Shift Your Recruitment Mindset; Get Them While They’re Hot

By: Christine Dapa

They say good things come to those who wait. This used to be true even for talent selection and acquisition but not anymore.

The rule of the recruitment game has changed. This is due to the ever increasing disparity between needed talents and their availability. There is a tough competition for talent out there. Real talents who know their value changed the rule.  Companies who understand the new rules adapted. Many, however still don’t.

What are the indicators that you are still playing under the old rules? Here are the indicators:

1. You are still using just one means to source people and that’s the news paper.

2. You still think your company is so important that the great talents will line up to  your door.

3. You still think candidates should impress you and not the other way around.

4. You still try to shortlist 3 to 5 of the most qualified candidates before you hire, leaving you empty handed in the end.

5. You can’t think of other ways of acquiring talent aside from receiving letters of application from them.

Why are these ideas old?

Here are our reasons:

1. Some of the most qualified candidates don’t read news paper ads anymore. job interview invitations land on their in-boxes or better, they are invited to have coffee somewhere by a recruiter.

2. Good candidates will easily find a job. If you are hampered by your process, you will lose them before you make an offer.

3. Some of the most qualified people you are looking for are not looking for a job. You have to entice them to consider moving to your company.

4. The best candidates are choosy. They look for companies that meet their expectations.

If you are looking  to fill positions that require people with certain amount of competencies  that are hard to find and given the new rule, you might want to consider the following:

1. Use all sorts of media to find them including (this might sound self serving but it’s true) head hunters. Also consider inviting potentially good candidates who are not applying to coffee or dinner. Exploratory talks like this helps.

2. Put your best foot forward when meeting candidates. they are not there just to impress you, they’re also waiting to be impressed.

3. Don’t wait for too long to decide. When you find one that you like, don’t wait for a comparison. Good candidates are harder to come by nowadays. The longer you wait, the more expensive the recruitment process gets for you. Get them while they’re hot.