Are you letting top talent slip through your fingers?

Despite the job market stabilising over the past year, the race to attract and retain top talent remains urgent for our clients, particularly in a time of continued record employment.

Just last week, we had a client call to confirm they were ready to make an offer on a candidate after weeks of radio silence. Unfortunately, our consultant had to break the news that the candidate had accepted another offer. Confused, our client wanted to know if there was an issue. After all, the candidate had expressed such enthusiasm for this company, and it was their first choice. And for the client, the candidate was an ideal fit, ticking every box. The problem? The client had dragged out the process over almost 2 months, leaving the candidate (and their consultant) in the dark throughout. Whereas the company that had successfully hired the candidate came to the table with their financial sign-off complete, a clear and efficient process, and all in had contracts signed within 2 weeks.

Over the years, this story has become familiar, not only for Celtic Careers but also for all agencies and recruitment processes. Hiring needs to be a mutual process of respect between candidates and potential employers. Those who consistently miss out on top talent overlook this reality.

Thankfully, we’ve had over 25 years to perfect what works and what’s going to hinder success – and we can help ensure you’re making the best of your hiring practices!

Communication

It’s crucial to define and communicate the stages involved to both your candidates and your other stakeholders (including your recruitment consultant). Decide who the candidate will meet, why these meetings are necessary, and who will be involved in the decision-making process. Schedule interviews promptly and minimise delays to demonstrate transparency and respect for the candidate and their time. Whether you opt for in-person or virtual interviews – consistency and transparency are key. Consultants can assist in managing expectations with candidates and keep them engaged if the stages are clearly communicated.

Financial Sign-Off and Approval

A major factor for candidates dropping out of the recruitment process is delays, often caused by a lack of a clear approval process within the hiring company. Nothing is more disheartening than a hiring manager finding the perfect candidate only to lose them waiting for headcount approval or funding. Necessary funding should be allocated before initiating the hiring process, and a clear procedure with communicable stages should be available if any amendments need to be requested. This not only streamlines the process but demonstrates your commitment to filling the position.

Clear and Concise Job Descriptions

This should be a no-brainer, but another frequent cause of losing opportunities is unclear job specifications – resulting in a ‘Garbage-in; garbage-out’ situation. If your job descriptions are too generic – or fail to emphasise required skills, finding the right talent becomes a steep uphill battle. The right candidates are less likely to apply, requirement-matching is exponentially more difficult, and no one is happy. Our consultants can help you refine Job Descriptions to ensure your hiring process gets off to an ideal start!

Get Creative

Over the past few years, wages have risen significantly, but many employers’ salary ranges remain where they were almost a decade ago. We understand that costs have risen in every area following the pandemic, and many organisations have struggled to keep up. It’s worth remembering that your people are your most valuable asset, and long-term compensation and benefits planning should be in place for all business owners to retain their staff.

Thankfully, there are a number of options available to reward staff beyond base salary increases, and employers should consider these if they are experiencing staffing challenges. This could range from offering hybrid and remote work policies to improve work-life balance, offering employer-matched pension plans or health insurance, additional allowances (health and wellbeing, personal devices, vehicle, etc.), or increasing the number of annual leave days for your employees. Any one of these could likely push an offer over the line with a top-quality candidate, and we’ve seen the results across our client base of those who keep staff and those who don’t.

If you’re experiencing difficulty in hiring, please contact Celtic Careers today. Our experienced consultants can discuss your challenges and guide you through improving and finding the best candidates for your business.  Good candidates are always going to get snapped up quickly, don’t let them slip through your fingers!