Are you skipping over the first step of the hiring process?
In today’s ever-evolving market, much emphasis has been placed on how job seekers should present themselves to a potential employer.
In this industry, multi-taskers are in hot demand; those that can be both hands-on and strategic, creative and commercial, those who are effective communicators and analytically-minded too. Plus they must have that special ingredient that makes them a good ‘fit’ – bit nebulous this one, but generally speaking, enthusiasm, drive and emotional intelligence all play well!
Dedicated candidates that display many of these attributes, have realistic expectations and who taken the time to create a decent CV are getting snapped up quickly. The demand at the mid-level has rarely been so strong, and these days ‘candidate is king’ (or queen!)
Employers will always have a wish list, but don’t forget the potential employee will have their own wish list too! Companies can no longer rely on attracting candidates by virtue of their brilliant reputation – they now have to work harder to entice and secure talent. So what can you do to get more great candidates through your door?
Many clients do not provide job specs, either because they don’t have the time or don’t feel the need. The latter may be especially true if they are using a recruiter who arguably should be ‘selling’ the job/company on their behalf. Whilst this is true to an extent, the lack of a branded spec does not create a great first impression – especially with junior or mid-level candidates. Rightly or wrongly, they can feel that the client doesn’t mean business or isn’t that bothered; in much the same way that an employer would if a candidate hadn’t written a CV!
It’s proven that people are more likely to apply to companies who provide job specs than to those that don’t. In a job-heavy market where good candidates have options, it really is a no-brainer. Producing an all-singing all dancing-spec can be time consuming, but so worth it – and you can recycle/adapt them once you’ve a decent template. Remember though that something is better than nothing – even if it’s a bit of a work in progress.
Once you’ve produced the content, review it from a candidate’s perspective. Make sure it’s not just a list of demands – you need to showcase what you can offer them, not just focus on what they can offer you.
The recruitment process still heavily favours the demands of the employer, but it’s time to redress this balance. Where possible flexibility should be shown with regards interview timings. Interviews themselves should be more of a 2 way street, interviewers should be well -informed, feedback should be provided and follow-up should be swift (good candidates won’t hang around forever!). All too often we see candidates being put off a company for life due to a bad interview experience earlier in their career.
In the real world, time (or lack of) does play a big part, stuff happens and the recruitment process won’t always go to plan. However, just a few tweaks could really make a difference, enabling you to hire the right staff within a shorter time frame. A positive recruitment process can work wonders; candidates who are made to feel valued and empowered are much more likely to say ‘YES’.