Attracting Talent in a Candidate-Driven Recruiting Market

By Joni Burton, CPCC and CEO, JVS Carees

It’s a great time to be looking for work. With the unemployment rate at a historic low, employers are working extra hard to attract talent. More and more companies are using what is called inbound recruiting. That’s when a company works to attract an employee in hopes of having them choose the company as their next employer.

A great inbound recruitment strategy should include the following:

Branding

You need to define your employer brand clearly, then sell it to the world through your website, social media platforms and your current employees — answer the question of why your organization is a great place to work and to build a career.

Remember, we’re in a candidate-driven market — that means you need to communicate respectfully and give people the information they need to evaluate both the job opportunity and your organization.

It’s always a good idea to build your company’s brand on sites like LinkedIn, which is generally seen as the most credible employment social media site. If you don’t already have a company page on LinkedIn, establish one – this is the place to describe your company culture.

Social Recruiting

Social recruiting is more than simply posting job ads on your social network sites. Your competitors are using social media networks proactively to identify candidates by their skills and interests, then connecting with them to build a relationship — and ultimately to get them to apply for an opening.

Remember, recruiting is all about emotion. Good or bad, first impressions are lasting impressions. Many candidates embrace an employer after one inspiring conversation and a few social media comments about the company’s unique culture. It takes just one “moment of truth” to seal the deal – but also, it only takes one bad impression to undo all of your hard work.

Speak to the Candidate’s Aspirations
It’s common to think pay is the main deciding factor in choosing a job – but the main driver is a company’s culture.

When you are interviewing candidates, keep in mind what their driving motivation is. Uncover the candidate’s ambitions and career dreams, then show them how working for your organization will put them on the path to achieving their dreams.

Keep in mind the candidate is interviewing you as much as you are interviewing the candidate. If you present your organization well on social media sites, and during the interview process, you can land that great candidate.

Joni Burton, CPCC and CEO of JVS Careers, is a seasoned Senior Management Executive with decades of experience in recruiting, staffing and management. In her role as CEO, Burton is focused on growing the agency and significantly expanding both types of services offered to job seekers and employers, and the number of clients served.

Burton has a Bachelor of Science Degree from The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business.

To contact Joni Burton, please call (513) 745-2902, or email [email protected].