Brianna Rooney: Agree. I don't even care when they go on vacation. Like sometimes I won't even know when people are on vacation until I need them. And I was like, wait first. Oh, oh yeah. Forgot. Like, you know, they had on slack, they got like their little tree yeah.

Taylor Bradley: Oh yeah. Good

Brianna Rooney: For that. Totally good for that.

Taylor Bradley: No, I know exactly what you're talking about and you're like, you're so supportive of it. I mean, you're like, when are you going on vacation? Little fun story about Brianna. She actually asked me that she was like, okay, so when are you going on vacation? I was like, well, where am I going? You know? And I had, cause I hadn't even scheduled anything or planned anything. I was like, where are we going? Thought, thought she was taking me on a little, you know,

Brianna Rooney: Vacation, a little honeymoon

Taylor Bradley: Yeah, like a little girl girl's vacation, but she encourages that. And so I, but I, I want to go back to what you said because I never even thought about that. And that brings up such a great point for our listeners, um, people who were managers out there. So whenever you'd switched to a four day work week that you lost productivity, um, on Thursdays mm-hmm and I know that was in office, right?

Brianna Rooney: Yes. It was in office. Yeah.

Taylor Bradley: What are your thoughts on that now that everybody's really remote.

Brianna Rooney: I think we can handle it. I think that people are put in positions where they've had to step up anyways because it's a remote situation. And honestly it's like, it's not like they're clocking in and out. Like we don't even know if anyone's essentially working any day. Yeah, really. So it's like, I mean, that, that's a good point. Like we, we have like, you know, our slack hours, right? Like here, this is like when we're supposed to be like communicating, collaborating all of those things, but I just don't care. Um, yeah. yeah. I would love it. I would absolutely love it. And then, you know, I guess when you think of it like this, the people that can't handle it, well maybe they shouldn't be here.

Taylor Bradley: Yeah. I to, yes. Mike drop on that. That's what it is to me is that it's like, if you can't handle that, if you can't take enough pride in your job and you're, it goes all back to integrity and character for me, mm-hmm , if you cannot take pride in that enough to show up and do what you need to do, then you probably shouldn't be here because I feel fortunate. I was actually talking to one of our talent partners about this. I was like, man, I still have this such old school mentality that I wake up every day. Just grateful to have a job, grateful, to be alive, grateful to have a job, you know? And I still operate like that. I'm sure you can tell that I operate like that. I'm very much that's ingrained in who I am of like, I'm lucky to be employed today.

Taylor Bradley: And I'm lucky that I'm employed in a place that I'm happy. Mm-hmm , you know, that is a unicorn to me. So I know I've gone off on a tangent there, but going back to how companies who can't pay higher salaries. I mean, we're talking about it, even though we didn't kind of frame it this way, but unique and documented company culture that we truly live by that these companies truly live by like, um, you know, I had a friend recently accept a job. Right. I think I told you this story. So she accepted a role that they offered her on the spot interview went great. They offered her the role. It was a hundred percent remote. And then they're like, okay, we need you to come in. You know, the first, first week for training, she's like, okay, that's fair. Mm-hmm yeah, no, totally fair.

Taylor Bradley: And then first week passes, we need you to come in second week for training. Okay. That's fine. And what's funny is I had given her a heads up on this. I'm like, make sure you get that in writing before cuz I'm like, you know, this is the one that I told you about that I kind of looked to go mm-hmm for. Yeah. And so I'm like, make sure, make sure you get that in writing. And so the second week rolled around and then it turned out, okay, well actually it's, it's full time in the office. We'll try to let you work remote a couple days. So she negotiated with them after she already. I know. Right. So she already started and now fortunately though she gets three days remote and two days in office. But again, she initially that's not

Brianna Rooney: What she signed up for. Yeah.

Taylor Bradley: It's not what she signed up for. So it's like, that goes back to the unique and documented company culture do not advertise a role as remote a hundred percent. If it's not, if it's hybrid advertis as such, you truly have to live the culture that you're advertising and that you're putting out there, you know? Oh.

