Evergreen Jobs: Recruiters Guide For High-Turnover Positions

For recruiters who know how difficult and time-consuming it can be to hire for those roles that need to be constantly filled, creating an evergreen job posting can take some of the stress out of the situation.

In this article, we will discuss what an evergreen job is, and what types of roles would be considered to be evergreen. We will also describe how to recruit for an evergreen role in the best way, and how to keep talent in those high turnover positions.

What is an evergreen job?

An evergreen job is a position in a company that is always open for recruitment. These roles might be those that typically have high turnover, or use volume hiring to have multiple employees doing the same role. These roles are consistently posted by a company, and in an ideal world, there will always be a pool of pre-qualified candidates to draw from when a position needs filling.

Evergreen jobs cover all sorts of industries. Recruiters who are looking for candidates to fill these positions know that there will be more and more people to screen and qualify as the roles are consistently recruiting.

Examples of evergreen jobs

Evergreen roles are common in call centers, in retail, and in healthcare.

Call center operatives might work in the same office, covering the same or different areas perhaps. Customer advisors in shops might all have the same basic roles but in different shop locations. Nurses and other healthcare workers would be the same - similar job roles, but in different hospital departments.

In these roles, potentially hundreds of people will have the same job title, and this means that there could be a naturally high turnover for the role.

How to recruit for evergreen jobs

Recruiting for evergreen jobs is not as simple as leaving a job posting on the company’s career page or on aggregate job boards.

There are several considerations that the recruitment team needs to bear in mind, both when creating and posting the job description, to managing applicants in the early stages of the recruitment process, and making sure that the entire process can be concluded quickly and efficiently.

1. Create attractive job descriptions

The job description is the first point of contact that the recruitment team will have with the potential applicant is the job description.

This needs to be an accurate portrayal of what the role is - in the most simple terms - and what the applicant can expect from their day-to-day duties. It also needs to outline the criteria for the role, whether that is specific qualifications or level of experience.

This job posting, and the description in it, should be refreshed regularly. This helps to keep it fresh for the applicants, and also ensures that it doesn't ‘drop down’ in searches made on job boards by candidates. The newly posted jobs often get the most applications from qualified candidates.

2. Streamline the applicant screening process

Once an applicant has started to move through the application process, they need to be managed effectively to reduce the amount of time (and money) spent on hiring where possible.

Each stage of the application process should be chosen specifically to filter out unqualified candidates based on the needs of the role, and at the same time, they need to be kept in the loop.

This is likely to mean that you need to employ an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). The ATS will hold all the details of each applicant, and can be used to screen and update applications. Some of the things that the ATS can help with include:

• Screening application forms and resumes based on keywords and phrases that match the basic criteria of the role

• Recording the results of aptitude and psychometric testing

• Automating updates for candidates

• Creating data analytics

As part of the recruitment funnel, simple psychometric and aptitude tests can be used to evaluate candidates based on specific skills and abilities that are needed for the evergreen role. These tests are usually administered online, and are an efficient way to measure competencies.

The aim of using an ATS is to reduce the time to hire and get to shortlisting in a much more streamlined way.

3. Build talent pipelines

The talent pipeline is shaped like an upside-down funnel, and with the help of the right ATS, you can proactively build relationships with potential candidates from the start.

The potential candidates at the beginning of the process should be in a large pool of applicants who meet the basic qualifying criteria. At each stage of the pipeline, the candidates should be filtered through based on their abilities and skills, using different tools like skills and aptitude testing as well as interviews.

Keeping candidates moving through this pipeline means that there should always be a readily available pool of applicants who are ready to move forward and become a member of the team in one of those evergreen roles.

4. Develop onboarding and training programs

High turnover in evergreen roles can be a real issue, and with so many hires to be made simultaneously, it can become overwhelming if qualified candidates leave before they get started.

One of the best ways to ensure that the newly hired employee is able to become productive quickly is to have an effective onboarding system. This should include all essential training and the opportunity to learn from a mentor in the department - everything that the new starter will need to get started.

A good onboarding system will help the new employee to feel like part of the team and feel confident in doing the work.

How to retain talent in evergreen jobs

With high turnover in evergreen roles to be expected, it is important that all steps are taken to reduce people leaving the role.

Certain types of turnover are to be expected, of course - aging out and retiring, or through career advancement - but for the best results, recruiters and HR managers should be looking for ways to encourage staff to stay.

Employee engagement and recognition

A culture that is warm and welcoming for new starters is an excellent way to help new employees feel connected to the role. The company culture is one of the most important reasons why people choose to leave - that and management, of course.

Using recognition and reward schemes is often an important way to help employees feel connected and empowered. This might be something to do with the number of calls answered, or positive feedback from customers. Leaderboards, award ceremonies, or even just a company-wide congratulatory memo are all good examples of this.

Career development opportunities

Evergreen roles that use volume staffing to hire should always look to develop staff. While growth opportunities and development for leadership positions or other roles within the company might be part of the natural wastage and turnover that is expected, it is important for the individual employee that they are able to grow and develop.

There should be a defined career path available for each employee. This can be predefined based on the needs of the company, or more flexible to take into account the specific aspirations of the employee. Each career path might have different training and development opportunities, with things like learning, skills, and extra qualifications available.