Are you missing your ideal candidate?

Are you missing your ideal candidate?

Whether you recruit yourselves or engage a recruiter, there are some key factors that can result in missing your ideal candidate. Here’s our advice on how to minimise the risk:

1. Many candidates need key areas of information covered in a job advert, and we’ve heard from many that if they don’t get this information, they simply won’t apply for the role. So, in addition to the details of the role itself, they need:

• A salary guide

• Specific location and parking details

• A description of culture (supported by the tone of the job copy)

• The future opportunities/career path associated with the role

• Flexible working policy

• Standard hours

• Benefits package

• The specific essentials and desirables made very clear

Doing this of course has the additional benefit of reducing the volume of applications you receive and limiting the pile to only those that are interested in all facets of the opportunity.

2. Some candidates are simply not applying to any job adverts, either directly OR through a recruiter. This is because, on the vast majority of job boards, you can view how many people have applied. If the amount of applications is high, candidates just don’t believe they can stand out or don’t believe all applications can possibly be reviewed fully.  

There are ways to minimise the volume of applicants you receive and ensure your perfect candidate therefore applies. Click here to read our advice on smart job copy to reduce volume.

3. There also seems to be a fair amount of social media noise around that it’s a waste of time applying for roles during this unique time, as they won’t be responded to, and therefore a demoralising process. To protect themselves, candidates seem to be choosing to build their profile online and are hoping to be found, asking their network to share and recommend them, as well as approaching brands directly and speculatively.  

If you are suitably resourced to reply to every application, it would be well worth your while stating in your job advert that you WILL reply to all applications - a commitment statement is a very good idea. If the truth is that you simply won’t be able to respond to all applications, then you can follow the job copy advice above, to reduce the volume of applications and/or choose a quality, niche recruiter to filter for you. For information regarding this service here at Beyond The Book, please click here.

One of our mantras here at BTB is that there's never been a problem that couldn’t be solved and, with regards to the risk of missing your perfect candidate, the above advice could go a long way towards solving this particular problem.

We are always here to give advice. Please use us!