Brianna Rooney: And that happens all I, that the opposite happens all the time. Um, oh my gosh, that that's such a good one. So then how can a, how can companies, like, when you say advertise, what else can they advertise that you feel like people will be like, oh my God, like, I'll totally take that over money. What else? I,

Taylor Bradley: I love the employee spotlights that people do like a day in the life. Like I absolutely love that because I think that that's really powerful, especially for companies who are requiring people to go in office. Okay. Mm-hmm you need to show me what a day in the life in office post, you know, the pandemic is gonna look like, are we gonna go Kiki by the water cooler? Or do I have to like go to lunch from 12 to one? What does this look like? You know what I mean? And I think that that's really important. So, um, but then also I think that really factoring in employee wellbeing, measures that capture, you know, financial health, mental health, physical health for their employees. I've worked with clients that have gyms set up, you know, the office, just to gyms, showers, all that I know you would love that mm-hmm and, and you also love to go into an office as well.

Taylor Bradley: So it's like I do. And they had a dry cleaner there. It was like a cafeteria it's kind of a one stop shop for when you're at the office, you have access to the amenities, a little grocery store, everything that you could need. But there's also not the expectation that you're sitting in the chair eight hours a day either. You know, you could still be, you could be down in the laundrymat if you want to for eight hours, I don't know, but it's still just making those amenities available. And then also allowing people time, like we all know mental health finally is a huge focus. Right? It's finally, it

Brianna Rooney: Only took a pandemic for it to be talked about

Taylor Bradley: I know. Right. And it only took a pandemic for everybody to start using video interviews. I mean, we've been doing this forever, but I think that those are really important. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Brianna Rooney: Yeah. So, um, I love, I definitely think the, the trend for sure is mental health. Everyone's taking care of that. Um, I know like we're gonna have this like mental health days. We're literally like we're closed, we're all closed. Um, and you know, because I think, I think the trouble that happens is that like if some people take off and some people don't, then the people that, that took off almost feel obligated to still kind of be on slack, you know, it's like, no, we actually need to close clothes. Not just like an optional close, like we're literally no one's on slack. Yeah. Um, I think that's super important that that's when you, but I think that's more digging into like, we're actually like, you know, talking the talk, walk in the walk. Um, but what I loved you touched on is financial health mm-hmm so, um, stability, like, and really educating people because especially when we have all the, you know, millennials and the new, the new news come in into the workforce is like, they unfortunately, like why is that still not taught in school?

Brianna Rooney: Don't even get me started on that subject. But, um, you know, that's something that's missed, I think a lot. And so when, so being a tech recruiter, I'm used to talking equity, I'm used to talking total package in 401ks and, you know, I get like more like nitty gritty on like what actual total comp means. And when you're talking to very intelligent engineers, sometimes they're not even grasping what actually the equity could be worth or is worth or, you know, whether or not they're a private or public company. And so just that alone shows me that there's not enough education that goes into the financial situations for people. Um, you know, even in the, when, uh, a firm acquired my techies team, it's like I had to, you know, I'm the one that delivered those offers to them and spoke to them about their crazy amount of amazing benefits.

Brianna Rooney: And, you know, uh, one person, she was like, this is less than I'm making. Like, I'm not like Brianna really? And I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Let me talk to you about all these benefits. And then let's talk about how much is actually saving you and your family. You're actually making a whole lot more, you're just not seeing it on your W2. Like that's a whole other thing, but it's like, if we're gonna start offering that and if companies are gonna find better ways to, to, you know, incentivize people instead of through cash comp, then they need to be able to explain it.

Taylor Bradley: Right. No. And that's where that role that you and I have talked about, that we're gonna do a whole episode on the closer comes in the closer of important. It's really, it's somebody exactly, as you outlined that can really just go over and provide them the total reward summary. It's like, this is exactly, you know, we here have that document that we have created for our employees to kind of see like, here's your base salary, but here's everything else that you're getting. So here's a total reward summary. And then also to your point, somebody that can speak to that, somebody that can close the candidate, get them excited about it. Like, it sounds like you did with that employee, you know, she was, you made her see where she probably would've declined the offer, how she gone. Yeah. Goes back to again, the importance of, of that recruiters play in bringing top talent into your organization. I mean, we can close candidates in a way that by knowing what incentivizes them and knowing what appeals to them and then also explaining it to them. So I think that's real, you touched on that. That's so important that there is somebody in every org that is able to really, really go over the total rewards package.

