Should you evaluate candidates differently in today’s vacancy climate?
With the labour market tightening, businesses are finding it hard to adapt to today’s vacancy climate. Top candidates are either getting snapped up quicker, or outright rejecting offers that don’t suit them. We’re in a candidate-driven market where you’re competing with other companies to get the best talent through your doors. It’s worth considering whether your interview and assessment processes have changed to reflect that.
Our team have put together a simple guide to make sure that you’ve got a helping hand through the process, and that you know exactly how the market has shifted and how to respond to it.
Don’t evaluate CVs – evaluate candidates
Think about the role
Before you start thinking about CVs and interviews and briefing recruiters, think about the role – and we mean really think about it. Whether you’re replacing someone leaving or you’re in a position to grow – stop and consider what resource you really need. Think about your current team and the skill gaps that exist; think about what pressures exist and where, and what you can do to relieve them; and think about the trajectory of your business. What will you need moving forward? Is there any way to plug those gaps before they appear?
Taking on a new hire can be a big step – and quite a commitment – so making sure that you’ve got it right can save you a headache later on. By taking the time to think about what role they need to fill before you start the process, you can put the other steps in this guide into practice much more effectively.
Streamline your processes
When it comes to the actual process of hiring, make sure that you’ve got your systems in order. Remember, with a shortage of candidates applying for a wider pool of positions, the dynamic has shifted. You’re no longer the only ones doing the assessing; more and more, candidates are in the position to assess you!
You don’t have the luxury of taking your time with several stages of interviews and multiple assessments anymore – a candidate is likely to have several applications in process at the same time. If you take too long to get to the point of making an offer, you could lose your star candidate to another company.
Don’t evaluate CVs – evaluate candidates
Taking into account the previous points, now is as good a time as any to reset your thinking when it comes to hiring. Don’t just look at CVs and discount candidates who don’t fit the bill perfectly on paper. In a candidate-short market, it’s important to be flexible with your requirements and to understand candidates are more than just a CV. When you’re hiring, it’s vital you get it right – and one of the most important considerations that CVs just can’t offer insight on is culture fit.
Look at the candidate holistically, while making sure that you’re not dragging the process out too long. At Synergy Recruitment, we’ve built our reputation on making sure that the culture fit is right, and now that the candidate market has shifted, we’re here to help you do the same.
Take a person-first approach
Once you’ve considered everything else, now it’s time to think about the role again, and what person would be the right fit for it. Taking a person-first approach to your hiring can help you get the right candidate in the door. Remember, you can train the right person on the knowledge and skills that you need them to have. Getting the wrong person who knows the right things can mean that you’ll just be repeating the whole ordeal of hiring sooner rather than later.
Have a list of must-haves that the role absolutely requires, but try to keep it as short as possible. Only have the essentials on your list and think about what training courses you might be able to send new hires on to bring them up to speed quickly. We’ll help you to find the right people, so all that’s left for you is to act fast!
Hiring in today’s climate
The experts at Synergy Recruitment are here to help you with every aspect of hiring in today’s vacancy climate, delivering you the candidates that are right for your teams. We’ll work with you to find out exactly what makes your teams tick, and then find the candidate that can slot right in to your culture. All that’s left for you to do is move quickly!
Find out more about hiring in today’s climate by talking to one of our team. We’re always more than happy to help and can’t wait to get started finding you the perfect match for your company.
