By Jamie Norrington of Tech94
It goes without saying that the tech recruitment world is a slightly crazy place to be currently. With the rise in WFH, salaries, and other various factors, it has become increasingly more difficult for organisations to attract talent and fill critical roles. With no sign of this slowing down in 2022, it is now down to organisations to change their hiring ethos and attitude towards candidate attraction.
With this in mind, I have put together 5 suggestions for those companies that are struggling to hire or are about to go to market with a new vacancy. My suggestions would be as follows:
Be Clear On Your Job Specs
A job spec is the first point of contact for most when they are searching for a role and will ultimately help a candidate to decide whether the role is for them or not.
Time and time again, I have seen companies “requirement stuffing” which deters candidates from applying. Before going to the job market be clear on your requirements, add these to your job spec and do not overcomplicate it.
Keep The Application Process Short
No one likes a long application form with hundreds of boxes to fill out so keep the application process as short as possible to ensure candidates find it easy to complete and want to complete it.
My advice would be to take a leaf out of LinkedIns book and have an “Easy Apply” section which involves just submitting a CV with a small covering letter. This will entice candidates to apply.
Make The Interview Process Effective and Swift
As with the application process, the interview process needs to be swift and efficient. Where most will lose talent is by having 3-4 stages, involving numerous people across the business that takes more than 2 weeks to complete. In such a competitive market, this turnaround time is too slow and could result in a loss of talent.
By shortening the process, candidates are more likely to stay engaged in the business and opportunity. Plus, it allows prospective employers to stay in the “race” to hire the person before they sign on the dotted line for someone else.
Sell Sell Sell
An interview is not just a chance for a candidate to sell their experience, but for a company to sell their “WHY”. With most candidates having more than 2-3 options, selling the vision and goals of the business, progression routes and overall, why joining would benefit the candidate’s career is a big step to keeping candidates engaged.
After the 1st interview, most candidates will have decided whether they see themselves working for your business. Selling the role and future opportunities of the role could just be what you need to stay in their mind.
Be Open & Transparent
If you look on social media channels such as LinkedIn, there is a call for more transparency in job adverts. The USA is piloting a scheme in certain states which will legally mean employers need to post salaries on job adverts.
Whilst we await the outcome of that trial across the pond, I would urge where possible for companies to be transparent with what salary they have on offer for a specific role. This is for 2 reasons.
- Companies that are transparent will start to be looked upon more favourably. This openness will show a newly adopted culture that most are calling for.
- It helps to narrow down those that are applying. For example, the disparity between a Senior Engineer role could be £30,000 – £40,000 in some places. A clear salary or banding on the advert will allow candidates to make a judgement as to whether it fits with their desires.
There you have it, some suggestions on how companies can help improve their candidate attraction. The tech market has seen a rivalled number of vacancies in the last 18 months, which is super positive for the sector. However, with this has come recruitment stumbling blocks that need to be overcome. But, with some small changes companies can manoeuvre themselves into a better position within the market space.
If you need help with digital or technical recruitment ask for Jamie at Tech94 on info@the-gift-club.com
