We’ve heard a lot about the Great Resignation in the past year, but companies are adding jobs and things seem to be stabilizing.
If you’re still having trouble getting applications, or landing highly qualified candidates that interviewed well and appeared to be a strong potential addition to your team, it’s possible there are some fixes needed to your hiring and recruitment process.
Here are five ways you could be pushing away talented candidates without realizing it:
Your hiring process takes too long.
This is among the top complaints of candidates after they start a new job: They picked one company over another because of how long it was taking to get hired. It’s understandable that the hiring process needs to be thorough and careful, and there’s due diligence to be done, but it should not take longer than absolutely necessary. Some 60% of applicants have admitted to walking away from a job position because the process was taking too long to complete. It doesn’t help if …
Communication falls off.
People are understanding and patient when it comes to not answering an email immediately. But if things are going well and moving forward and then a candidate doesn’t hear from you in a timely manner, or when promised, they’re going to get wary. If you tell someone you’ll get back to them by the end of the business day, and two days go by, that’s a red flag. You expect candidates to reply in a timely manner; they deserve the same respect and timeliness from you.
Your online reputation is less than stellar.
What kind of impression is your company making online? If you balked at that question or think it’s unimportant, think again. Candidates are looking online and they’re doing their research before applying. Check your social media presence, your reputation online, what people are saying about your company. Take a hard look at public opinion. Is it what you like? Do your socials reflect your company in a positive light and show engaged employees doing good work and being proud of what they do? Do you receive negative comments on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram — have you looked? Your online presence, and the impression people make from it, is vitally important and needs to be top-of-mind when it comes to attracting top talent. Your hiring process probably involves a social media check; your candidates are doing the same.
Outdated or boring job descriptions.
When’s the last time you reviewed the positions your company hires for? What kind of language is used? There might be outdated qualifications or responsibilities listed with a job, or an incomplete or inaccurate title. Worse, there might be language and phrases that are unintentionally limiting the kind of candidates you’re looking to hire. Talk to people in the position you’re looking to hire and see what their daily tasks include and use that information to update the description. Make sure there’s no limiting language in the ad that would deter someone based on their mobility, age, gender, presentation, background, etc. It might help to see how other companies describe the same job and to have other people in the company, people you trust, review the ad before it’s published to make sure nothing’s overlooked.
Only looking for active job seekers.
Why are you waiting for top talent to come to you? So often, people are content in their job and aren’t looking to leave when they receive an offer they can’t refuse. Do you have a strategy in place to review LinkedIn accounts for bright young professionals in your industry and see if they’d be interested in learning more about your company when a job opens that matches their background? You might only be seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to talented, quality people who would be a great addition to your team if you’re waiting on people to come to you.
Need to add to your team but can’t find the right people? Sterling Personnel is ready to help!
It’s possible your company is having some difficulty finding and keeping the most talented candidates because they’re being swooped up by companies better positioned to make them a strong offer faster. Review your practices, streamline and update as needed, and see the tide turn.
Sterling Personnel has plenty of highly qualified candidates looking to join a successful team, ready to get to work right away — they’re just looking for someone to give them a chance. Get in touch with Sterling Personnel today and let’s help you get connected.
