We all spend time surveying our customers, investing in market research, capturing, reworking and analysing data to ensure we are in line with their needs. The same analytic approach applies to recruitment. Viewing our industry from the ‘outside in’, how can you attract the best talent on the market and nurture prospective stars to encourage loyalty and high performance?
As employers, the first step we take when we receive an application is to google the candidate, review social media and trawl the internet looking for any insight into both the personal and professional inner-circle of their life. We expect that the ‘top talent’ end of town will have thought about the impact of social media sites and made a conscious effort to consider the impression on any potential employer.
Just as we take these steps, candidates will also do the same. Making a decision to change career is a big step, and culture and working environments are top of mind. So candidates will research you too.
Use Instagram with culture-defining snaps that show the ‘lifestyle’ you create for your team.
Ensure that your website is in line with the image you would like to portray and that your team’s LinkedIn profiles are professional. Use Instagram with culture-defining snaps that show the ‘lifestyle’ you create for your team. This will all help encourage the candidate to picture how their time may look as an employee in their new seat.
Then it’s interview time. The candidate arrives excited – albeit a little apprehensive – for their interview, and their first impression is… what?
Think about the first impression you would like to create. In a tough candidate market you may have waited weeks for someone to have passed your detailed criteria to make it to your front door. The first meeting, therefore, is crucial for both parties.
It’s guaranteed the candidate will have thought about their appearance and how to make
a positive impact. Think of the steps a candidate takes and emulate them.
- Make an early connection
- Showcase the working space
- Invite colleagues to introduce themselves
- Share stories and get to know each other
- Uncover experience through conversation
- Be clear about expectations and what success will look like
- Promote commitment to progression
Remember, the decision to form a career partnership is a two-way street. Both employee and employer need to feel the connection. So whether you are applying for a role or looking for your next rising star, put your best foot forward and do what we do well – sell the experience!
