Strategies for Hiring Staff in a Hot Job Market

The current job market is hot and hiring top quality candidates is tough. If you are searching for that perfect recruit most likely so are your competitors.  In a recent survey of office workers across the U.S., more than half of the respondents said they received two or more offers concurrently when applying for jobs.  The challenge then becomes how to surpass your competitors and hire the staff your company needs to be successful.

Here are six strategies that will help to set you apart from your competitors:

  1. Promote Your Business

Candidates are doing extensive research on companies before they apply. Since 90% of job searching is done on mobile devices, review your mobile enabled website to ensure text display, page loads, scrolling and button position are working properly. Your website, jobsite profiles and social media content need to all consistently reflect what you do, your culture and what makes your company a great place to work. A really effective method to promote your culture is to create short videos of management, employees, community involvement and client testimonials.

  1. Finding Open Positions

Make it easy for candidates to find open positions, sort them geographically and quickly apply and upload a resume. It is important to have a well written job description. It should include: a description of the company, position title and reporting structure, job duties, details, required and preferred skills, any travel requirements and benefits.

  1. Benefits and Perks

A comprehensive benefits package can set your company apart from your competition and help to land a top candidate. Talk about your 401(k)-matching plan, health insurance coverage and costs, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, portable insurance policies, pet insurance, work schedule flexibility and other perks or on-site services. Be sure to emphasize the organization’s career advancement philosophy and the path to leadership opportunities.

  1. Don’t Delay

Time is a key success factor in the hiring process in this job market. Examine your interview process and look for opportunities to speed up the process. Be flexible to accommodate a candidate who requests to be fast-tracked. At every stage of the hiring process, keep the candidate updated.  Not all candidates will meet every job requirement so assess their soft skills, fit within the culture, excitement for the job and their follow-up skills. A word of caution – don’t speed up the hiring process so much that you miss important steps such as reference checks and other employment screening requirements.

  1. Tailor the Offer

Start by getting to know your candidate and understand the things that are important. Make sure your salary offer is competitive, reflects the cost of living and fits within the candidate’s requirements and your budget. You can tailor the benefits and perks package to their stage in life. For instance, a candidate may not need health insurance benefits but needs life insurance coverage. Tuition reimbursement may be a priority for a new college graduate. A flexible telecommuting schedule could be important for a candidate with children or for someone caring for an elderly parent. A signing bonus may be important to help cover relocation costs or initial expense reimbursements. During negotiations, be willing to create a tailored offer that will appeal to the candidate.

  1. Plan for Hiring Challenges

It is important to have a back-up plan in place when hiring goes slower than anticipated. There’s a fine balance that exists between sales, recruiting and current staff workloads that can quickly go sideways if you are unable to bring in skilled talent.  One solution to consider is to utilize temporary staff or consultants to fill staff and management positions until you’re able to find a full-time employee.

Today’s job market is largely candidate driven and there are more jobs available than candidates to fill the positions.  Now is the time to get creative with your approach to finding, hiring, and retaining talent. Developing a personal relationship with candidates is more important than ever in this job market. What successful changes has your organization made to the recruiting process?

 

 

Contributed By: Amy Noel