5 tips to attract great candidates in a tight labour market

If you have recently advertised a job vacancy, you might have been surprised by the lack of applications you received. Rest assured, you’re not alone!

The number of job ads have been at record levels in recent months however unfortunately, this trend hasn’t been matched by an increase in applications.

There are many reasons for this, but the on-going Covid situation is certainly a big factor.

Employers and recruitment agencies alike are finding it increasingly challenging to source quality candidates to fill their vacancies. Job seekers are hesitant to move, and this uncertainty is resulting in decreased application numbers.

In today’s competitive job market employers need to re-think their employee valuation proposition and talent attraction methods. Here are a few ways you can up your hiring game to attract the right candidates to your job vacancy:

1. Encourage existing employees to help in the search
   It’s time to revive your employee referral program and enlist the help of your existing employees in the hunt for great talent. Who better to spruik the organisation than the people already in the business.
2. Actively seek out your candidates
   Rather than being passive and waiting for the job applications to come to you, be proactive and search for your ideal applicant. There are many ways you can do this including via industry networks and groups, online searches via networking platforms and reviewing applications to jobs you previously advertised.
3. Ensure the job on offer is attractive and the salary is competitive in the current market
   Review the role and make an honest assessment of whether it’s a position that’s going to be attractive to job applicants, and if not, have a think about what you might be able to do to make it more appealing. If you suspect the salary isn’t going to win anyone over, make a quick call to a recruitment agency to find out what the current rate is for that type of role.
   
4. Clarity is key
   Sourcing isn’t the only challenge in the current market, we’re also seeing higher rates of counter offers and candidates withdrawing part way through the process. When going to the market with a position make sure the role responsibilities, organisational culture, benefits, work hours etc are communicated clearly from the start. The last thing you want is to have to start the process over because your preferred candidate withdraws their application!
5. Outsource the recruitment process to a professional
   Consider engaging a recruitment agency to manage the process for you. A good recruiter will be well networked, proactive and will work with you until a successful outcome is achieved. They have access to candidate databases that employers don’t, and most importantly, this is what they do day in day out, so they are constantly coming into contact with talented candidates, and they can recognise one when they see one!