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Attracting and investing in talent is one of the keys to growth for any business. The differences between a qualified candidate and someone who can help to push your organisation towards its goals might be subtle or hard to identify during the recruitment process, but can be easy to measure in terms of success later down the line.
Naturally, talented candidates are in demand and may have more valuable opportunities available to them than the average person, so it can require a combination of factors to attract them to a role, engage them throughout the interview process, and retain them in a job.
Here, the specialist recruiters at Employment Solutions explain how businesses can attract and onboard top candidates by thinking about their overall approach to recruitment. Beyond improving the quality of hires, there are a number of benefits you can gain by approaching recruitment in this way.
Be decisive
One element of this strategy means moving quickly. If a candidate is actively looking for opportunities, you should be prepared for the possibility that they could accept another offer or drop out of contention at any time. If you are convinced that they have the right skills, or experience, or personality fit for your business, but they are lacking in another area or missing some of the required skills you have listed in the job description, you should consider whether you can provide training or adjust the job role. You might never find someone with the exact profile you are seeking, and you should be willing to compromise to get as close as possible.
If you have reached out to a candidate proactively and invited them to apply, it is less likely that they will drop out, but not impossible. Still, in such cases, you can also ensure that a potential recruit is a good fit for the role you are offering before you invite them to apply, so the process of making a decision should be faster and easier.
Consider your offer
It should go without saying that understanding the market and making a strong offer to candidates is one of the primary ways you can attract higher-quality hires. However, if you aren’t in a financial position to offer a salary that competes with the biggest players in your industry, there may be other things that could attract a talented candidate. These might include sign-on bonuses, holidays or other benefits, or even flexible working arrangements. If you work with a recruitment firm, they can help you to get a sense of what the leaders in your industry are offering, including what top candidates view as the minimum offer, and enable you to compare whether your starting offer will be enough to bring your ideal candidate on board.
In thinking about the long-term, it is vital to get a sense of the candidate’s career goals, and to be realistic about whether or not you can help them to realise these goals. In some cases, this might mean providing additional training or resources to enable them to develop new skills, while in others it may involve developing a structure for progression within your business. In any case, transparency and honesty are key, and you should not be tempted to promise more than you can deliver in terms of opportunities for progression - if you do, talented hires may not stay with the company for long and you will have to start the recruitment process over again. Attracting talent is also about retaining the talent you already have.
Sell your business
Many organisations miss opportunities to sell themselves to candidates, whether that is within the job advert, during the interview stage, or when proactively reaching out to candidates about an opening. While you shouldn’t talk too much about yourself and your business at the expense of the candidate, it’s important to think not only about what they can do for you, but about what you can do for them.
In the modern job market, it is not only business factors that can determine a potential recruit’s interest in a role. Brand values and corporate social responsibility are more important than ever, and while it isn’t a good idea to overstuff a job advertisement, you should try to strike a balance between describing the role and your ideal candidate profile, and selling your company as a place with a passion for nurturing and developing talent.
For more information about how working with a recruiter can simplify this process and enable you to improve the quality of your hires without stretching your budget or resources, contact Employment Solutions. Call our team on 0161 839 5353, or complete the contact form below to request a callback.