Locating the right people for these vacancies proves to be hard because of the tight labour market. It is particularly difficult to find young talent. This problem limits growth within an organisation. With an unemployment rate of 3.5% (Dutch statistics bureau, July 2018) and a growing economy, taking action to solve this issue now is recommended.

Generations Y and Z are active in the workforce right now and they could be described as stubborn, creative and willing to take on a challenge. They also want to feel a sense of purpose and they value freedom and flexibility (source: youngcapital.nl).

Thankfully, some managers and CEO’s understand where the disconnect happens: their organisation delivers great work, makes amazing products and offers plenty opportunity, but none of this is apparent. Their website is archaic, the content is dated and doesn’t communicate what the company represents.

Does this sound familiar? A good way to find out if your web content is stale is to check your competitors’ websites and compare these with yours. Then ask yourself the question: where would you rather work? Why not ask the opinion of your youngest employees? And before you lose them to the competition, get to work!

Take a critical look at your brand and be honest about your findings. Does your brand have a good foundation and clear message, or are your purpose and visual identity buried under a pile of dust. If you find yourself in the latter category, it’s time to fix it. Here are some steps you can take:

Set up a ‘brand passport’: What is your mission, what is your vision? What is your purpose and which direction do you want to take? Define your core values, strengths and weaknesses and your ambitions (greater goals). Involve your colleagues (or freelancers) and create concrete actions.

Look at the world around you, who is your target audience, who are your competitors and who are your stakeholders? What resources do you need to achieve your goals and how will you appeal to and recruit new talent?

Write a proposal and contact an expert who can help you examine your brand passport and translate the findings to your (new) visual identity.

You have to have foresight. While it takes time and money to figure out your brand story, think of the long-term benefits such as being on the radar of young talent clients, customers, staff and shareholders.

Imagine the money you save in expensive recruiter and headhunter fees. Additionally, your recruitment campaigns will be more effective and you’ll have less turnover in your company. In short, it’s worth the investment.

I predict your company will grow fast and you’ll need more new people to manage the influx of work, but that is a later concern.