Common hiring headaches and how to solve them

Choosing between several highly qualified Candidates

There are certainly worse problems to have, but having to choose between multiple stand-out candidates can be really tough. Start by looking beyond the job description. By this stage, you’ll have already compared candidate’s skills, experience and education against the job description. But have you considered who would be the best fit with the rest of your team and the company as a whole? Will they share the same vision and values as you do? In more informal workplaces, the hiring manager may talk to the wider team about the options available to them and ask who they’d rather work alongside.

Inconsistent Employer brand

If you’re looking for a great cultural fit with your existing team, your employer branding needs to be up to scratch. As a business, your identity must be cohesive across all platforms and candidates should feel familiar with you by the time they reach the interview stage. Perhaps they’ve already seen your ‘meet the team’ page or recognised you from photos on your company’s social media accounts. Shout about your values online, engage in wider conversations in your sector and you may even start to lure in typically harder-to-reach candidates to add to your talent pipeline.

Too many applications, too little time

When it comes to job applications, any hiring manager would prefer quality over quantity. As a short-term measure, you may want to bring in a recruiter. Although if you’d rather skip this step, it’s certainly possible to narrow down your search and ensure you’re not casting the net too wide. Ask trusted contacts for referrals, try using LinkedIn or Facebook to target specific candidates, and utilise SEO tools so that your job ad appears in all the right places. This is not so much about minimising the number of applications you receive, but rather attracting the candidates that are right for you and make your time worthwhile. Alternatively, consider using an applicant tracking system to cut down communication time and provide you with an at-a-glance overview of your candidate pool.

Poor quality of applicants

Sometimes a lack of talented Candidates is unavoidable, and it’s completely normal to see a dip in the job market every now and again. However, when you unexpectedly find yourself needing to fill a vacancy and the advertisements you’ve placed aren’t working for you, it’s time to find a recruiter who can help you. A recruiter’s most valuable asset is their reliable network of potential Candidates and connections, as well as their knowledge of specialist sectors, which is unrivalled by traditional or word-of-mouth advertising. Even if your ideal Candidate isn’t currently looking for a new role, an experienced recruiter may just be able to turn the tables in your favour.

Whether you’ve already begun the process of recruiting a new member of staff or you’re not where to sure to start, remember that recruiters are always there to help if you need some extra support. Then, next time you’re hiring, you’ll have a go-to contact and be able to streamline the process.

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 we opened our first London office, to service Clients and Candidates in the capital.

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