All HR professionals recognise that job-seekers expect more than ever from potential employers. They want insight about organisational purpose, culture and employee benefits and they want access 24/7 across multiple devices. They scan social media networking sites without a second thought, looking for the truth of what it’s really like to work for a specific employer. They want to be treated as human, not a reference number.
As an employer, it can be a tough job to not only deliver this but to create an applicant experience that anticipates what your business is going to need in its recruitment pipeline and how you package this to attract the highest calibre of candidates.
As a job seeker, having this much information at your fingertips puts you in a unique position to be able to tailor your application to the organisation you’re applying to – whether for a live vacancy or speculatively.
At Human we pride ourselves on our long-term relationships with both clients and candidates, because we believe people are so much more than a title or a job description.
Starting the conversation
Both employers and job seekers have a role to play in proactive talent management. Organisations must find a way to establish a meaningful, ongoing relationships if they are to have access to those who are the perfect fit both in expertise and character but for whom a role isn’t immediately available.
Talent pipelining isn’t a new concept but it is misunderstood and under-utilised. It’s a shift from reactive to proactive recruitment; anticipating who your company will want and should hire in the future.
Good candidates who want to work for you will be happy to engage in two-way communication. If your department isn’t resourced itself to do this then it is worth reviewing how it can be managed for you – whether automated through software (although this doesn’t necessarily come with the human touch) or delivered by an external recruitment partner.
As a candidate, you should never be afraid to approach an organisation you’ve identified as being a good fit for your values and aspirations. Or a good recruitment agency can help by doing this for you.
Attitude complementing aptitude
It sounds obvious, but understanding your culture and the personal attributes that are most successful within your organisation will help you spot those who belong in your talent bank. Spend time in departments with the workforce and use this insight to create desired personas to aid your screening process. If you don’t have time to do this, we offer it as part of the Human service.
Prospective applicants should be clear about their own character and strengths and how to articulate this to a prospective employer. Some thorough research will ensure candidates are able to target companies who will support bringing out the very best in them.
People buy people
Being human matters, especially in this digital age where, let’s face it, you can be anything you want to be behind a screen and keyboard. Whether you’re the employer or the applicant, find ways to connect – at recruitment networking events or online over sites such as LinkedIn – and create a more human level of engagement and interaction. Then, most importantly, work hard to maintain those relationships.
A talent bank is of no use if the talent it contains have lost interest in you as an employer. Investing in specialist support to manage this workstream will reap its own long-term rewards with reductions in recruitment costs, time-to-hire and ultimately your employer brand.
Our human approach to recruitment means we focus on the whole person – skills, values and attitude – to help create the perfect fit for both candidate and employer. We invest time in getting to know both candidates and clients, which means we have a healthy talent bank and can easily recommend candidates who have not only the right skills, but are the right fit.
Give one of our friendly team members a call for an informal chat about your recruitment needs on 01709 717212.