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Three reasons you may be struggling to recruit

Our recent Oxfordshire Business Barometer found that 37% of businesses in the county expected their headcount to rise during the first quarter of 2017.

Our recent Oxfordshire Business Barometer found that 37% of businesses in the county expected their headcount to rise during the first quarter of 2017. With business growth at stake, finding the right talent is imperative, but not always easy.

Here are three common recruitment mistakes and how to avoid them:

1. You’re not putting talent at the top of your agenda

To find the best talent, it has to be a business priority. And that means that your top people need to have it firmly on their agenda and be committed to the strategy. Get everyone together and agree on requirements, budget, processes, timescales and employer brand. Ensure regular monthly updates and ongoing communication so resources can be allocated efficiently and decisions made quickly. 

2. You’re not ‘selling’ your company

The entire applicant process is an opportunity to shine a light on why you’re a great employer and reinforce the reasons that someone would want to work for you. Take a close look at your careers and public websites, social media channels, job descriptions, the way you respond to applicants and the way you communicate with candidates. Are you making the most of your communication channels to sell your company so that candidates feel engaged and excited about the prospects, before they even meet you?

3. Your candidate experience isn’t as good as it should be

Every second of a candidate’s experience with you should be exemplary. It should be given the same attention as the customer or client experience. Why? Because a bad experience may result in your prime candidate turning down a job but a great one could result not only in acceptance of a job offer but word-of-mouth referrals too. Demand for top talent is fierce and counter-offers from existing employers and alternative job offers from other interested parties are increasingly common, so employers really can’t afford to be complacent.

Contact us

For advice on any aspect of recruitment, please contact me on 01865 335600 or email kate@allen-associates.co.uk. Allen Associates recruits for permanent and temporary roles at all levels in Oxfordshire within Administration and PA, HR, Marketing and Finance. We also have a dedicated Executive division. To find out more, please visit.