Sourcing talent is a common pain point for most businesses in Malta. Although there are external elements that affect the success rates of our recruitment efforts (competition, market trends, industry volatility etc), there comes a point where we must reflect within our own organisations.
When working with clients to strengthen their recruitment procedures/efforts, the first question I tend to ask is when was the last time the current methods were questioned or revised. Most can’t even remember when, and if that’s the case, then there’s our first problem.
Recruitment strategies must continuously change and adapt to the nature of the position, target demographic, seniority and so much more. Here are a few ideas you could keep in mind.
1.If you typically recruit for the same type of positions – say you’re a tech company that continuously recruits developers, for example – your recruitment efforts must be constant.
Focus on building an employer brand that’s so engaging that a prospective candidate will apply to your business without the need for an active advert.
Instead of using your marketing channels to advertise the company’s product or services, use this as an opportunity to share insights into what it’s like to work for your business. As industry experts, you should have a general idea of what people in your line of work are looking for.
Sticking to the IT scenario, showcase the type of projects you’re working on, employee success stories and the working conditions which tend to be key criteria for professionals in this area. If your recruitment journey only starts when a position is available, then you’re likely wasting bursts of effort that can otherwise be spread more reasonably and effectively
2. Be careful with your advertising strategy.
Continuously advertising on every available platform can be counterproductive. Some candidates are put off by how frequent they’ve come across a vacancy, as it raises concerns as to why the position keeps becoming available. Although it could just reflect growth or increased business, try to play around with different advertising means.
Keep track of metrics related to application source and invest where it makes sense. Some creativity never hurt anyone either – step away from the usual job board posting and invest in more bold approaches
3. Use recruitment agencies wisely.
I found that a common approach is a ‘more the merrier’ one and in my experience, this is only true in a finite number of cases. A recruitment agency is an extended arm of your HR department, and the people you choose to do business with should understand and value your business as much as you do.
When the objective is just to send a generic email to five to ten (or more) agencies with a new role, job description and salary, you’re diluting the level of service by an insane amount. You should build a relationship with a select few agencies that understand the type of people you’re looking for, and take the time to brief each and every one of them. That’s difficult to do when volume is the objective.
Apart from that, having a good number of consultants advertise the job practically simultaneously and reach out to the same handful of people is not an ideal strategy. Ensure the market is being informed with the right message by only working with two or three (or ideally, one) agencies.
In conclusion, try to adopt a new strategy for recruitment and monitor its success over a three-month period. A new approach is likely to reap different results and should alleviate some of the hiring burdens internally.
