Prioritise your candidate's experience - stand out from the crowd!

The increasing “War for Talent” seems to be a phrase that I come across on a daily basis. It is no secret that we are experiencing one of the tightest labour markets in recent memory and with candidates now enjoying many job-seeking luxuries and technologies that were not previously available - it has never been easier for candidates to find and apply for a job. This unprecedented accessibility is leading to candidates weighing-up multiple offers and this is even more apparent in those sought after niche roles that everyone struggles to fill.

While this transition has seemingly evolved overnight, many organisations have been distancing themselves from the competition and trying to differentiate for quite some time. Incentives and perks like implementing additional annual leave / unlimited holiday and the flexibility to work from home have become commonplace. It is these little employee perks that the hiring managers often mention mid-interview to good candidates to try and make the offer more appealing.

I’ve seen a number of posts lately with the ‘First Day Desk’ picture, candidates being welcomed on the first day with hoodies, t-shirts, coffee mugs, pens, branded laptops, phones and phone-cases, stress balls etc, this is a fantastic impression for a first day and is designed to make the candidate feel invested in. What if you could go above and beyond and instead of offering candidates things, start offering a lasting experience. I’m referring to employers actions that are far more than ‘tick box processes’ and are more indicative of the workplace culture. Actions that portray the business to have visionary intentions that make an enduring impression on the candidate, a recruitment function that can offer this, shows the candidate that the organisations invests in the details.

The labour market has become so tight that it is no longer good enough to offer a job with a handsome package, you must sell the organisation to the candidate just as much as the candidate is trying to sell you on why they should be your latest addition.