Hiring workers in 2021 may beat out NFL football as the most intense sport in America right now. Whether your company has an internal hiring manager or outsources recruitment, chances are that you’ve felt the impact of the Great Resignation.
This topic was the subject of a recent LinkedIn poll by founder and CEO Liz Ryan, who asked recruiters: “What’s the best move your employer (or your clients) could make to recruit more effectively in this competitive environment?”
Here are some of the ideas given for how C-suite executives can help boost recruiting outcomes for their companies.
1. Increase Starting Salaries
With 45% of the votes, raising starting salaries was easily the #1 choice of recruiters who voted in the poll.
Although your company may be working with limited resources, raising rates for positions that you’re struggling to fill will inevitably help them stand out to job seekers.
2. Drop Nonessential Requirements
It’s common to be overly cautious when setting requirements for a job. However, in a market like the current one, the rule of thumb when setting requirements should be “less is more.” 32% of poll respondents agreed: dropping nonessential requirements works.
Are you requiring a master’s degree for a role that really doesn’t need it? Bump it down to a bachelor’s to increase your number of applicants. Are you asking for your industry’s version of an Emmy or Nobel Prize for an entry-level position? Scratch it.
In the same vein, if you’re replacing an ultra-qualified employee, don’t get stuck trying to find a perfect replacement. Instead, take a good hard look at the day-to-day demands of the job to figure out what is non-negotiable versus what is less important.
3. Make Job Postings Effective
Some of the top-voted comments in the poll discussed other ways executives could leverage job postings to draw the right candidates.
“Post the salary range in the job ad!” urged one recruiter.
Another said, “Stop posting jobs that are already filled with internal candidates. Only put jobs on posting boards that are available to outside candidates and [for which] the screening process is open and fair.”
The consensus is clear: a misleading or poorly thought-out job posting can make or break the recruitment process.
4. Improve Candidate Experience
A solid 20% of recruiters voted that improving the experience for candidates was the best way to help with recruiting.
Your company can improve the candidate experience by:
- Being communicative and quick to respond to questions
- Helping candidates set correct expectations (i.e. letting them know how many rounds are in the interview process ahead of time)
- Being friendly and working to make each candidate feel appreciated even if you’re managing dozens of candidates at once
While your company can invest in branding all day, delivering a high-quality and low-stress experience to candidates during the hiring process will go further in convincing them to join your team.
Ultimately, the implementation of these ideas is up to you as the company decision-maker. But remember, a candidate’s first impression of your company is usually the hiring process. You want to make sure it is a favorable one.
