Many businesses are looking for professionals that are the right match for their business. As businesses look to build out their teams and prepare for growth, they are seeking skilled and experienced candidates who can take the organisation forward.
But finding 'the one' isn't always easy. Businesses looking to hire new employees are struggling to recruit employees that are the right match, and it comes with a cost. It can take significant time and effort to find someone suitably attractive. And even when you have, you'll still got to lure them in, and ensure they are going to fit well within the business.
As an employer, knowing where the top talent can be found, and what you can do to appeal to the best candidates is essential to avoid making a bad hire.
Finding 'the one'
First of all, your organisation has to give itself the best possible chance of receiving high-quality applications for job vacancies. If you want to bring in someone who can add significant value to your organisation, you've got to go and find them. This involves doing more than simply advertising a role on the internet and waiting for CVs to flood in.
In order to identify the best people, you've got to be a little more proactive with your hiring strategy. It might be the case that, through networking with professionals working in your industry, you have particular individuals in mind for the role. If so, you have the option of contacting them directly and inviting them to a job interview. But more often than not, the ideal employee for your vacancy will be someone you haven't met before. Advertising on the jobs boards may help track them down, but you stand a much greater chance of saving time and monetary efficiencies if you use recruitment agency services as well.
Recruitment consultants have in-depth knowledge of the jobs market and specific industry sectors, which they can use to an employer's advantage as they plan new hires. Recruiters have access to hidden pools of talent and can discuss your vacancy with potential candidates, and assess their remuneration expectations to ensure they are within your price range.
If professionals are interested in the advertised role, and are wanting to work for your organisation, you may be closer to the ideal employee than you think. Now it's just a matter of putting them through the interview process, ensuring they are as impressive in-person and a good cultural fit for your organisation.
Attracting 'the one'
Once you’ve attracted talented professionals to interview, you now need to win them over and ask interview questions to identify whether they are the right match for the role. This means making a job offer they can’t resist. Offer a salary and remuneration package too low and you risk losing ‘the one’, but go in too high and you might offer a package your organisation can't afford.
When attracting staff, remember that top professionals are after more than just an attractive salary. They desire a comprehensive benefits package, and a future in developing the relationship, or in this case their career.
As an employer, offering these six things can increase your chances of recruiting the ideal employee:
- Competitive salary - money might not be a candidate's sole concern when considering a job offer, but it is still an important issue. Resources such as the Robert Half Salary Guide allow employers to benchmark salaries and see how much they should be offering.
- Flexible benefits - If organisations are able to offer a range of flexible benefits - where employees can choose which perks they want, up to a certain value - then this may sweeten the relationship.
- Training/development - professionals want to feel they are being given the opportunity to develop their role and prepare for greater responsibility in the future.
- Strong management - employees want to work for strong managers who they can rally behind and learn from.
- More responsibility - professionals want to take on new roles, develop their skills and prepare themselves for further progress up the career ladder. Employers need to nurture their talent, by slowly exposing them to leadership and management tasks.
- Work-life balance - increasingly, professionals are looking to achieve a better work-life balance, which allows them to spend more time with their families or pursue leisure activities. If employers are able to promise flexible working opportunities, this may differentiate them from competing organisations.
In summary
First you've got to identify what your ideal employee is, then go through the process of finding 'the one' and then draw in your preferred candidate. You need to know what individuals you are looking for, where their priorities lie and how you can turn their head. In the current climate, many organisations are recruiting, so employers need to offer something to stand out from the crowd in order to find the right match for their business.
