Don’t always believe the hype when recruiting

Recruitment: Spider

According to reports, data has revealed that over 45% of employers consider recruitment the most significant HR challenge they have faced this year, and this is set to continue. Current statistics show that the number of vacancies available in 2022 are considerably higher than 2021 across many industries. Hospitality has increased by a whopping 296%, with Transport and Logistics following with a 197% increase; the ‘War for Talent’ certainly continues to rage…

That said, we all know that great businesses need great people, so the need for talent will, and should, be on a savvy Directors priority list. And whilst it may not be the easiest task to complete, there are ways to ensure you become a destination for the next superstar employee.

So many companies generally focus on one method to hire, whether it is via a job board like Indeed, a recruitment agency, or perhaps even just the use of social media. If this fails, it can feel to those ambitious directors and managers that great candidates are just not available. The competition to hire great talent is fierce, so the key to success is to take a multi-faceted approach to recruitment.

So where do you start?   

Establish your company values: One fundamental message, no matter the size of your organisation, is you need to understand your company values and have them nailed down, before you promote your business as ‘the’ place to work.

Some of the best companies hire and retain great people based on the core values of their business.   Therefore, if you employ people that are aligned with your values, your business is a better place to be, and you retain a happy team.  So, be the destination for great candidates by getting your values in line first and foremost, before moving onto the next stage.

Build a Talent Pool: Imagine being able to fill a gap in your workforce by just picking the best candidate from a group of applicants!  A ‘Talent Pool’ can help you stay ahead of your company’s recruitment needs. Having a selection of quality candidates at your fingertips, can not only speed up the recruiting process, but will also save you paying high agency fees for each individual hire. Build this by: Using an Applicant Tracking System; advertising on multiple job boards; ensuring all roles are advertised on your website, and publicising to your network of social media channels – even get your employees sharing these roles for maximum impact.

Pay a referral fee:  Why pay anybody externally via a job board or agency, when your own employees have a network of potential employees? Referral fees can vary, from £500 to £2000+ and the expression ‘birds of a feather stick together’ could mean an almost immediate culture match.

So, don’t believe all the hype, whilst recruitment is certainly not easy, it doesn’t have to be so difficult.