With significantly more vacancies in the job market than last year, what can recruiters do to attract better candidates for their clients?
New reports have revealed that the UK’s economy is making a recovery, with the unemployment rate now at its lowest level in over five years, according to the Telegraph. With more jobs available for professional talent, how do you find the right people for your company?
As a recruitment agency, the success of your business depends on the quality of the people you provide to your clients. Now that the job market is booming, especially in the IT and engineering sectors, professional recruitment agencies have more vacancies than they did this time last year.
According to survey data from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), there is an increased demand for professional talent in the UK, with recruitment firms posting an average of 27% more vacancies than last year. But it’s not all good news: there are many positions left unfilled, and recruiters are battling to find the right candidates in this constantly changing market.
The CEO of APSCo, Ann Swain, says that talent shortages could do real harm to organisations:
“It is not a new phenomenon that several sectors are already contending with a people crisis, and unless businesses reassess their talent attraction strategies, soon future growth could be scuppered. And at a time when the generalist recruiter is being replaced by ‘multi niche consultancies,’ employers will do well to build solid relationships with these players that not only have access to global talent pools, but can also source the hard-to-fill vacancies in-house teams simply can’t do.”
The wrong candidate can affect your corporate culture and overall productivity, and recruiters have a tough job trying to find the right candidate, especially for those jobs that require specialised skills. One of the most important things to do is to clarify what you really expect from the vacant role.
Make note of the qualities and characteristics that you think the ideal candidate for the position should possess and the basic skills that are needed to do the job. Adequately defining the role will attract the right professional talent for your organisation and greatly increase your chances of making the right hire.
The new hire should be a good fit (someone with the same goals and values) with the company’s existing corporate culture so that they can positively embrace all aspects of the company and drive sales. It is important to consider integrity, attitude, and work ethic, not just experience.
It might seem like an obvious point, but the fact is that many recruiters fail to talk about the right things. Ask better questions that are not just about their requirements for the job or their job history.
Instead, ask questions about their ambitions, passions, and goals, as this will help you gauge the candidate’s personality and determine whether they have the right personality traits to succeed at the position.
Recruiters know that they need to hire the right people, but the problem is finding them first. Many recruiters realise that the old methods of hiring a candidate are no longer effective due to their lack of adaptability and flexibility. Social media has proven to be a fantastic tool for discovering and learning more about potential candidates.
Companies are also focusing more on hiring passive candidates, who cannot be recruited using the traditional methods. Social media has revolutionised the recruiting industry, and recruiters are using these creative new strategies to gain a competitive advantage and source the top talent, casting a wider search net for potential candidates.
Traditional job descriptions are often outdated – the current market calls for a short but informational job description that clearly outlines the company's corporate culture. Consider the use of colour and imagery to convey a consistent employer brand message and attract potential hires.
Use digital content like videos taken from within the company to show what it’s like working for your business, as well as the organisation’s history and work environment.
Recruiters should also take advantage of the way that technology has changed how candidates search for jobs. Create mobile applications and ensure that content is mobile-compatible. Benefit from targeting the new tech-savvy workforce by using text and video to connect with professional talent.
LaunchPad Recruits puts people and communication – not CVs – at the heart of the recruitment process. That’s why our innovative online video interview platform aims to let candidates and employers communicate more effectively and forge better, lasting relationships. The question to ask yourself now is: does your business put people first?
