Working in HR or recruitment is both rewarding and painful (often at the same time). Keeping in mind a few basic laws will help to lessen the pain and bring more hiring success in the year ahead:-

January always sees a surge in job seekers : A new year is always accompanied by a surge in job applications as people set goals for the year ahead. Nearly two thirds of employees (62%) are thinking of changing jobs next year, according to Hays UK Salary & Recruiting Trends 2017 survey. Over a quarter of those surveyed stated that a lack of career development is the reason behind their job search. Now is the time to engage your employees and prepare your hiring process for an increase in job applicants next month.

You will need to pay more to attract talent : Pay rises are predicted to remain at 2.5% in 2017 but expect to pay more to attract qualified candidates. Employers in sectors such as engineering and tech have paid 30% over the going rate to secure talented candidates in 2017. Following the Autumn Statement and changes to salary sacrifice polices, HR will also need to be more innovative when it comes to perks and benefits. Addressing issues such as flexible and remote working, recognition of achievements and rewarding loyalty are good starting points. Follow the example of Ikea, which has announced it will pay a £1,200 bonus this year to employees with more than 5 years of service. The company was also the first national retailer to pay the National Living Wage.

Candidate no-shows will happen : It is often the most qualified candidates who fail to appear for their scheduled interview. Reduce the number of your no-shows by minimising delays in your hiring process. Evaluate your time to hire and engage candidates in your pipeline with regular automated updates and interview reminders. Our previous article 6 Tips To Prevent Candidate No-Shows offers specific advice for recruiters dealing with a persistent problem.

You can’t stop working on culture : Culture is the competitive advantage or the Achilles’ heel in your hiring process. Over half of all UK businesses were affected by negative online reviews in the past year and a bad reputation can cost your business an extra 10% per hire. Culture is a constant work-in-progress and is something that even the global brands cannot take for granted. Glassdoor’s Top Places To Work For 2017 reveal that Google has fallen from its number one spot of two years ago to 13th in the latest survey.

There’s (usually) a disconnect between HR & employees : Hays’ survey found that while nearly a quarter of employees consider work/life balance important, only 13% of employers feel the same way. A third of UK employees don’t trust HR and for many employers, a disconnect exists. Engage in regular career conversations, deliver on your promises to employees and carry out exit interviews to identify the reasons why people leave your business to overcome this communication gap. Your recruitment metrics will provide insight into your attrition rates. 

The counter offer is a bad idea : Don’t be tempted to make a counter offer to an employee on the receiving end of a job offer. A ‘sticking plaster’ offer of an increase in salary won’t address the underlying reasons for their resignation but it will unsettle loyal employees who will take an educated guess at the motivation behind the change of heart. Commit to ongoing skills training for all of your employees to avoid being held to ransom by high achievers with scarce skills.

Talent acquisitions fails without technology : The Hays survey found that over three quarters of organisations are preparing for a shortage of qualified candidates which is seen as their biggest hiring challenge in 2017. Half of all HR directors are unable to plan effectively as their time is taken up with non-strategic and admin tasks. Without recruitment software, your ability to respond effectively to the challenge of sourcing talent will be significantly reduced.

Follow the laws of successful talent acquisition. Support your hiring process with recruitment software that helps you to hire better people faster. Contact Advorto today.

You might also like to read:-

The Most Misunderstood Facts About HR Software

8 Tips For Your Talent Acquisition Strategy In 2017

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