If your hiring process isn’t working, here’s why
The Great Resignation, The Talent War, and silent quitting - are a few movements changing recruitment today. If you’re a recruiter on the employer’s side, it’s key to stay on top of what’s going on outside your organization to gain a competitive advantage. Here are the latest recruitment trends reshaping hiring practices:
You need to invest in Direct Search
The competition is fierce. Companies are finding it harder to hire top talent - from juniors to the management level - and need extra help sourcing great candidates across the seniority spectrum. Instead of advertising a job and hoping people apply for the role, top organizations are looking for new ways to find the best candidates. These organizations are either building their own talent acquisition teams in-house or using a trusted partner to perform Direct Search. Direct Search means actively targeting passive candidates - those who are happy and not looking for a new job but would consider moving for the right opportunity. In fact, one survey found only about 15% of the people interviewed were not open to moving 1 - making Direct Search a promising investment.
You need to review your employer brand
Actively looking for the best talent isn’t enough - companies need to work harder on their employer brand to attract top candidates. We spend a lot of time going to work, which is why many of us need to do things that positively impact people and society. In 2016, 64% of Millennials said they wouldn’t take a job if their employee didn’t have a strong CSR policy 2. Today, those winning the talent war are putting people and purpose at the centre. Successful organizations boast satisfied employees who advocate for them, boosting social recruiting. Investing in continuous learning opportunities, offering meaningful work, and nurturing an inclusive, self-directed culture can help organizations improve their recruitment odds.
Your recruitment process takes too long
People are rejecting jobs based on the recruitment process. Recruiters are the candidate’s first touchpoint and the impression they leave has an impact on your organization’s image. Reasons for rejection include 1) an unnecessarily long recruiting process 2) lack of timely communication 3) lack of transparency and 4) being ill-prepared to answer candidate questions. Recruiters, hiring managers and HR professionals must move quickly and communicate clearly to safeguard the candidate experience and secure the best talent.
You need to shine a light on your culture and values
Candidates want the opportunity to really understand how the organization works. They also are looking to assess their chemistry with the hiring manager, potential team members and peers. To reassure potential candidates, organizations should offer at least 2-3 rounds of interviews with different people. Candidates are doing their homework beyond the interview process, so be prepared. More people are turning to company videos, strategy documents and values to determine company culture. They’re also turning to their personal networks to get real insight outside of the ‘marketing talk’. If your culture isn’t as you say it is then your reputation could take a hit - but if your team are happy they will reinforce the positive impression. That’s why the most important sales asset is your team!
You need to test promising candidates for skill
Traditional interviews aren’t very accurate. They can be riddled with unconscious bias and are often just a test of how well someone presents themselves - as opposed to how well-equipped they are to do the job. A test drive is a real-world simulation of work tasks. Test drives increase hiring accuracy from 50-60% to 70-80% - that's huge. They leave a good impression too. When an organization invests time to test-drive a few promising candidates selectively, they’re telling them 'we take recruitment seriously here’ 3.
Workers make employment decisions on more than compensation and employee benefits. Organizations need to refocus on what matters most - recruiting top talent starts with putting people, purpose and processes first.
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References:
- Your Approach to Hiring Is All Wrong, Harvard Business Review, May-June 2019 2016
- Cone Communications Millennial Employee Engagement Study
- Recruit Rockstars: The 10 Step Playbook to Find the Winners and Ignite Your Business, November 15, 2017