How to Attract the Best Candidates in a Competitive Job Market

Posted on: April 15th, 2022 by roger

We’re experiencing one of the most competitive job markets in recent history. The Great Resignation has left employers with more positions to fill than anticipated, and competition to attract and retain top talent is fiercer than ever. Recruiting tactics which have traditionally been successful in the past are no longer yielding the same results in this ultra-competitive candidate’s market.

The pandemic has changed the mindset of many workers in important ways. People are more willing than ever to leave a job in which they are unhappy. They are also expecting more from the companies with which they choose to work. Many job candidates today are placing a higher value on working for a company that:

Is socially responsible
Creates a culture that prioritizes quality of life
Is a strong match for their personal values
Provides avenues for personal and professional growth
Offers compensation that is commensurate with the steep cost of living increases we’re experiencing

The following tactics will help you more successfully attract and retain the top candidates in this competitive job climate.

Clearly Define Your Culture and Values

More than ever, job candidates are prioritizing company culture when choosing where they want to work. Simply offering the most money or the best benefits will no longer set you apart and make you the front runner for the best talent. For your position to be desirable, your company’s purpose, mission, values and culture must align with those of the candidate.

This is particularly true for millennials. According to a LinkedIn report, 86% of millennials would be willing to take less money to work for a company with values that align with their own. When creating your job postings, it’s crucial to clearly communicate your mission and values to applicants. Today, this is just as important as listing salary, benefits and incentives.

Make sure you add messaging about your culture and values in the following places:

In the job description (this is especially crucial if you use third-party job sites to post your position)
On your website
In your Google My Business profile
On your LinkedIn company profile
On any profiles posted with partner organizations

Prioritize Organizational Fit Over Specific Skills

This tactic represents the other side of the coin to the last one. If you want to not only attract top talent, but also keep them at your company for an extended period of time, you want to make sure they are a good fit for your company’s values and culture.

One of the biggest mistakes many companies make is placing too much emphasis on a candidate’s specific qualifications. While it’s certainly important that they possess some core skills that are necessary for success in the job, it’s not essential that they have extensive experience in all of the technologies, techniques and practices used at your business. These skills can easily be taught to a qualified candidate during the training process.

It is much harder to train someone to have passion, initiative, strong work ethic, a team-first mentality, and a desire to grow within your organization. Individuals either possess these traits or they don’t.

If a candidate doesn’t possess many of the intangible traits you desire in an employee, or if they don’t align closely with your company values and culture, they are likely to be a poor fit for your organization even if they possess the core skills required for success. This will increase the likelihood that you’ll need to replace this individual sooner than later.

Cultivate a Reputation for Being a Great Place to Work

Job candidates are interviewing you as much as you’re interviewing them. If they feel your company may not be a great place to work, your job will become less desirable to them. With platforms such as Glassdoor making employee reviews of their work experience and company culture easily accessible to candidates, it’s crucial that you take the steps necessary to build a reputation as being a great place to work.

The following steps will help you cultivate this reputation:

Invest the time with your management team to build an authentic culture that values the contributions of your employees, empowers them to thrive, and makes them enjoy coming to work
Encourage long-tenured employees to leave reviews on sites like Glassdoor to provide job seekers with insider insight as to what it’s like to work at your company
Create testimonial videos where employees discuss why they enjoy working at your company
Post pictures of happy employees at work and participating in team building activities on your social media profiles
List any “best place to work” awards you’ve won on your website
Encourage your employees to refer qualified candidates whom they believe would be a good fit for open positions

Make the Application Process as Easy as Possible

Many job seekers value an easy, low stress application process. It’s important to provide them with a personalized application experience that is easy to complete:

Post jobs on platforms such as LinkedIn which allow candidates to apply within the site and connect their profiles
Include information about benefits, company brand and organizational values on all job postings
Create a candidate-friendly, straightforward application process that can be completed quickly without requiring an overabundance of information which may deter talented individuals from applying
Use resume parsing technology that automatically pulls information from uploaded resumes so that the candidate won’t have to re-enter it
Make it easy to apply for open positions on mobile devices

Invest in Career Development

Many talented candidates are interested in choosing a position that will not only provide meaningful work in the moment, but also help them advance their career in the future. You can show talented applicants you’re invested in their professional growth by:

Offering mentoring programs where your senior team members work personally with younger individuals who would benefit from additional wisdom and seasoning
Provide the opportunity to attend conferences and workshops which may help employees grow their skillset
Establish pathways for new employees to advance within the company

Offer Attractive Work-Life Balance Perks

Work-life balance is more important than ever for many individuals. Companies that make this an integral part of their culture will often have a leg up on attracting the top talent. Consider offering the following perks which may help provide the flexibility many job seekers value:

Flexible work hours
Remote work options
Generous vacation policies
Fitness stipends
Partnerships with childcare providers

PassioHR Can Help You Recruit the Top Talent

In today’s competitive job landscape, it’s crucial to leverage the assistance of third-party HR consulting professionals who can help you attract and retain the top talent. PassioHR can set your business up for success. We offer comprehensive recruiting, HR consulting and employee engagement services that will help you optimize your hiring and training process.

Our unique Elevated Engagement Plus™ Approach has been designed to help you create a more successful and inspired organization. We’ll take a deep dive into your company to understand your specific goals, challenges and workforce dynamic. We’ll use this information to collaborate with you on creating a hiring process that will attract the top candidates who are a strong fit for your company’s culture and values. We can also help you craft an employee benefits package which will more effectively cater to the needs of today’s job candidates.

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roger

Roger Hays currently serves as President and CEO of PassioHR, Inc., based in Englewood Colorado. PassioHR was founded in 2021 by Roger after having spent over twenty years working in various positions in the Professional Employer Organization (PEO) market.

His areas of expertise are Human Resources management; Benefits Administration; Government Affairs; and Business Management.

Mr. Hays currently serves as the Chair the Leadership Council for NAPEO in Colorado and serves on their PAC committee, Federal Government Affairs and State Government Affairs Committees as well. In addition to NAPEO Roger is a past Leadership Council Chairman for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) in Colorado and serves on their PAC committee as well (NFIB is the voice of small business, advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals). He is a past Board President for the Colorado Civil Justice League (Colorado Civil Justice League is the only organization in Colorado focused exclusively on limiting unreasonable lawsuits and preserving common sense in the courtroom). Roger has been appointed by the Governor of Colorado, three times, to serve as a Board member on the Colorado Uninsured Employers Board. (The CUE board was established by the CO legislature to provide financial assistance to individuals injured while working for employers who did not carry workers’ compensation insurance in violation of Colorado Statute.)

Roger spends many hours each Legislative session working with state Legislators in Colorado on behalf of the PEO industry as well as small business in general testifying in front of committees or just interacting with individual legislators on issues important to those groups. He also works with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, serving on a number of taskforces to help guide the department in dealing with Unemployment and Labor issues.

Mr. Hays Graduated from North Dakota State University with a BS Degree in Political Science and is an avid Bison supporter.

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