Sometimes even the greatest of recruitment adverts won't deliver the'calibre'of candidates you are seeking.' So what can you do to turn this around and get the right hire for the position?
I've detailed 10 approaches below which you can use to try and turn this situation in your favour:
Maintain a file of promising candidates who you turned down because they required just a little more experience ' and you can contact them in a year or two's time when talent is proving scarce.
Another file worth keeping is a record of all those candidates who you interviewed but turned you down.' Keep a track of their careers on LinkedIn and other social networking sites and get in touch with them when their situation changes.' We have over 3,000 members in our LinkedIn group who like to discuss their careers.' You can join the Response Recruitment Knowledge Network here.
When somebody new starts with the business ask them if they can recommend anybody from their old firm or from the industry.' See, if they will help you to hire targeted candidates. They will be especially eager to impress in their early days and connections with previous colleagues may still be strong so this is a good time to ask for referrals.
This is where you will need to pries some info from your top performers.' Ask them where they would hang out, e.g. LinkedIn Groups, online forums, industry and social events, papers, magazines and journals that they read. This is a great way to find out fertile locations for job adverts or employer branding notices.
One of the biggest barriers for a lot of people looking to move jobs is that most interviews are held within working hours.' If you can have the flexibility to interview outside of working hours and at evening or weekends, this may attract candidates who would not have previously applied.' Make sure that this is highlighted in an job advert you post for the role.
If you can offer to conduct the interviews at private locations near your top candidates' home or offices and therefore make it more convenient for them to attend interviews, this may well remove another barrier to recruitment.
If you are struggling to close on good candidates, try and involve your CEO in the later stages of the interview/deal closing process, be that a call or a visit. Candidates are always impressed when they hear from a CEO or other senior executive.
For those candidates that are currently employed and may struggle to get out to a face-to-face interview, consider the option of conducting the first round of interviews by video or Skype.'' Again, you may get a bucket load of great candidates who wouldn't have otherwise applied to the role.
It is always worth asking your new recruits what made them apply and accept the job in the first place.' You can learn from this feedback and ensure that it helps shape your marketing collateral and future'interview process.
As we get closer to 2013, it may be time for companies to change their mindset if they want to win the competition for finding the best talent.' 'In a saturated job market, good candidates are getting harder and harder to find, so you need to work with a recruitment company that understands how to help you acquire the top talent.
With nearly 10 years' experience in flat-fee recruitment, we are ideally placed to help you acquire the right people to ensure your business has a fantastic 2013.
Thanks for reading and should you require any further help finding that next big move, or if you are looking to recruit, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me here, or you can join the LinkedIn Response Knowledge Network here.
Otherwise feel free to get in touch with me personally, via Twitter or LinkedIn using the links below.
