Post Consumer Brands is a consumer packaged goods company that owns brands including Bran Flakes, Honey Bunches of Oats, and Honeycomb. They have a production facility in Tremonton, UT, close to where I attended university. A friend of mine knew Kurt Oborne, Sr. HR & OE Manager, and Jake Christensen, HR Business Partner. Both were happy to explain their situation and set us loose.
The Situation
Due to regular attrition at the plant, Kurt and Jake needed to be bringing in four to six new hires every month. They were struggling to keep up and wanted new strategies to attract more people to their business. They recognized the importance of recruiting and how it plays a part in Post’s mission of becoming the #2 producer of cereal in the world. Their HR strategy was built off of this mission, and we found some practices (image below) that would carry their HR strategy to success.
The first place we looked turned out to be the only place we needed to for the timeline we had – job descriptions. If Post wanted to improve the way they attracted job candidates we figured the best place to look would be the source of job candidates’ first impression of Post. Turned out, there were several things we could improve about online job postings and internal job descriptions.
The Project
In my talent acquisition class in grad school, I learned that the job description is the foundation of almost every HR practice. They can be used in so many HR-related decisions and projects. Thus with their broad range of potential impact, it’s important to have rock-solid job descriptions that are regularly assessed and updated to be as accurate as possible.
When reviewing how Post could attract more candidates we reviewed their job board advertisements (or “job posts”). Firstly, we recommended that Post run a cost analysis on various job boards to determine which ones would provide the best return on investment. And not only was it important to know which job boards cost the most, but Post needed to identify which job boards were going to have the biggest payouts. In other words, some job boards were going to be more helpful to Post than others because Post’s target audience spent more time on some job boards than others. By focusing on job boards that were most effective at reaching the target audience, Post could reduce advertising costs while still attracting a larger pool of qualified candidates.
In addition to the job board analysis, we also identified several other areas where Post could improve its recruitment strategy. We noticed that the qualifications required for the production line positions were quite high, which was limiting the number of potential candidates. If Post wanted more applicants, we thought they should simplify and reduce the number of requirements on the job description so more candidates would be more likely to apply. This is where job descriptions come into play. By adjusting the internal job description requirements, they can then apply those changes to their external job posts (which look much different). We told Kurt and Jake that Post consider reducing the qualifications to attract a wider talent pool, including candidates who may be fresh out of high school (an untapped market for Post). After much discussion, we all agreed that with adequate training and career development plans, less experienced workers (such as high school students) could be successful in the role.
We also recommended that Post collect positive employee testimonials to post on the company career site, social media, and job postings. These testimonials could provide valuable insight into what it’s like to work at Post and could help attract candidates who may be on the fence about applying for the job.
Finally, we suggested that Post restructure their job post advertisements to highlight benefits including pay ranges, benefits, and other perks of working with Post (see the below graphic). By emphasizing the value of working for the company, Post could attract more qualified candidates who may have misunderstood just how good of a fit Post could be for them, because the benefits weren’t well-communicated. Again, a job post is much different than a job description. The job summary that faces job candidates must be attractive, easy to read, concise, and highlight aspects of the job that candidates want to see most.
Conclusion
After implementing our recommendations, Post saw a significant increase in the number of qualified candidates applying for production line positions. By reducing the qualifications required for the job, Post was able to attract a wider pool of candidates. By targeting the most effective job boards, Post was able to reduce advertising costs while still attracting a larger pool of candidates. By collecting employee testimonials and emphasizing the benefits of working for the company, Post was able to create a more compelling job advertisement that resonated with potential candidates.
In conclusion, our consulting project with Post was a great success. By identifying the root causes of their recruitment issues and implementing a targeted strategy to address those issues, we were able to help Post attract more qualified candidates to their production line positions. Through our analysis and recommendations, we were able to help Post reduce costs, improve their job advertisements, and create a more compelling recruitment strategy that will serve them well into the future.
Thank you Kurt and Jake for giving us this opportunity! And good luck!