Brianna Rooney: Yes, exactly. If you're gonna go through the trouble of having one and the expense to have one, you better be able to really sell that, sell that value. Cuz that's, that's the hard part. So like if you can't come up in comp you know, like, cuz that is every single year, right. I mean essentially when you get like all of the benefits together, like what, how much is that? But when you're doing it to your entire organization, it is very cost efficient. And then also your employees are gonna be in a better mental state, a better financial state, less stress. Yeah. So where people, companies aren't really thinking about all of those things, unfortunately, not yet. Um, and so again, that's where your recruiter comes in in order in order to help with that, because there's just no way you have to, like you said, you have to get creative in this market and probably for forever yeah. Like it's not gonna change.

Taylor Bradley: It's not well and you know, going, going back to, you know, what are some of the things that companies can do? Everyone knows that the main source of hire is referrals, right? That is, and that's your best source of hire. Those are the, the people that, you know, stay the longest. So managers are the primary connection through which employees experience their employer. Yeah. So making that manager, employee relationship the most important by automating managerial task, wherever possible, right? To create space for managers to really build more human relationships with employees, which is obviously gonna help with retention. And then we're gonna go tell their friends, I mean, look at us at talent perch. Like it, I think we're the best example. And I actually got chills just thinking about it is, I mean, let's be honest, let's call a space, wait, we don't pay the highest salaries out there.

Taylor Bradley: Anybody can go anywhere and make more money at any company. That's a reality, but our culture is unmatched here. And that is why people keep referring people. I mean, at this point we don't even have to recruit if we need to hire. I mean, we just have people to us and that's based on our employees here and how they feel about the culture and that we truly do eat, sleep and breathe it. And I think that's a Testament to the culture you've established and that we've all kind of helped you create and, and really expand upon. But it's powerful. Yeah. And making sure that your employees, your current employees, I think they sometimes get forgotten.

Brianna Rooney: Yes. That, that, that let's, let's put that. Let's write that down on an episode. How to not forget about your current rock stars. Um, for sure. But I, I know we're running outta time, but I just wanna touch on one last thing is that, you know, when you think about companies have two very powerful things they can do to compete with salary and that's their mission mm-hmm and really driving that home and that's their culture. Yep. So how they truly feel and take care of their people. So we talk about people first, all the time. And naturally, sometimes business has to come first, but if you keep it real like that and say, Hey, right now business is coming first. But absolutely you're always my first, you know, it's like, but right now we're putting our heads down and we need to do X, Y, Z, like, you know? Yeah. But, but voicing that to people so they understand, and they're never left in the dark, I think is just, you know, really super powerful. And you have to, you know, portray that through the entire interview process, which of course is candid experience all of those things. But, uh, a lot of people accept companies because of that, because they felt that fire, you know? Yeah. And it, and it's from every interviewer.

Taylor Bradley: No. And that's perfect to roll right into our broke to boss tip of the day is make sure to practice empathy at every stage of the hiring process, understand the candidates, feelings, fears, but also practice empathy with your current employees as well.

Brianna Rooney: Ah, I love that.

Taylor Bradley: Yeah. That's critical. I think again, sometimes they get forgotten about, so just practice empathy at every stage of the hiring process. At one point you were on that end of it, you were looking for a job. What would you want put yourself in their shoes? So I think in summary, put yourself in the candidate shoes, put yourself, treat others how you wanna be treated. That's what it's

Brianna Rooney: Always love that love that. Oh my God, this was so super fun. Um, thank you all for listening. Hope you're enjoying as much as we enjoy it. and don't forget to tune in, you know, every single Tuesday and, um, you know, join our email list. Subscribe. All those links are in the show notes.

Taylor Bradley: See you this week. Thanks. Y'all.