‘The Great Resignation’ is taking the business world by storm, and those open to new opportunities or career paths find themselves in a powerful position. With more available jobs, competitive compensation opportunities, and flexibility in the workplace, employers who are looking to hire in a candidate-driven market will need to bring their A-game if they hope to compete for the most qualified individuals.
Here are seven ways to improve your hiring process and add the right people to your team.
It is undeniable that candidates have access to many opportunities in the current market –– allowing them to pick and choose exactly what they want out of their next job. This can make it difficult for your organization to stand out from the crowd and get the right people interested in the open position.
Once you accept this as the current standard, you can plan for situations that may arise. Keep in mind that if someone is actively searching for a new position, they likely have specific criteria and expectations they would like met. So, it is vital to take the time to understand what the non-negotiables are –– be it a hybrid schedule, culture/environment, competitive salary, or developmental opportunities. Recognizing this from the beginning will allow you to adjust your recruitment strategies in a way that is attractive to potential employees.
One of the quickest ways to adjust your strategy to compete with the larger volume of open positions is to write a job opportunity that focuses more on the value and difference of your company––from describing the principles and culture to the impact and difference the employee can make, clearly describing the first year deliverables, and sharing a high-level overview of benefits/perks.
By writing compelling opportunity profiles, you build excitement with candidates who can picture themselves as part of your team and making a difference. They will also help candidates self-select out of your process if it does not appeal to their interests, saving you time and money. At Kinsley Sarn, we accomplish this through the use of an “opportunity proposal”, a profiling tool used to help us identify your ideal candidates and communicate your brand identity, core values, and job requirements. Over the course of your hiring process, this document will prove a useful tool to incorporate into your strategy.
To learn more about how to develop your organization's recruitment efforts in a way that differentiates itself from the rest, read Crafting an Engaging Candidate Profile.
As you begin to engage with the most promising candidates, remember that this is their first impression of your organization. So, in order to create a powerful employee-employer connection, it is in your best interest to focus on their experience and build trust throughout the relationship.
Given the number of options available to them, ensuring candidates have a positive experience will have a direct impact on their final decision. Clearly define your interview process so that they understand the time commitment and when a final decision will be made and make sure to focus your efforts on making every interaction meaningful. Communicate clearly, be respectful of their time, and make the process as efficient as possible for all parties involved.
While conducting the interview, go beyond the usual questions to identify candidates that match your candidate profile. Be intentional about who from the company is on the interview team and have them explore different competencies and areas of a candidate's background to increase engagement. Do not leave it up to the interviewer to develop their questions-- instead, train them on a unified process for the company, like experiential interviews, and then provide a specific list of questions. When you use targeted, open-ended questions, you allow the candidate to share details about their achievements while providing insight into their character and capabilities as a future leader in your organization –– ultimately creating a more robust experience for both parties.
In a candidate-driven market, making the decision to move forward, or not, is an integral part of the candidate's experience. No one wants to be kept waiting, let alone if they have multiple offers at the same time. To ensure a quick decision-making process, meet with your hiring team after the candidate is finished to review their feedback while it is fresh and make an informed decision. In today’s aggressive market, if your team cannot come to a decision quickly, they may lose out on the candidate altogether.
Related: 7 Qualities to Identify Exceptional Candidates in an Interview
Once you have made your decision and presented your offer to the selected candidate, you can expect the negotiation process to start. In this candidate-driven market, employees are more aware and educated on monetary and non-monetary benefits and are willing to openly express their expectations. To increase your position, discover these expectations early in the process. When it comes time to make an offer, put your best offer forward to get them excited rather than wasting time and potentially losing their interest negotiating back and forth. An organized and proactive company that pulls employees in through its authentic value proposition will see the most success in the current climate.
As an employer, hiring is never an easy process –– and in order to be successful, it requires refined interpersonal skills, collaboration, and, most importantly, vision. Without these things, it can be a challenge to find and bring on new team members that are critical to success.
As you look to compete for top-tier talent in a candidate-driven market, continuously improving your internal processes is essential. Investing in necessary AI tools and technology to streamline your process, aligning leaders of your departments, and personalizing your process can propel your hiring efforts to secure top talent for your business.
While optimizing your hiring process is always crucial to improving your organization, it may not always be enough — especially in a market that is this competitive. To guarantee your efforts are maximized, partnering with an experienced search firm offers several advantages.
For starters, they are able to reach a far greater number of potential candidates by accessing both active and passive candidates. This opens up the possibility of attracting candidates with even greater skill sets who may not have been currently considering joining your team. Additionally, their expert qualifications can have a positive impact on the whole process. By quickly identifying standout candidates, you can ensure you don't miss out on an opportunity.
When looking for a valuable partner to elevate your hiring efforts, understanding their process is the best place to start. Identify what elements are most important to your organization, and find alignment with the executive search firm. The most successful partnerships are formed when time is dedicated to addressing your goals and objectives, and committing to each other's success.
At Kinsley Sarn, we personalize our process and customize it to meet the needs of our clients. Throughout the process, we actively collaborate with your team to communicate our findings and ensure every step is taken in the right direction. Each step is designed to develop a deeper understanding of the organizational culture, the open position’s responsibilities, and the skills required in order to effectively identify the most qualified professionals for the role.
If you would like to learn more about our proprietary process, click on the button below.
