Today’s job market is hot to say the least and just because you might be hiring does not mean you will get the talent you need. You see, it’s a candidate driven market and companies and hiring managers need to rethink their recruiting efforts to compete in this highly competitive market.
Below are 5 critical factors hiring managers must get right to attract the right talent.
- Speed – speed to hire is critical because candidates have options and sometimes, they have lots of them. Sort of like the housing market, the demand is greater than the supply. To avoid losing good candidates don’t delay your hiring process or get into a bidding war that may end up leaving you empty handed and frustrated after exerting a lot of effort.
- Agility – What worked in the past may no longer be standard-operating-procedure in landing the right talent. Being agile, creative and present from start of search to completion will be key. Don’t let chance be your guide, be proactive, make that additional call to keep candidates warm or send them a handwritten note letting them know how interested you are in them. Candidates need to feel wanted and the more you can do to make that happen the better.
- Prioritize Hiring – You’re crazy busy which is why you are hiring. But just because you are hiring does not mean you can sit back and wait for talent to come to you. Hiring MUST be a priority in today’s market which means the hiring process – interviews, reference checking, offer letters, etc. must take priority. See #1… speed and priority go hand in hand.
- Customize – One size fits all no longer works when hiring senior level talent. Anything standard may no longer work so you must get creative and develop customized offers to land the talent you need. And it’s no longer all about the compensation – flex time, not requiring a move, hybrid remote work, vacation time, etc. are all good levers to consider.
- Be Proactive – Don’t just let HR or your recruiter do the lifting. Candidates want to hear from the hiring manager and will gauge their potential future boss by how engaged you are in the recruiting process. Take the initiative, be proactive and do the little things throughout the process that will pay off in landing the talent you need!
