As humans, we have an innate desire to hold control over any situation. The idea of being at the mercy of someone else’s plans or desires is often difficult. When building a recruiting strategy, it’s important to understand that there are many things you can do to make impactful changes to your organization. However, it’s equally important to accept that when it comes to recruiting, there are some factors outside of your control.
It’s vital to ask yourself, “What am I providing for my employees?” This includes how much they receive on a paycheck, but it’s also important to factor in their other benefits, such as paid time off, insurance, and retirement plans. Your total compensation should be competitive if you want to bring in top talent to better your organization. As an employer, it’s your choice how much you want to offer a potential candidate.
Depending on the position you’re hiring for, various candidates will be available. Chances are you’ll have a wider pool of sales associates to choose from than you will rocket scientists. However, some sales associates may be looking to move into another field or further their education. Whatever the situation, it’s impossible to know how many candidates will be available to fill the role you’re searching to add. You may receive ten applications for a position and, six months later, only receive five for the same position. You cannot control the number of people searching the job market at any particular time.
Once someone has applied for a position with your company, it is up to you to respond promptly to that application. The time it takes to go from application to starting their first day is something your organization must decide. In many cases, you are one of many places a candidate is applying. Oftentimes, being quick to assess and respond to an application will give you a leg up in hiring better talent.
Many businesses faced the post-pandemic challenge of people not wanting to work. Whether out of fear, outstanding circumstances, or the promise of more money from unemployment, companies began to face major staffing issues. But there is nothing you can do about someone’s desire to work. You can attempt to offer incentives, but if someone is unmotivated, then you can only influence them so far.
You may be disappointed if you’re sitting back in your office, waiting for candidates to come pouring in. But, if you need a position in your organization filled, you must be proactive! There are recruiting tools, social media, and word of mouth that can reach people worldwide. So if there is one thing you can control, it’s how hard you are trying.
You may have put preferred qualifications and years of experience on your job post, but you can’t control whether people will read that or ultimately care about it. Chances are that you’ll receive at least one application from someone who clearly did not read the fine print.
Some companies subscribe to the idea that you hire for attitude and train for aptitude. While there are some industries where you truly do need experts with vast amounts of education and experience, it’s important to remember that while someone may not have the highest level of experience, that doesn’t mean they won’t be a better fit for your team. Sometimes you need to take the chance on someone with the right attitude and work ethic over someone with a nice resume but no discernable qualities that fit your business.
The list could go on and on. In today’s job market, there are so many factors at play. Some of these are factors you can control, while others are not. My advice would be to focus on the things you can control. Don’t let yourself become discouraged by realities that you can’t fix. Instead, ask yourself, “What can I do to make this the best place to work?”
Here at HR Insights, we’re all about helping you find the answer to that question. We want to provide solutions for your recruiting strategy woes. So if you’re on the lookout for new talent but can’t seem to find it, contact us today!
