Your aim is to always hire the top talent in your field. Many businesses struggle to find the “perfect fit” candidate with all the necessary skills for their open roles. If your organization is struggling to find unmatched talent in a tight labor market, here are a few strategies you can follow:
Consider expanding your criteria for the ideal employee. Cast a wider net of candidates. Instead of looking for only people with a very specific background or special training, it’s important to widen your search when hiring during a difficult labor market.
Try being flexible with the required background and expertise you’d like candidates to have. Consider people who may have the skills from another sector that can apply well to the job at hand. You might be surprised at just how effective these employees can be.
A candidate can have an exceptional educational and work background in your precise industry sector, but still fail at your organization if they aren’t a good cultural fit or don’t share your core values. Factor in the type of person who will fit in among your employees and the interpersonal skills not listed on their resume that will help them become part of the team.
Hire a candidate with transferrable skills. By considering those with transferrable skills, you can focus on harder to define skills, such as the ability to work with teams and communication ability. These skills are just as important but are much harder to learn than technical skills. As a result, you’ll find yourself interviewing candidates who may not fit a traditional hiring profile, but who instead can thrive at your firm with some industry-specific training.
To cast this wider net, you should focus on the job descriptions you post for every open role. Draft them, then revisit the requirements to determine if they’re all absolutely needed. You may realize that some of the technical skills or professional requirements are simply nice to haves, but not truly essential to the worker’s success at your company. If that’s the case, don’t make them absolutes and you’ll find yourself with more candidates for your open roles.
Increase the types of perks and benefits you offer. Any little edge over your competition such as sign-on bonuses or benefits can impress and get a candidate to choose your company over a competitor. Some perks you may want to consider adding to your organization include:
- Relocation assistance
- Helping employees pay off student loans
- Additional paid days off
- Gym membership and other health benefits that highlight work/life balance
By presenting these types of perks, candidates will see that the company culture focuses on the well-being and happiness of its employees. This can be a great attribute that attracts new hires and retains people for years to come while also preventing significant turnover costs.
In sum, applicants have numerous options in a tight job market, so it is imperative that the way your organization approaches them and the advantages that are offered give candidates every reason to want to join your company.