It’s no secret that we are facing a job-rich and candidate-short market. At least it shouldn’t be a secret. So why is it that some employers haven’t got the message?
So often, clients are shocked to hear that the candidate they had their heart set on and had already mentally moved into the team has accepted an offer elsewhere. When their selected candidate is now out of the market, it can be a big disappointment – one that can really taint the whole recruitment process.
It’s like at a restaurant, when you pore over the menu and choose your dish, you can almost taste it. But the waiter returns to take your order, he reports the kitchen has run out of a key ingredient. Even though the other options might also be delicious, your second choice will always leave a faint tang of disappointment lingering on the palate.
As recruitment consultants, this is a tough situation. We know that once a client has their heart set on the perfect candidate, the job to find someone else just got way tougher. The psychology has changed. Now all candidates have to live up to the image of this unavailable person, instead of just being measured on their own merits.
Timing is everything
So what went wrong for our client who lost out? Everything was looking so positive. Often, they just didn’t move fast enough in their recruitment process. We encourage our candidates to be as open as possible about the other opportunities they are exploring so we can manage our client’s expectations, but candidates are entitled to play their cards close to their chest. Even when we do know there are other options in the mix, there’s only so much pressure we can exert on clients to speed the process up without appearing too eager or pushy.
There’s a delicate balance that must be struck here, between being quick off the mark and exercising due diligence and making well-informed decisions, especially for key hires.
Overcome obstacles to the recruitment process with innovation or stand to lose out on top talent
We know there are internal procedures to follow, we know there are often multiple stakeholders involved in a hire, and we know that careful consideration is important. But we believe there is something else that is even more important – intuition. We encourage our clients to go with their gut every time.
Streamlining the recruitment process has never been more important. The workforce is getting younger, and the younger generations are not accustomed to waiting for anything. They expect transparency and they expect instant gratification. Convoluted or protracted recruitment processes turn them off – they are inspired by decisive and open communication and can see through power games and tactics. Basically, the longer you take to show them you’re interested, the less valued they feel.
The fact is that while you were considering what you were going to choose on that menu, or weighing up the prices, the table next to you were already tucking into their perfect dish.
While you are busy interviewing other candidates to underpin your decision that candidate A was the right fit, your competition is preparing an offer because they trust their gut.
While you are waiting for a business partner to get back into the country to meet with the candidate, your competition has arranged a video interview and already has the seal of approval.
While you debate about what salary to offer and how much negotiation room to leave, your competitor has gone straight in at the top of their budget with a totally transparent offer the candidate can’t refuse.
While you talk about how much you like this candidate, your competitor is acting on it.
Making the right decision is crucial, but making it fast is even more crucial if you want to secure top talent in this fast moving market. Streamlining your hiring process and acting decisively is what will help your organisation win the war for talent.
Intec Select’s mission is to find the best fit for candidates and businesses so that both can prosper. Our goal of being the preferred and trusted recruitment partner for both clients and candidates is achieved by delivering a personal, responsive and flexible solution to your recruitment needs. For more market insights, why not follow us on Twitter? And to find out more about how we can help you find the job or talent you are looking for, call us.
