Prairie Business recently interviewed several businesses about what their approach is to hiring new employees and the important skills and attributes they look for in potential hires.

D.J. Campbell, branch human resource business partner manager for EMC Insurance Companies in Bismarck, N.D., shared perspective about what the company looks for when attracting new hires, among other topics.

An approach to hiring new employeesWhats the best way youve found to let prospective employees learn about openings? Sourcing talent is an important step in the talent acquisition process. An organization's ability to reach and attract talent should strategically fall in line with its business objectives. Gone are the days when you could just post a job and wait for the right person to apply. How you source a candidate depends primarily on the position. If it's an entry-level role, I would start by working with career services departments in colleges and universities. If it's a senior-level role, utilizing LinkedIn to match desired skills or posting the position with a specific industry association would be more appropriate. Your sourcing strategy should be intentional and strategic to ensure you develop a competitive talent pool and ultimately the right person for the role.

What does your companys hiring process entail?Our process is aligned to ensure we find the right person for the role following all applicable laws and regulations. This includes alignment of the hiring manager and position requisition, defining the process that will be used, strategic sourcing, objectively qualifying applicants, tailoring the interview questions and process to identify key skills needed to fill the role, incorporating behavioral interview techniques, engaging and introducing the applicant to the enterprise, and managing expectations and answering questions throughout the process. Additionally, EMC believes that our ability to thrive in the future is directly connected to having a diverse workforce, so we have worked to embed diversity, equity and inclusion best practices into our process.

Are there new strategies you plan to use when hiring in a post-pandemic world?In a post-pandemic world, we will see a lot of changes to the way we do business. Initially, I don't see much changing with our talent acquisition strategies. Many people have been thrusted into working remotely and utilizing new technology to stay connected. This same technology will only heighten the talent acquisition process. As someone who leads this process, I understand that many people have been and will continue to be impacted by the pandemic. Many people have lost their jobs adding additional stress. The way we interact with these affected individuals needs to reflect our company values; empathy for their situation, transparency in the process, and timely communication. Talent pools will be larger, so alignment with the hiring manager will be critical. Identifying the skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to fill the role and discussing preferred qualifications will allow the process to move more quickly and efficiently. Another big change I see in the future is our ability to provide opportunity to individuals limited by their geographic location. With remote working capabilities being enhanced during the pandemic, we now have the ability to hire people for positions outside of our typical enterprise locations.

Important skills and attributesWhat are the most important attributes and/or skills you look for in a potential new hire?When sourcing new talent, we look for individuals that embody our values - honesty and integrity, customer focus, collaboration, innovation, and driving results. These are the beliefs we operate by that create our corporate culture. We count on all EMC employees, current and future, to exercise these principles in their daily work: honesty and integrity, customer focus, collaboration, innovation and driving results. We tailor our process to ensure these values are present in the candidate and align with them professionally.

What leadership skills are most important for a new hire to bring on board?The attributes we look for in a leader follow the same attributes we would look for in an individual contributor at an enhanced level. Our competency model for a leader incorporates the individual's ability to develop talent, make decisions, drive vision and purpose, think strategically, and display business insight. We expect our leaders to engage, model, and commit to their teams to inspire action to achieve our business objectives.

How does the company train or encourage internal candidates to prepare for executive roles?EMC has made continuing education a cultural initiative. We have many professional development opportunities allowing all team members the opportunity to grow professionally. Internally, we have a learning management system including subscriptions to LinkedIn Learning and Udemy for Business. Externally, professional development is encouraged and paid for by the company. Earned designations are also given monetary rewards. Team members are encouraged to participate in community related events and associations with memberships paid for by the organization. With our alternative work arrangements policy and accompanying technology, the growth opportunity at EMC is endless.

Highlights of your companyWhats the companys philosophy on work/life balance?Work-life balance has become a deciding factor in talent acquisition and retention, and should be part of the organization's total rewards package. We have adopted an alternative work arrangement policy that offers team members many remote working options. Team members can flex their hours, work compressed work weeks, work in a different city at a branch location, work remotely full time, or work remotely part time. We offer our team members a generous amount of paid time off and encourage a work-life balance that fits the team members needs. In 2020, we took it a step further and now offer 12 weeks 100% paid maternity leave for new mothers and four weeks paid caregiver leave for all team members. Additional benefits included to facilitate work-life balance include life skills training, a corporate wellness programs, on-site health screens and flu vaccines, gym membership reimbursement, and an employee assistance program.

Whats the best thing about working for your company?In my opinion, the best thing about our organization is our commitment to our people. People are the cornerstone of any business, and we take great pride in attracting, developing, and retaining a strong workforce. Our people strategy is centered around culture. As our current workforce has begun to look at retirement, we have been proactive in changing our company culture. This meant capitalizing on our ability to offer growth opportunities within the organization, developing EMC University at a corporate level, developing college level coursework in partnership with Bismarck State College, volunteering in and giving back within our communities, and aligning our goals to all team members o they can see the impact they are making in our business. We continue to evaluate and evolve our people strategies to align with a 21st century workforce, and we are heavily investing in innovation to tackle todays problems and create tomorrows solutions.

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Corporate profile: EMC Insurance says it is committed 'to our people' - Grand Forks Herald