UK 
United States
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.
I’m sure you are familiar with the phrase “talk’s cheap” and recruitment can often be portrayed as an over-promising and under-delivering industry, in order to change this perception it’s not enough to tell candidates that our business is different, forward-thinking, innovative, unique. We need to show them, actions speak louder than words and the best way to do this is to embrace the amazing technology we are seeing in the HR/Recruitment industry.
So where do you start?
It’s all about the experience, remember the last time you physically went door knocking looking for work with resume in hand? Neither can I, technology is the single largest influencer in improving the job search and as a result (I’m sure you’ll already know) almost all job seekers look and apply for jobs online. This improvement is promoting ease and convenience for job seekers and as a result has made the process faster, easier and more efficient, so look further afield from the job board and start experimenting with different approaches.
So you have your perfect candidate. The interview went well. What’s next?
Pre-onboarding is a recruitment stage that is often overlooked but has the potential to add enormous value to your recruitment process and position your business as one that values an enjoyable and positive candidate journey. With candidate drop-outs at all time highs, it is in the pre-onboarding that candidates can often be won or lost. This pre-onboarding process is anything from interview through to offer.
Candidates want to see that organisations are innovative, dynamic, technology-embracing and most importantly, they are willing to invest. All of this is very apparent when you go through a recruitment process and no more so than when you get closer to an offer. What’s this experience like for them? How are you different to the other companies they are in process with?
Albert Einstein once said, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. If you are wanting to attract and retain more candidates through to offer stage, gain a competitive edge and enhance your employer brand, you must focus on your candidate’s experience and no matter which way you look at it, this requires investment.
James Lord is an Account Executive at Xref
