MightyRecruiterHiring In Demand Skills: How to Come Out on Top
The labor market is in constant flux, and you may find yourself competing with other companies to recruit the top talent you need. Highly sought after employees often enjoy more control over the hiring process. They can work anywhere they like and demand higher wages, but money isn’t everything. There are tools you can use to gain some of your leverage back. You need to develop a strategy for hiring in demand skills.
Advertise For Top Employees
Your recruiting process almost always begins with some form of marketing. Whether you are posting an ad or soliciting contacts for leads, you must find a way to connect with the types of people that can best fill the vacancies in your staff.
Successful people have some common traits. Identify as many of these as you can, and develop your company message to appeal to them. It should offer opportunities beyond just a standard pay package. Focus on what is unique about your business, and create ads that target your audience directly.
Don’t just sit back and wait for the best qualified people to make contact with you. Once your job advertisement has been running long enough, you can be certain the people you need to talk to have seen it. Be proactive in your search. Find out where these people are at, and go there to meet with them on their terms.
Make it a point to visit:
-Professional organizations
-College recruitment drives
-Networking Events
-Trade shows
The more you personally pursue these types of employees, the better your chances are of finding someone who will consider an offer.
Sell the Company to Them
In a normal interviewing process, the hiring manager controls the conversation by asking questions. This approach works well enough for standard vacancies, but when you are hiring in demand skills you will have to change your technique. Transition into a sales mode, and begin with probing questions that reveal the motivations of the candidate.
-What are your longer term goals
-How have you been frustrated from achieving success in other jobs
-Is there anything that makes you feel more involved in a company
Find out what excites them about their careers, and then find a way to show that your company can offer that to them. By getting to the heart of the candidates motives, you can tailor your company’s appeal to meet their specific needs.
Get Help from Other Members of Your Team
When you are hiring in demand skills, the top talent in the industry needs to be given special treatment. Once you have passed beyond the initial interview and introductory phase, make sure to bring in other employees to meet the applicant. Speak with your staff members ahead of time to refine the team’s message.
Some hiring managers like to use a panel of interviewers while others prefer to walk the candidate around for a tour. Regardless, someone on your staff should be ready to advocate for company. This person needs to go into details about all of the positive things that they enjoy about their job. In some instances, you may leave this employee alone with the job candidate so that they can discuss the company culture without the pressure of a hiring manager present.
Try to build a report with the applicant and the long term staff from the beginning. Create an atmosphere that is welcoming and inviting. If this is a manager position, introduce them to the leadership team. If this is an engineering job, try to get an expert to talk shop for a little while to make a professional connection. If this is a sales position, invite your applicant to attend a weekly sales meeting to see how the other team members support one another.
Avoid Competing with Wages
When it is time to make an offer, avoid competing with other companies on the strength of wages alone. If you have done a good job of assessing your applicant’s needs and goals, then this should be fairly straight forward. Employees respond favorably to more than just financial benefits of working. Try to include in your offer the subtle benefits:
-Work life balance
-Group plans for fitness
-Additional Training and job growth
-Networking opportunities
-Close geographic proximity to a thriving community
Show that you offer something that no other business can. Make this unique aspect as appealing and exclusive as possible.
Hiring in demand skills is never easy, but your success in attracting the right candidates may depend on how clever you are. Use your carefully crafted company message to your advantage. If you have having difficulty coming up with ideas or need additional guidance, check out the other articles on Live Careers for more hiring tips and advice.