The Candidate Is Just Not That Into You

Hiring right now is not easy. We have been in a candidate-driven market for a few years, but I haven’t felt it as much as I have this past quarter. Hot jobs to recruit on, check. Great candidates, check. Interest from both sides, check… then the deals somehow fall apart. What is happening? Welcome to today’s candidate-dominated market!...

A candidate-driven market is defined by skilled professionals, not by the wants or plans of employers. This applies to most all industries. The first step is accepting that your job is one of many options for your candidates. The following are some suggestions how your company can stay ahead and make those critical hires-quickly:

Step up your process

‘You snooze, you lose’ has never been more true when it comes to securing talent than right now. Although lengthy hiring processes have never been good for the candidate experience, nowadays skilled professionals are simply no longer willing to put up with slow processes. According to Glassdoor, “the average interview process takes 23 days, up from 13 days just a few years prior”. Employers that take too long to make decisions on candidates run a high risk of losing talent to their competitors. Candidates are demanding a smooth and fast hiring process. Employers who are willing and able to do so will have a competitive edge, improving their chances of recruiting the best people.

Sell yourself to them

People are attracted to companies that align with their own values and encourage them to do what they do best and grow. So if you want your top talent to turn their heads and give your company some serious consideration, you need to be able to sell your corporate brand and value proposition throughout the recruitment process.

Let go of control

Today’s candidates are busy and on the go, so they demand a flexible, accessible and engaging hiring process. Companies that are able to create systems that fit the preferences and lifestyle of their candidates will have an edge. Examples of this are more mobile, humanized and transparent processes, allowing candidates to connect with prospective employers at a time and place convenient for them.

Manage salary expectations

The salary game. This is the biggest, yet most important challenge. Provided you stick to the original job specs, being straightforward with recruiters and candidates about compensation will avoid wasting everyone’s time. Again, this goes back to being transparent and also selling them on the opportunity.

It’s not necessarily about candidates not “being into you”, but more about them having a bevy of other options to choose from. So take a look at your internal recruitment process and realize it might be time for you to make some tweaks to your hiring game in order to stay in the race. You might be surprised at the benefits- such as improved time-to-hire, reduced recruitment costs and better candidate matches. Happy Hiring!

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