The global talent shortage is at a record high, with 45% of employers across the world finding it difficult to fill roles with the right people – but is the talent shortage really the problem? Millions of businesses are so busy trying to find talent, that they’ve neglected to attract it – adopting practices that, instead, are driving candidates away. If you’re struggling to fill positions, take a look at these six fatal flaws of attracting talent to see if you’re one of the many scaring it away.
The fatal flaws of attracting talent
We live in a candidate-driven world, where skilled employees are highly sought after and competed for. Instead of queuing around the corner for your latest position, potential employees are considering their options, judging your culture, and comparing you against your competitors. The way you attract and recruit employees is now under intense scrutiny by the very people you want to employ – making the following practices fatal to your attempts at attracting talent.
1. Using job boards
Job boards are a great way to find and connect with candidates who are looking for a new position. They’re also a great way to miss out on talented candidates who would be open to a new opportunity, but they’re not actively looking. A good recruitment strategy should incorporate both active and passive candidate campaigns using a mixture of job boards, LinkedIn, social media, and networking events.
2. Focusing on technical skills
Companies looking for talent tend to focus on technical skills and practical experience – fitting as many as possible into the job requirements while overlooking the importance of soft skills for performance and for making the position sound interesting and varied. Instead, emphasize how the successful candidate will use skills such as communication, problem-solving, and teamwork, and screen for these during the recruitment process.
3. Ineffective interviews
Interviews are important and are expected by even the most skilled of candidates, but companies that are sticking to the same-old interview structure with boring questions, inflexible times, and one-way communication are turning exceptional employees away. Instead, offer interview times outside of working hours, conduct initial interviews by Skype, and use pre-employment testing to gauge an all-around picture of the candidate.
4. Relying on a high salary
Money is important (we need it to get by), but with 71% of employees willing to accept a pay cut for their ideal job, it’s not the best way to attract talent. Instead, you should offer a competitive salary, complemented with the top employee perks (such as remote working, childcare, and free parking), and employee empowerment.
5. Radio silence
Rejecting candidates is part of the recruitment process, but doing it by radio silence or a template email without any feedback is both unhelpful and rude when someone has invested time in applying. This can drive potential talent away because 1.Word gets around about your negative recruitment practices, and 2. Someone who received that unhelpful email four years ago is now the talented employee your yearn for – and they still remember it. Instead, send personable rejection emails that thank candidates for their time and provide feedback that they can use and work on.
Final thoughts
Talent is out there – you just need to make it want to work for you. Avoid making these simple but fatal mistakes and, instead, adopt an approach that makes the recruitment process as fun as it is to work for you.
About the Author: Jocelyn Pick
