The Great Resignation by multiple generations of American workers has brought to life the Chinese proverb “may you live in interesting times” for HR professionals in the post-pandemic era. Employers are finding it hard to fill vacancies with diverse talent, while also keeping existing teams engaged and loyal.

To retain their current talent and recruit their next generation of workers, today’s employers are focusing on culture, communications, technology, and a commitment to training to boost engagement and reduce feelings of marginalization among increasingly diverse teams.

Creating a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) requires a holistic process across the entire employee lifecycle, said Raymond Hall, chief HR officer with Harvard Maintenance, a managed-services company with more than 10,000 employees. Hall spoke on an executive panel focusing on “Improving the Talent Pipeline, From End to End,” part of at From Day One’s recent Miami conference.

Hall’s company removes college-degree requirements for job postings where possible; trains managers in new approaches to interviewing, hiring, and onboarding talent; and avoids referral programs that “end up getting people from the same background,” Hall said. Avoiding a “piecemeal” approach helps drive results, he said.

Hiring is part instinct, part research and assessment. Every hiring manager will claim to know how to make a great hire, and they’re not wrong, said Ernie Paskey, chief regional officer for Aon Assessment Solutions. But it doesn’t happen every time. Deploying data insights to make relevant decisions regarding each individual can help managers thrive and the organization earn it reputation as an employer of choice.

A deliberate, strategic approach to hiring and employment, which also includes branding across social media to build the organization’s reputation, will enable people to connect with the brand, said panelist Gabriela Gomes de Freitas, VP and people business partner for Mastercard in Latin America and the Caribbean.

This approach also must address the unique needs of different groups, whether that’s inclusiveness, compensation, social impact and community outreach, or the type of workplace the company will offer going forward, she said. This all must be reflected in job posts and company social media. Her company strives to boost authenticity with job candidates by engaging current employees in the recruitment process, allowing them to share their stories about the opportunities they’ve been provided or the value they bring. “How can an organization rethink the language they put out?” she asked. “Different generations appreciate different things about their work experience.”

Research reveals more challenges ahead, said Joy Dettorre, global diversity and inclusion leader with IBM. Research reveals a workplace in flux, with one study claiming four in 10 workers intending to leave their employers within three to six months. Another finding: almost seven in 10 of U.S. adults have no bachelor’s degree.

What did IBM do with those findings? They, too, have removed the requirement for a four-year degree for about half their job postings, and instead are posting “skills-based” descriptions, Dettorre said. They’re also rewriting job descriptions “with a lens of inclusiveness,” removing words that are “gender coded, age triggering, rooted in bias against somebody’s mobility,” she said.

The result? By removing the “systemic inequality among the candidate pool,” IBM increased candidate matching by 42% and increased their candidate diversity pipeline by 63%. That’s not to say IBM doesn’t appreciate higher education; the company paid for both Dettorre’s masters and doctorate degrees, she said.

That speaks to the need to keep skills fresh. Whether through traditional education or skills-based training, employers can keep teams on the leading edge–and engaged–by investing in ongoing training, she added.

Hiring with an inclusive lens and investing in ongoing training are two ways employers can improve their employee experience. At Aon, managers are tapping creative ways to develop non-traditional career paths to attract new hires and keep existing workers, Paskey said. If a worker leaves, the company explores why–and what barriers may be in place preventing them from returning: skills, training, culture, or even the worksite demands in the post-Covid era, he said.

Harvard Maintenance seeks to support its reputation as an employer by living up to its core-values statements, Hall said. They measure them regularly and “with the same vigor as you’d measure any other business metric: safety, quality, productivity,” he said. Then the company rewards employees and especially managers who embrace those values. “The No. 1 spectator sport in business is boss-watching,” he said. “The quickest way to increase turnover is to not walk the talk.”

How can HR professionals ensure their companies stay competitive as the talent shortage persists? Commit to culture. Encourage feedback, listen to the language, then act on what you learn. Culture isn’t created in what’s done once, Dettorre said, but “the things we do over and over and over again.”

“People are reevaluating not only where they want to work, but who they want to work for,” she said. “People are realizing the authenticity of what people are saying, but also feeling empowered to make a good decision.”

South Florida native Jeff Zbar has enjoyed a three-decade career as a freelance journalist and marketing copywriter, including 25 years exploring home officing and telework as the Chief Home Officer. His portfolio of print and digital work appears in media outlets and for corporate clients across all areas of business and industry.