Wood Words

When the Best Candidates are Passive, Your Recruiting Can’t Be

You’ve heard the stats. You know the score. Unemployment is low; job creation is steady; our economy continues to trend upward.

These facts crystallize what you already understand deep down in your gut:

Recruiting exceptional talent is tough!

Most high performers are gainfully employed. And in a market where the best candidates are passive, your recruiting efforts can’t afford to be. So go on the offensive. Use these tips from our Lebanon TN employment agency to attract the best:

  1. Revamp job postings. Want to attract higher level candidates? Move beyond humdrum lists of job duties and qualifications. Detail what exceptional performance looks like – not just the exceptional candidate. To breathe new life into boring job descriptions:
    1. Clarify what great work looks like, in terms of deliverables, metric, goals and more.
    2. Explain the “WIIFM” for the candidate, (see “opportunity gap” below).
    3. Identify the skills and competencies needed to produce outstanding results.
    4. Showcase your company’s culture, so potential applicants get a feel for what it’s really like to work for your organization.
  2. Create an “opportunity gap.” To entice a talented (gainfully employed) candidate to respond to your job posting, position your opportunity as a smart career move. After all, if your job is no better than the one an individual currently has, why would he risk leaving? To create an opportunity gap, appeal to a high performer’s need for challenge, career growth, exceptional corporate culture and competitive compensation. When he sees a measurable difference between where he is now and the potential your position offers, he’s more likely to pursue the opportunity with you.
  3. Remove roadblocks. Scrutinize every aspect of your intake process to make sure it’s welcoming, intuitive and fast:
    1. Optimize your job board and application process for mobile. Otherwise, great candidates will abandon the process.
    2. Shorten your initial application, so that it takes no more than 15 to 20 minutes to apply.
    3. Respond quickly. Tighten up your screening process so that promising candidates are contacted within 24 to 48 hours.
  4. Partner with a leading Middle Tennessee recruiting agency. With decades of experience and a full complement of staffing and placement services, Wood Personnel can help you recruit better people – faster and more cost-effectively, by:
    1. Learning about your business, to profile best-fit candidates who will thrive.
    2. Connecting you to passive talent.
    3. Accelerating the recruiting process to speed talent acquisition.
    4. Guaranteeing results.

What can Wood do for you? Contact our Lebanon employment agency or your local WPS office today.

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