Candidate attraction does not have to be as difficult as you might think. There are some simple strategies that you can deploy to ensure that you are attracting the right candidates to your organisation. The key to attracting people is understanding the profile of candidate you are trying to attract, knowing where to find them and knowing what they value; then delivering that value within the constrains of the role and your organisation.
Know the profile of candidate you want to attract
Creating a detailed candidate profile is a crucial step that is often ignored in the recruitment process. Before initiating your search efforts, be sure to take the time to clearly define the attributes, knowledge, skills, abilities and experience that a candidate needs to be successful in the position and in your organisation.
Know your Employer Brand
It is essential that you create a perception that the organisation will be a rewarding and enjoyable place to work.
Employer branding has become synonymous with the HR buzzword “Employee Value Proposition” (EVP). Your organisation’s EVP is “the package of functional, economic and psychological benefits provided by employment and identified with your organisation” and your success in attracting the right talent is dependent on you being able to understand and deliver against your EVP.
It sounds simple but ask around and you will find that every person will have (or will know someone who has) joined an organisation only to find things were not quite as they seemed.
Marry the two: Candidate Profile & EVP
Create messages that accentuate the components of your EVP (pull factors) that are most attractive to the profile of candidate you want to attract. These “pull factors” may be very different for the different roles and divisions within your organisation. You must clearly state what it is about your organisation that makes it a great place to work (when compared to your competition). This applies equally to written advertising as well as the messages you send during the interview and selection process.
Pinpoint your search efforts on tapping networks and markets that contain these individuals
We are quickly returning to a candidate short market, so your ability to identify and target those candidates who are not actively looking is vitally important. Use a targeted mix of proactive (build a talent base – internal and external, use your networks) and reactive (employee referrals, advertised search, agency search etc.) strategies to ensure that you have access to the right markets, at the right time and in the right place.
Deliver on your promises…
Easier said than done I know, which is why my next few blogs will focus on what you can do as an employer to ensure that you are delivering on the promises you make during the recruitment process. I welcome any comments and look forward to hearing your point of view.
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John Capon is a Senior Consultant at Crossroads HR. His background in Organisational Psychology means that his approach to assignments is focused on delivering pragmatic, yet structured research-based interventions. John’s key areas of expertise include design and implementation of people process and systems for recruitment, performance management and leadership development.
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