You’re not the only one burned out by the war for talent. Across the world, talent acquisition leaders are fed up with arrogant applicants, dilapidated recruiting technology and hesitant hiring managers with unrealistic candidate expectations.
Something’s got to give, and for many of us, it’s our sanity.
Make your life easier: To attract and hire great candidates, stop doing these four things right now.
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Stop launching insincere employer branding efforts.
We see you on Twitter and Facebook trying to tell us that your culture is nothing but craft beer and laser tag. That ’90s-themed quarterly sales party looked fantastic, but every dollar you sink into forced fun and team building is a dollar that isn’t being spent on your company’s infrastructure, product or people agenda. So if you’re going to create an amazing employer brand, start with the basics. Treat people right. Invest in a total rewards strategy that rivals your competitors. Don’t double-down on the fun at the expense of fundamentals.
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Stop moving slowly and commit to speed.
When there are bumps and delays during the hiring process, great candidates are sympathetic. However, it’s not that hard to provide a flexible timetable and stay in contact with candidates along the way. Candidate expectations are low. Make a singular commitment to speed, and candidates will be patient when there are delays.
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Stop abusing social media as a means of communication.
I work in the HR industry, but I no longer recruit and hire people for a living. That doesn’t stop newbie recruiters from contacting me on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to pitch me on jobs or ask me for referrals. If you want someone’s attention, be an adult and use email and the phone. If you wish to use a social networking site to connect with someone, pick one channel. Trust me, those candidates see you.
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Stop creating interview roadblocks.
Back in the day when I was a recruiter, I screened applicants by phone. It was a quick process, my questions were efficient and nobody had to make eye contact. Now, recruiters first do a phone screen, then there’s a preliminary interview. Because schedules might be crazy, candidates are sometimes asked to take two or even three days off work to interview for a job. That’s insane, and honestly, downright disrespectful towards exceptional candidates. Tighten up your interview process, leverage panel interviews, and schedule meetings with your candidates in thoughtful chunks of time.
Finally, I have one more piece of advice.
Nobody has time for your company’s drama. Unless you’re hiring an executive, just make your best and final offer first. Give people a few weeks to wrap up their lives at their old job before they start a new job with you. And be respectful about the amount of courage it takes to quit a job and invest in a new company.
Yes, we’re in an over-hyped war for talent. Great candidates are out there, though. If you don’t make it easy for someone to say yes to you, they will almost always say no.
Laurie Ruettimann is a former Human Resources leader turned influential speaker, writer and strategist. Ruettimann has been published in a variety of places including Entrepreneur, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, US News and World Report and USA Today. She has lectured at business events around the world held by Harvard Business School, SXSW, American Marketing Association, MediaBistro and many others.
These articles may also interest you:
7 Secrets to Retaining Your Talent in 2016
Why you’re losing the talent retention war (and how to solve it)
How to turn your talent pool into a useful HR instrument
3 winning recruitment strategies in the age of talent
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