Attracting skilled resources in 2017 relies on both branding and technology. Candidates are no longer seeking employment via traditional methods, but are taking to online media to assess the culture and values of employers.
Deloitte’s Human Capital Trends report found that drawing in quality talent ranked third in their survey of important business trends. Furthermore, 83% of executives say talent acquisition is either important or vey important.
With the rise of the freelancer economy and the number of candidates seeking modern, flexible work arrangements, it is important that businesses set themselves apart when attracting talent. This can be done through a number of ways discussed below:
1. Create a Workplace Culture Brand
In the digital age, candidates are often finding employers via their own means, and deciding whether or not particular companies are suited to them. This means that the way in which a job advertisement is delivered should be akin to customer focused marketing.
For a business to attract quality talent, it needs to set itself apart by creating a unique employment brand. This is done by accentuating the workplace’s vision and values.
In an article by Insider HR, it was reported that Unilever receives 2 million applications yearly due to its success in clearly defining the company’s objectives and values. Unilever’s general pitch involved a highly positive purpose (i.e., improving the health of a billion people worldwide, halving the environmental impacts of its products etc.).
Unilever’s clear vision for the company demonstrated a culture that aims to serve society, which in turn encouraged job applications worldwide.
As well as a company’s vision and values, Deloitte emphasises that the employment brand of a company should outline at least two elements: 1) the workforce experience, and; 2) strong career opportunities.
If a potential candidate can see that the workforce experience of a company is both positive and career rewarding, then they are more likely to apply.
2. Utilise Social Media
Social media is an essential aspect of the everyday lives of most people. It is an avenue for people to receive news, discover products, and stay updated on the lives of other people.
In 2012, a report by Meisha Rouser found that 18.4 million people found jobs on Facebook, while 10.2 million found jobs on LinkedIn. A further 8 million people were reported to have found work through Twitter. It is undoubtable that social media plays a large role in converting potential-candidates to quality talent, and companies are capitalising on that fact.
To make the most of social media, ensure that your company has active profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Other types of social media – for example, Instagram and Snapchat – may be applicable to your business, depending on the visual attractiveness of your business’ product.
A business’ social media profile should not only be used to advertise prospective jobs, but should also keep the public updated on the general news of the business, and positive aspects of the business’ culture. Social media should be used as an avenue in which to spread your business’ employment brand. Including videos that accentuate the business’ values and culture is likely to attract potential candidates to any job advertisements.
3. Consider Pre-Hire Assessment Tools
Recently, many companies have experimented with pre-hire assessment tools that include problem solving through games and simulation – this has especially been successful with millennials.
Deloitte also reported the rise of artificial intelligence to assist recruiters, as IBM is utilising ‘Watson’ to match candidates to jobs through a ‘fit score’. This score is calculated based on career experiences and skills.
Through pre-hire assessment tools such as gamification and AI, recruiters are able to gather analytics to initially assess whether a candidate will be suited to a particular role. This has been proven to be an essential way to save on costs, as Deloitte reported that a client of PredictiveHire could have saved 1.1 million dollars by using a pre-hire assessment tool.
Smart Company suggested a simpler, and less-expensive pre-hire assessment strategy, which is to simply ask candidates to complete role-related work. Once this work is completed, recruiters can then evaluate their performance. This is an effective way of assessing candidates, not simply because it shows whether they can complete the work at all, but it also shows how the candidate handles stress.
