Where are all the quality candidates?

If you have been recruiting recently, you may have found that there are not as many quality candidates as there used to be. Why is this happening, and what can you do about it?

Unemployment Rates are Low

This is a situation we often see when the unemployment rate is low – there simply aren’t the high numbers of people looking for work. This can mean positive signs for the economy, but it does mean you have less options when looking to hire someone.  

We need to change our approach, our expectations and how we present ourselves to prospective employees. 

Social Media Campaigns

When the mainstream job sites aren’t bringing results, Social Media campaigns can be an effective way to reach both the active and passive market while using search options on LinkedIn and Seek can be a targeted way of reaching people. Remember ‘word of mouth’ - encourage your team to talk to their friends and family, and to share your vacancy on their social accounts. 

Candidate Experience

When it comes to managing expectations around recruitment, it is important to focus on the relevant experience of the individual candidate and team fit, rather than the numbers on a shortlist. There may be as few as one or two candidates with the right skills, in these circumstances it is important to conduct a thorough behavioural interview and utilise testing, assessments and reference checks to assist with the decision-making process, as you may not have a comparison. Talk to us about how we can help with this. 

Efficiency 

Speed is also key when candidates are scarce. A strong candidate may have several roles to consider at once and it is important to remember that the interview process is as much about a candidate assessing their fit to a prospective employer as it is the other way around. Keep the process moving and make sure candidates are regularly updated.  This is your opportunity to portray the qualities of a great employer to ensure that you are at the top of their shortlist!

If you need support at any stage in your recruitment process, give the People Passion office a call, 09 299 2525.