A common goal for any business is to employ qualified, high performing candidates that fit seamlessly within the company culture, otherwise known as “top talent”. Finding the right talent that suits your business can be a challenging process, but one worth doing correctly. A well-assembled team can significantly improve a businesses success, while also establishing a great reputation to attract future recruits. This begs the question, how do you attract top talent in the first place?
Today’s job market is more competitive than it has ever been, the talent pool is growing and the candidates are more qualified. Pair this with the rapidly changing work environments that new technology is providing, as well as the evolving expectations of both employers and employees, and you find yourself navigating in a rather complex field. Recruiters today are dealing with these challenges in new and exciting ways. With job opportunities in countless different fields, and worthy candidates weighing their options, these new recruiting tips and tricks are sure to help any recruiter find the best fit for the job.
Determine Your Ideal Candidate
In order to get the best candidate for the job, you need to know what the best candidate looks like. In order to know what type of person is best suited for the job, employers should take a deep look into what it is the company needs in a candidate.
Identifying the core values and personality traits that will best fit the position is integral in identifying who possesses these qualities. Once the recruiter knows what they are looking for, it will be much easier to find.
Provide Proper Job Descriptions
In today’s environment, candidates want to know all the details. The access to information provided by the internet has increased the demand for recruiters to provide information to its candidates. If a job description is vague, or even nonexistent, worthy candidates are much more likely to pass on the position. A job description is a first impression, so it is important to get it right.
Some best practices for creating a proper job description are:
- Title: Accurately reflect seniority and use terms that candidates will use in their search
- Overview: Ensure it is engaging for the candidate
- Focus: Talk about the opportunity and growth potential of the role
- Format: Bullet points, separate paragraphs
- Writing style: Talk to your candidate, use “you”
- Tone of voice: Should reflect the company culture
- Detail: Ensure you capture the role and responsibilities
Innovate the Recruiting Process
A great way to differentiate yourself from the competition is to create a new and exciting recruiting process. There are many different ways to hire, and not all require the standard resume and cover letter. For example, some companies have decided to offer creative and fair assessments, rather than accept a resume, in order to eliminate biases that may play a role in recruiting. This allows the recruiter to see a candidate’s real skills first hand, rather than rely on the validity of their resume. Other companies have also made their application processes less tedious, making it easier to apply, and in turn, have seen an increase in applicants.
There are plenty of different ways to approach recruiting, so try something new!
Be Flexible
Candidates today seek out job opportunities at companies that understand the value of a work-life balance. It is important that an employee’s work pressure does not affect their personal life, and that their workday is not monotonous. Offering your recruits the option to work remotely as well as lunchtime activities or conducting casual events to keep employees entertained are all great ways to attract a new recruit. The goal is to break the stride of the conventional 9-5.
Add Perks
We are entering a new era of employment where companies like Facebook and Google are setting the bar for workplace standards. These companies are able to attract candidates by offering a variety of perks for their employees to enjoy. A well maintained and beautiful office environment, paired with health insurance policies, bonuses and allowances, holidays, and even an occasional breakfast buffet are all great examples of some attractive company perks. Adding these to the company agenda is sure to boost the appeal of your business.
Shorten Hiring Time
In order to catch top talent, you have to be fast. As candidates are applying to your company, they are also applying to your competitors. Plenty of businesses have missed out on top talent because they took too long to respond to an application, and by the time they do, their candidate has committed to another job. Value their time as you value your own, and you will see a big difference in the quality and engagement of your new recruits.
Use Social Media
Of course, how can you forget about social media right? While it may seem like a redundant process, it has been proven to work time and time again. Every day, new applicants are applying to positions that they come across on social media. With its targeting capabilities allowing you to focus on a specific demographic, creating a job ad for the position you are recruiting for and running the promotion on social media is a great way to get the word out. The best candidate for your position may be scrolling through their social media right now… so why not jump onto their page?
Work On Your Employer Brand
Your employer brand is your company’s reputation as a place to work. It comes with a value proposition that is tailored to your employees, rather than your customers. Establishing an employer brand is in many ways an investment for a company, but it has been shown to significantly pay off. Businesses that have invested in their employer brand have seen a dramatic increase in recruit referral hires, as well as a decrease in cost per hire.
Conclusion
Recruiting can be an intricate process, especially when dealing with difficult to fill or strategic positions. A recruitment agency can save companies time and money by offering their expertise to execute an effective recruiting process. A recruitment process should be as unique as the company itself. It should embody as much of the company culture as possible, and do so in a way that is engaging and exciting. The goal is to showcase your needs in a way that they seem like an opportunity that cannot be missed. Think of recruiting as selling your company as a brand, in hopes that top talent will want to buy you. Be smart and tactful in doing so, and you’ll have yourself a top-notch team in no time.