Six top tips on how to hone your hiring and candidate engagement strategy

There’s no denying that the recruitment market is currently tight, with almost two-thirds of employers expected to experience difficulties when hiring in the upcoming six months, according to a survey of more than 1,000 recruitment and human resources workers by YouGov for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

With this in mind, Glen Shepherd, Director at Glen Callum Associates, is offering six top tips to employers on how to develop their hiring and candidate engagement strategies, while also looking at creative solutions to introduce candidates to the aftermarket from allied sectors.

1. Be flexible

The pandemic brought about new ways of working, and with it, a change in expectations from potential candidates.

Being able to offer remote working, flexibility, healthy work life balance or other unique working environment vibes as part of your culture it a key benefit, and one that will set you apart from other companies.

2. Be an enabler

Taking the time to consider the candidate’s unique requirements can go a long way in developing a consistent approach to hiring in today’s passive and difficult-to-source candidate market.

Change your strategy to focus on the candidate’s needs while also qualifying what you need.

3. Sell your culture

Every company has its own unique offering and it’s important to highlight this if you’re to become the employer of choice.

Candidates are becoming very savvy when considering moves right now so you need to showcase what it is your company has to offer.

4. Think ‘engagement’

Trends are telling us that candidates are uploading their CV and waiting to be found. Currently it’s very passive – engagement is key.

To be successful in becoming the employer of choice, you need to work with a partner that focuses on engagement. It’s a labour-intensive process, which is not easy but essential.

If you have the resource, develop your own engagement plan, but be thorough.

5. Move quickly

There’s a lot of competition at the moment so it’s crucial to act fast if you find the right person and not to hang around with decision making, as the perfect candidate could be snapped up while you’re still deciding.

6. Have a strong onboarding process

 Don’t lose your investment because of weak onboarding and employee introductions.

Take the time to invest in a detailed onboarding process and plan to ensure that once you’ve secured your candidate, you keep them engaged and motivated.

If you’re looking for your next hire, get in touch with our team of experienced recruitment experts here.