The last few years have been challenging for everyone, especially when we’re talking about the employment market. Now that companies are looking to get back to a new ‘normal’, they need to recruit the best talent in the market that can help them capitalize on the pent-up demand. Given that companies pivoted their recruitment strategy to adapt to the pandemic, employers will need to pivot again to adapt to the new normal.
If you are unsure about how to become more competitive in the talent war and hire the best talent, here are seven tips to hire top talent in 2021.
Do not try to recruit 100% of the Job Description
We see so much rigidity when managers are hiring. Often, they want to hire a candidate who fits 100 per cent of the job description and is confused when the candidate leaves six months later. A poll we ran on LinkedIn identified that candidates consider growth potential to be the most important factor when looking for a job. If you are open-minded when interviewing candidates and consider fantastic candidates with only 70–80 per cent of the skillset, the candidate comes in with an ability to learn and develop; thus, they’re more inclined to accept your job offer. Technical skills can be taught but attitude often cannot!
Culture Is King
If your company has a terrible culture, it’s hard to hide it. Candidates do their due diligence on companies before the interview, and if platforms like LinkedIn or Glassdoor show plenty of negative feedback, then you need to focus on this first. Unfortunately, we see companies focus on trying to fix the reviews instead of fixing the culture itself. If the cultural problems persist, you will find that candidates end up leaving after a few months anyway. Concerned about your culture? Do an anonymous poll and get feedback from your business. As a hiring manager, if your company has bad culture, it’s essential to work on building a great team culture.
Sell the Opportunity
This is where most recruiters, HR managers, employers, and owners fail. They take the attitude that everyone wants to join their company and interview as though the candidate needs to convince them why they should be hired. However, this should be a two-way interview. After you question the candidate about their experiences, find out about their pull factors. What do they want in their career? This is where you tailor your selling points. Don’t promise the moon, but don’t forget to at least talk about it!
Remote Work
With the recent pandemic, the workplace environment has changed a lot. Many companies and employees have opted for remote working to improve flexibility, safety, and even productivity. Remote working is now becoming an option for those who are more comfortable working at home than working at the office. So, if you have a position that could allow this, you should present the opportunity to work from home to your target candidates. It will not only attract top talent but will also enhance the company’s reputation. You need to show that you are flexible with the working arrangements.
Social Recruiting
If you haven’t yet used social media for recruiting, it is time to change that. As soon as a candidate learns about the opportunity, they will do their research and check the company’s socials. As mentioned previously, culture is king. If your social handles show promotions and team events, this will contribute positively to your employer brand. From here, you should be giving candidates the opportunity to access your recruitment page, which highlights all the cool benefits and perks they’d enjoy while working at your company.
Seek Passive Candidates
The traditional way of recruiting goes something like this: step one, put up a job advertisement; step two, wait for applications. This is fine for some situations, and we have experienced some cases where the perfect candidate actually applies. But nine times out of ten, this won’t happen. Proactively connecting with potential candidates in the market and building relationships is key. Not only will you build your network, but when your recruitment need arises, you’ll be able to tap the shoulders of some people you already know that can add value. If you are able to use head-hunters, communicate to your recruiter that you are open to proactive conversations. If you end up hiring, you’ll pay, but you’ll get to meet the best candidates available on the market.
More Interview Steps in a Shorter Time Frame
We constantly find that employers are missing out on great candidates because their interview process takes forever. By the time the candidate gets to the third interview with our customer, they have already received an offer elsewhere. To avoid this, add more steps throughout the interview to create more buy-in from the candidate, but do this in a much quicker time frame. You’ll have momentum on your side and will be seen as decisive.
There is an ongoing war for the best talent out there. Apply the above tips and you’ll find you can attract and hire the top candidates before your competition does.
Want to hire at a higher level? Use the steps we’ve outlined and get connected with the team at Judobi to source the best talent on the market.