Six tactics you need to adopt in your hiring strategy
In the hiring world, we’re seeing an important shift in focus as businesses adapt to attract top Candidates in an increasingly competitive talent economy. It’s said that 86 per cent of recruiters agree that recruiting is becoming more like marketing, and many companies have acknowledged this by adopting a different approach. To engage with an audience of highly skilled workers, your hiring strategy should make sure you have the means to be seen and heard. It must sell your strong points as an Employer, whether this is your reputation as a global leader, an outstanding range of benefits and perks or extensive opportunities to be promoted. Here’s what you need to know:
Identify key Candidates and their needs
Every company has different hiring needs. It might be that you’re on the hunt for young graduates to take up entry-level positions to help boost excellent customer service, win sales or carry out day-to-day operational tasks. On the other hand, your business could be searching for strong, senior leaders with plenty of experience in industry. These are just two examples, but either way, you’ll see that each type of Candidate will have very different needs. So, start by identifying these, and looking at what you can provide to meet expectations. Whether it’s flexible working, a competitive salary, or the option to access further on the job training, getting this right will really aid talent attraction.
Sell your strong points
Research from Manpower Group shows that your brand is a powerful motivator for Candidates. According to their survey, your website is the most important place to start. 86 per cent of people look for information on jobs and Employers here, but they also do their research through internet searches, on social media, through news websites, as well as by networking with industry contacts. To stand out from competitors, make sure that you’ve identified the key platforms you need to be on, and create content for these. If you’ve got a great team of Employees, you’ve won an award or you’ve completed a really exciting project, don’t be afraid to shout about these achievements, and to make it clear what you stand for – clearly outlining your vision, values and future goals.
Pay attention to Candidate experience
Whether they receive the job or not, a negative Candidate experience will affect your ability to hire in the future. It’s a small world, especially given the popularity of social media and review sites like Glassdoor. In the worst-case scenario, an accumulation of dissatisfied applicants could really affect your reputation. Unfortunately, 75 per cent of people never hear back from Employers after applying for a role – and you can see how this might be incredibly dissatisfying. To excel as a top company, treat your Candidates like your customers, communicating with them every step of the hiring process. A bad experience will, likely, stop someone from applying again, while a positive one could turn them into a successful ambassador who continues to talk about your products and services.
Involve your Employees
According to LinkedIn, Candidates trust Employees three times more than the company itself to provide an honest opinion of what it’s like to work there. When it comes to recruitment, therefore, why not use your existing workers to build your profile? Get them to contribute to blog content, networking and events, as well as the interview process itself. In a world where applicants could receive more than one job offer, giving them the opportunity to connect with your current team, to hear first-hand what it’s like to be part of your company, could make all the difference. After all, your Employees know you better than anyone else. So why not use them to get their opinion on your branding, the way that you word job descriptions and on the interview panel itself?
Think digital first
To successfully market recruitment opportunities, you need to use all the tools available, and the biggest of these is digital technologies. Many applicants use social media to research opportunities, as well as to connect with businesses they admire- 49 per cent of people surveyed by LinkedIn follow companies to stay aware of jobs. When it comes to engaging with passive Candidates, these online platforms are hugely beneficial, and can be used in highly creative ways. In Australia, Candidates can apply for a job at McDonald’s via Snapchat. By activating a special lens, they can share a 10 second introduction with the manager of their local restaurant. To stay ahead of the competition, it’s necessary to keep up to date with the latest developments, embedding these into your hiring strategy.
Measure success and prepare to be flexible
Just like marketing, the best hiring strategies are flexible – able to reflect changes in the business and key learnings as you progress. To do this, think about your aims when recruiting and how you will measure the success of these. Whether it’s retention rate, the offer acceptance rate or the time it takes to hire someone, tracking agreed indicators will highlight the positive work you’re doing, as well as areas for improvement. Above all, remember to be realistic. You may be looking for your dream Candidate, but when it comes to the job description try to stick to what’s necessary and be prepared to change your mind. If you have a hard to fill role, consider interviewing for ‘soft skills’ in order to find someone who can be trained on the job, or promoting someone internally (and advertising for their position instead) which could be your solution to a tricky hiring dilemma.
Over the last 20 years, we have grown as a business to become one of the leading independent Recruitment agencies in Oxfordshire, and in 2018 have opened our first London office, to service Clients in the capital.
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