In recent years, companies have had an increasingly difficult time recruiting top talent. While low unemployment is at least partially responsible, specific actions on the part of the business also play a big role. That’s not to say it is impossible to locate hard-to-find talent. It just takes more creativity and an understanding of how to maximize the recruitment tools available.
As the labor market shrank, many organizations failed to adapt their approach to recruitment. However, the tried-and-true strategies of yesteryear are predominately ineffective in today’s climate, making a difficult situation even harder to manage.
If you are wondering why you are having such a hard time locating great candidates, here are some points that may be holding you back.
Too Many Requirements
Most companies have a “perfect” candidate in mind when they write their vacancy announcements. This leads them to create a laundry list of requirements in hopes of finding someone who can bring it all to the table.
If you want to avoid this scenario, craft your vacancy announcements carefully. Only list items as requirements if they are genuinely essential from day one or cannot be learned along the way. This includes anything from the skills you ask for to the number of years’ experience you are hoping they have, as both can impact your results.
The Millennial Challenge
Millennials’ restlessness creates unique challenges, as these workers are more accustomed than older generations to jump from company to company. Younger generations in particular do not often stay with an organization more than two or three years. They are always looking for the next thing.
Emphasizing what your organization is doing around career development will help you attract millennials. If you don’t have anything to relate, start making changes so your company is better aligned with the wants and needs of the today’s workforce.
Lack of Understanding
One of the most common pain points amongst HR professionals: an applicant with great skill sets, but simply lacks the work experience needed. It’s easier to fill a job when a large population of the workforce will likely have the skills and experience you require.
One strategy to compensate for a lack of experience and skills in a candidate that would otherwise be a great hire, is to provide mentoring, education, and training programs.
Culture “Quirks”
If you’ve ever worked for a company with several cultural “quirks,” this point doesn’t require much explanation. You know the quirks when you see them. The quirks make it potentially difficult for a new hire to assimilate into the culture. As a result, the more of those quirks that exist, the harder it may be to fill the job opening.
Perks such as nap rooms, free food, and pet-friendly policies, have raised the bar for many companies.
Brand Name Recognition
Generally, the more well known the company or the brand, the easier it is to fill a job opening. Imagine the volume of resumes Fortune 500 companies receive daily. A bad reputation doesn’t mean people won’t want to work for your organization, however, it does usually mean the candidate pool gets smaller, making it more difficult to fill job openings.
Look at websites like Indeed to see employee reviews of your organization to get a sense of where your reputation stands. If what you hear is negative or inaccurate, consider ways to re-establish your brand by presenting at conferences or participating in relevant press arenas and LinkedIn groups. Check your website Careers page to make sure it’s sending the messages your ideal candidates will get excited about.
Many organizations rely on Recruitment Agencyes to find temporary and full-time employees with the hottest skill sets. In fact, CIOs in our survey ranked this strategy the second most effective way to locate IT talent.
Staffing firms typically have strong connections in the business community, giving them access to the hidden talent pool — candidates you might not otherwise find because they are not actively searching for new jobs.
However, for the best results, it is critical to select the right recruiting partner for your company.
Our approach, at zaposli.se, is innovative and driven by modern technology, which ensures to attract the best candidates for your organization. We understand different aspects of local as well as multinational companies with their specific requirements from the industry they come from.
We know how your world works.