5 ways to find the perfect candidate

With the majority of today’s workforce being millennials, it’s time to reflect on the way we recruit the best employees. Is it time to change our traditional ways? Are we missing opportunities? We’ve put together 5 ways to improve your employee attraction and how to bag yourself the perfect candidate.

• Make the application process easy. In today’s day and age, people want things fast; instant responses and quick answers to problems. This works just the same when applying for a job. Don’t make your initial application process too lengthy, only asking for the necessary details. You can ask more questions and conduct test at a secondary stage when the candidate is engaged. *62% of job seekers use a mobile device to search for jobs and with that percentage constantly increasing, it’s important to make sure your application process is mobile friendly too.
• Sell your company. You may believe you are the one in control of whether or not a candidate joins your team, but the truth is that they must also feel positive about working for you. Great candidates could have a number of companies vying for their attention. This is your chance to really sell your company to them, tell them about your culture and values, your staff social events, what your employees say about working there and generally what kind of career they will have at your company. Candidates will appreciate this more than you think.
• Think about personal experiences. How do YOU search for a job? What draws YOU to apply? Is it the clear, well presented job description? Is it the company reputation? Is it the fact they have an interesting Social Media presence? Think back to when you were applying for the job you currently have. Why did you submit your CV in the first place? What made you want to work for that particular business? We’re all human, and whether we believe it or not, there are certain things we think alike on.
• Think outside the box. The perfect candidate may be right under your nose and you don’t even know it yet. A LinkedIn report showed 86% of UK professionals are open to new job opportunities, regardless of the fact they are currently employed. These are known as ‘passive candidates’ and they’re worth taking a look at. By reaching out to potential candidates that are currently working, you may be surprised at how many people are willing to pick up the phone and have that all important conversation. The report also showed that the main reason employees are looking to leave their current job is because of the lack of career progression, which means this is the perfect opportunity to shout about how you invest in your staff and provide opportunities to advance in their career.
• Use your resources. This one seems so simple, yet often overlooked. One of the most effective ways of recruiting your next employee is by using your most trusted source… your employees of course! They know your company better than anyone and know exactly what kind of person is needed to fit in with your company culture and values. Some companies use a referral scheme, which can not only save you up to £10,000* in new hires cost, but could also provide you with a better quality of candidates that are likely to stay at the company for longer. Referral Schemes are becoming increasingly popular in the workplace, and they’re definitely something worth investing in.

We hope we’ve inspired you to think of different ways to find the perfect candidate. If you’d like to find out more on how we can help you with your candidate search, get in touch on 01925 907000 to speak to one of our dedicated recruiters or email recruit@firstrg.com.

*Source - http://www.allshotstowardsthehole.com/employee-engagement/