When the recession hit in 2008, many employers were unable to offer salary increases or bonuses creating uncertainty and anxiety for employees at work. Job seekers lost much of their negotiating power and had to compromise on the types of jobs they were applying for. Routine work was welcomed to ensure financial stability.
As the economy picked up, a new group of bright and creative employees entered the market. This new generation of employees came to work with the bold idea that long-term careers were a thing of the past. Employees who jumped from job to job and “lacked experience” 10 years prior now had a platform to tell their story rather than having their CV thrown in the trash. In fact, there were a variety of factors that led to their constant job-changing; restructuring, a desire to explore a new career, toxic workplaces, difficult colleagues, wanting to learn a new skill, etc.
Talent Specialists who used to spend a quick 15 minutes in a phone interview now required 30-45 minutes to get more detail and assess the candidate’s full potential. Screening calls are a fast method to get to the bottom of deal breaker points on a CV, as well as for the candidate.
Today, candidates who are on the hunt for work don’t necessarily want to spend hours reading through dry job descriptions and going through the motions of a heavily structured process. Candidates now enjoy the benefit of negotiating power again! While their demands are high, supply for talent is still low. In order to make jobs more attractive, many companies are offering “virtual” positions, unlimited vacation or a full-service cafeteria. Employees are demanding better work-life balance, a social life outside of work, more time to travel, and a focus on better mental health. Candidates and employees have made their voices heard: WE NEED AND WANT YOU TO BE FLEXIBLE!!!!!
Many companies are offering “virtual” positions, unlimited vacation or a full-service cafeteria.
In smaller regions around the Province, newspaper job postings still have appeal. However, in metropolitan areas, Talent Specialists must be savvy digital marketers. The exhaustive, “grocery list” job postings will continue to attract unqualified candidates ultimately making the process inefficient. How can small companies adapt to these technological changes and optimize their recruitment without breaking the bank? They require a long-term vision in order to attract, develop, and retain talent.
Here are a few tips to help make you stand apart:
- Job postings have become short, creative, and trendier. Showcase what the potential employee will achieve in the first year (skills learned, special projects, etc.)
- Have a social media presence to make your corporate culture shine (pictures of events)
- Work with experts to build a corporate brand to attract candidates’ desire to work for you
- Evaluate your internal recruitment processes annually to realign workforce strategies
- Train the Management team on interview best practices and the candidate experience
- Personalize your job postings and interview tools to pique the curiosity of candidates
- Ask your best employees to become your brand ambassadors (reference bonus)
- Reject candidates by using diplomacy and tact (word of mouth goes a long way, as does the bad reputation of companies that “ghost” candidates)
- Identify key potential employees to develop careers internally, rather than recruit externally
- Offer schedule flexibility and remote-work that is realistic to your business
Shruti Bhasin is the Principal Director of the Solertia’s recruitment consulting division TalentCo. You can reach her at sbhasin@talentco.ca for a free consultation for your talent needs.
- Talent Acquisition of professionals Recruitment diagnostics
- Tool development
- Candidate pipelines by expertise
- Coaching and training
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