99% of Employers Aren’t Considering this #1 Factor when Recruiting for Talent
Updated: Nov 25, 2020
Employers! Like it or not, YOU NEED TALENT, more than talent needs you. Since 2008, the relationship between the volume of job opportunities and the availability of talent has continued to demonstrate an inverse correlation. In simple terms, for 11 years straight, there have been fewer candidates in the market year on year!
Why? Because ‘talent’ has more jobs to choose from. It’s basic supply and demand. To this end, many employers have switched lanes to invest heavily in their Employer Value Proposition - ping pong tables, break-out areas, onsite masseuses, free fruit, nap rooms, unlimited holidays…the list is endless! But why has this happened? Forward-thinking tech-companies Google and Apple have done it, so it must lead to greater employee engagement, right?
Wrong.
No one is really interested in your self-promotion. Talent wants to know that you understand them, that they can trust you, that you’re honest and transparent and that you have their best interests at heart.
This is how basic human connection is built.
Enter the importance of the line manager…
99% of companies aren’t helping their recruiting line mangers to have empathy when engaging with talent. Gone are the days of the 1980’s, where it was all about challenging the candidate to prove why you should hire them. Today, the first stage interview should be more like a first date. BOTH PARTIES need to see if there is a connection there. To put this simply, your line managers need to understand that talent is sussing you out, just as much as you are them.
So, do your line managers know:
Why someone would want to work for THEM?
Why would someone want to work for THEIR BUSINESS?
What the ideal candidate wants from YOU?
How they can DEVELOP a candidate’s career?
What PROJECTS they have in the pipeline that create excitement and stretch?
Who their SUCCESSION PLAN is and what PROGRESSION there is?
Where they are going in THEIR career?
Who the SUCCESS STORIES are within the organisation that they can shout about at interview?
Why they LOVE working for the company?
Understanding the answers to these simple questions and more importantly, being able to articulate them to a candidate in an interview, will undoubtedly build connection and rapport between the recruiting manager and prospective employee. After all, they say that people leave line managers, so flipping that on its head, they must join them too.
If you've enjoyed this blog, why not read some of our other.