Different times call for different measures – talent recruitment now is very different to pre-pandemic times and the ‘Candidate Drought’ is changing the way employer’s recruit.

Remember the days when an organisation could post a job on its website and have their pick of eager, suitable applicants to hire? Today, talent shortages are a challenge in many sectors of our economy. Candidates have the upper hand and employers need to meet their expectations to attract the best talent.

What is the ‘Candidate Drought’?

The days when a job offer attracted hundreds of applications are gone. When a job is up for grabs now, employers, don’t be surprised if we only put a few candidates forward. Why is this?

  • Talented people have many options and are being snapped up quickly
  • There’s a shortage of talent in some areas ie. in the digital space

 

Why you might not be attracting as many candidates as you’d like

The pandemic has made us re-think a lot of things. Many of us have realised that life is short – too short to be in the wrong job!

Job seekers are looking for:

  • Flexible working hours
  • Part-time / casual work
  • Working from home arrangements
  • Extended leave
  • A competitive offer
  • Career advancement and training opportunities

Hence the rise of the Hybrid Working Model, time working from home and time in the office – the best of both worlds if done right.

TIP: If you’re an employer and not embracing some of these trends, you will not attract quality candidates.

 

Adapting your mindset

TIP: Always be recruiting

An outdated recruiting strategy is waiting around for top candidates to apply to your job posting. The recruitment world is currently embracing what we call “reverse marketing”, where we float quality candidates to organisations. An organisation must “always be recruiting”, staying abreast of succession planning, and training staff to keep organisational knowledge within.

TIP: Employers, if our Talent Recruitment team has a quality candidate approach us that we think is a good fit for your business – we will be contacting you.That is the time to seriously consider our candidate.

TIP: Expect a longer hiring process

Your hiring process could take longer than expected due to a reduced talent pool from which to source top candidates.

 

Expand your talent pool options

If you increase the size of the talent pool, you may well find someone more quickly. Changing where you look for staff can be a game changer.

  • Can you include remote talent? If a remote position works, this opens up the hiring of top talent from anywhere in Australia, or even the world. Pre-pandemic this might have seemed impossible but we’ve seen that, with the right technology and open communication, remote working can be successful, depending on role requirements. Harvest has proven just this with Recruiter, Hayley Smith servicing the regional Geelong market from her home base in Darwin.
  • Would contract staffing work? Consider chunking roles into discrete projects .
  • Consider older/younger candidates.
  • Could someone on a Bridging Visa be suitable for your role?
  • Consider the people inside your organisation. The best candidate may be in house.
  • Former employees should be considered – the “Great Return” is real – as people who quit their jobs during the pandemic in search of new adventures, decide to come back.
  • Would you hire “career returners”? For example, someone who was forced to leave the workforce or had substantial career gaps, someone who had to scale back hours or was retrenched during the pandemic, or return-to-work Mums?

A flexible approach would be to also consider a candidates’ background requirements.  Review the criteria you typically use to vet candidates. Do candidates really need to hold a Uni degree and have X years of experience, or can the right person be easily trained? You may also find that a person transitioning from another industry may possess transferable skills, and thus be your candidate.

 

TIP: Be an employer of choice

If a job seeker recognises your brand and you have a good reputation, then you are in a good position to attract the best candidates. Always paint a picture of what it’s really like to work at your organisation.

 

TIP: Treat your candidate well

Candidates will be looking at your every behaviour, especially throughout the hiring and interview process, so treat them well.

Don’t forget to create the perfect offer – if you want to hire top talent from your competition, then you need to have a competitive offer. Don’t be tempted to low-ball quality candidates, as they will walk away.

 

Using a Talent Recruitment Service

Times have changed thanks to the Great Candidate Drought. Now, more than ever, organisations are using Talent Recruitment firms to source quality candidates. A boutique, local Geelong recruitment firm active in the region since 2009, Harvest Talent Recruitment and People Solutions have access to a pool of talented professionals and possess the skills to entice them to your job vacancy.

Our experienced Talent Recruitment Team is only a phone call away.

Let’s chat about the Great Candidate Drought and how we can solve your recruitment issues. t: 1300 363 128

Maree Herath

With over twenty five years working in recruitment, Maree has significant global experience recruiting for some of APACs leading brands across Melbourne, Perth and Hong Kong.

Join our mailing list

Get tips like this delivered straight to your inbox. We promise we don’t spam!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.