Oh, how the tables have turned. Not too long ago, employers had all of the leverage when it came to hiring. Today, it seems like it’s the candidates who are in total control. And that begs the question: how do you find (and hire) top talent for your organization?
Try These Staffing Tips
There’s nothing easy about staffing your company these days. It takes a lot of discipline, planning, and careful execution. Here are several tips you may find helpful:
1. Understand What You’re Looking For
It all starts with a clear understanding of precisely what you’re looking for in a candidate. This includes both the hard, technical skills and the softer personality traits. If you have requirements for education, certifications, or past job experiences, make sure these are clearly outlined as well. This will save you a ton of time and prevent you from wasting time with candidates who aren’t suited for the job.
2. Understand What Candidates Are Looking For
It’s equally important that you understand what the candidates are looking for. According to PageUp, there’s been a steep decline in the number of job applications over the past year – and here’s why:
• Individuals are very hesitant to begin a new role with so many different roles available. Candidates know they have lots of options and this has created a sort of “paralysis by analysis.” They know they have choices, so they don’t feel pressured to make a move until they feel like it’s the perfect fit.
• With so much market uncertainty, there’s a hesitancy to switch industries or careers.
• Thanks to inflation, salary is one of the strongest motivators for pursuing a new role. Many businesses have failed to keep up with the salary expectations of candidates, which makes people less likely to switch jobs.
If you understand the mindset of today’s job candidates, you can tweak your approach to ensure you reach candidates where they are.
3. Work With a Staffing Agency
If you want access to the top talent, you’re better off hiring a staffing agency to oversee the talent acquisition process on your behalf. Here’s how staffing agencies work:
• You contact the staffing agency when you have a job opening
• The staffing agency creates a job ad
• The agency vets and qualifies applicants
• Your hiring manager makes the final decision
• The staffing agency handles all of the onboarding paperwork
The beauty of working with a staffing agency is that it requires very little time and effort on your part, and yet you typically end up with a candidate who is a perfect fit for the position. This allows you to focus on your core competencies without compromising your talent acquisition.
4. Prioritize Referrals
In addition to using a staffing agency, it’s always a good idea to collect referrals from your existing employees. In fact, an employee referral program is one of the best ways to stock your talent pipeline without breaking the bank. (Even when you aren’t actively looking to fill any positions, we recommend gathering referrals and building a database of potential future hires.)
5. Sell the Experience
When it comes to hiring, you’re really selling an experience. You’re selling the culture of your business and the experience that comes with it. While salary is certainly a huge concern right now, it’s not the only factor. Candidates are also focused on things like job flexibility, work-life balance, health, and team dynamics. Keep this in mind during the hiring process.
6. Simplify the Process
Candidates are tired of going through 60-day hiring processes that consist of multiple interviews, projects, tests, and meet-and-greets. You might find all of these things valuable in helping you evaluate talent, but multi-step processes create unnecessary friction for candidates and may scare them away.
Simplify your hiring process by removing any unnecessary or repetitive steps. There may have been a time when people were impressed by extensive hiring processes, but that time is not now. Candidates expect simplicity.
Take Control Over Your Talent Acquisition
Talent acquisition, staffing, recruiting, hiring – you can call it what you want, but it’s important! Without a consistent infusion of top talent into your organization, it’s nearly impossible for your business to move in the right direction. Hopefully, this article helps you sharpen your approach moving forward.
