Having the right talent in your organisation is critical to its success. People continue to be the most valuable asset, so you need to ensure you are hiring the best ones.
With unemployment rates currently low (as at 1 August 2018), we are seeing a strongly candidate-driven market across most industries our clients operate in. The employer no longer chooses the candidate - the candidate chooses them, and for each role advertised there are a much smaller number of suitably qualified/experienced applicants.
To stay afloat in this market, it is essential that businesses reconsider how they both attract and recruit to get the best candidates. Here are four tips on running a smooth and effective hiring process in a candidate-driven market:
Tip #1: Create a Strong Employment Brand
The first step is creating a strong employment brand to attract candidates to your business. Create your business story and what it means to work there, then share it. This can be done through your website, posting on social media channels that are most effective in your industry and through regular client communications such as newsletters. Be sure to share stories about your employees, or have a ‘meet the team’ page. Employers need to put on their marketing hats and think “what will candidates want to see?”
Tip #2: Plan Out Your Hiring Process Early
In terms of the actual recruitment process, it is important to plan it out before you start. The process needs to be structured and legally robust, but it shouldn’t be locked in stone across the business. It’s important that it’s tailored to the industry and the specific vacancy.
Tip #3: Prioritise Timeliness and Communication
Timeliness and communication are key elements in the candidate-driven market, and your recruitment practices must facilitate this. Employers need to think outside the box, question current recruitment methods, leverage off a strong employer brand and utilise smart technologies (such as electronic applicant management systems and video technology) to achieve these key elements.
Tip #4: Streamline the Process for Candidates
It is also still important to be able to gain critical pre-employment information from candidates without putting them off with an arduous and lengthy recruitment process. This potentially comes down to the timing of recruitment activities and ensuring that they are targeted to the position. For example, once you have a preferred candidate, you may decide to run some skills-based testing as part of the final recruitment stages and you may do this instead of having a second or third interview.
In summary, organisations must first create a strong employer brand. They should then follow a structured yet flexible process including the use of technologies relevant to their field. Being constantly aware of common pitfalls and adaptable to change throughout the recruitment process will ensure mistakes are avoided and a candidate of ‘best fit’ is identified. When all tied together, this makes for best practice recruitment in a candidate driven market.
This blog post was written by Jessica Harvey from Progressive Consulting.
Progressive Consulting have a team of experienced HR Consultants who can assist with all or any part of the recruitment process and beyond (such as drafting of job descriptions and employment agreements). Their pricing model also differs from the traditional recruitment agency, so next time you’re thinking of recruiting feel free to contact Progressive Consulting for an obligation free discussion.