I’ve had a situation this week where a candidate I am working with has received 3 job offers. This is great news for the candidate (and me!), but is a sign of the current market and the challenges employers face when looking to recruit.
Now more than ever, it is vital for employers to put together compelling offers and interview experiences to stand the best chance of securing quality talent.
My thoughts:
- Have a clear and concise job specification and invest the time to fully brief your recruiter (preferably me). This allows your recruiter (me, again) to present your opportunity to the candidate community in the best possible way. The more the recruiter (me…you guessed it!) knows about the role, team, vision of the function, the salary, benefits package, and the business, the better.
- What does your interview process look like? Is it clearly defined and do all stakeholders involved understand their part in the process? You will need the find a balance between being thorough, but ensuring a quick and efficient process. If your process has too many stages, or too much time elapses between each stage, you risk candidates finding other roles.
- When conducting your interviews, please remember you are speaking to a human! Of course you need to evaluate their skills and suitability for your role, but don’t forget to “sell” your opportunity – why should a candidate join you and your team over another? You need a compelling story to attract the best people.
- When you do get to offer stage, it is vital to get the offer right first time. Consult your recruiter (me) for advice on this. Yes, a recruitment business is typically paid a % of the candidates salary but the consultants commission isn’t vastly different if you offer a higher salary (we’d much rather the placement is made regardless of salary!). Salaries have increased of late and if you haven’t recently evaluated your budget vs the market, you risk being undesirable in comparison to other opportunities.
- Your chosen candidate receives a great offer that they are delighted to accept. Job done, right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case! The post offer process is incredibly important to ensure the candidate starts with you. Ensure the offer letter and contract is generated and issued promptly. I’d also recommend the hiring manager or a member of the HR/Talent team to give the candidate a call to congratulate them and explain next steps and detail the timeframes.
- Most candidates have a 1-3 month notice period. This time should be used to plan their first weeks and months, but it is also very important to keep in contact with them. Your recruiter should be doing this, but I always recommend the hiring manager do the same. A good idea is to invite them in for an informal catch up or a team lunch. Remember, as soon as they resign, their current employer will be do all they can to keep them!
- The start date comes and they successfully join your team. The initial weeks and months are very important and, if the placement isn’t going to work out, it is highly likely to happen in the first 3 months. Ensure you have regular meetings with the new hire to ensure they are happy and discuss any potential issues. Getting feedback on the onboarding process is also vital for future recruitment.
- Finally, try to make sure the invoice is paid on time…! 😊
If you’d like to discuss any of this further, or have anything to add, please get in touch with me ([email protected]) or Daniel Milson ([email protected]).