Expert advice to improve hiring efficiency and quality in today’s challenging recruitment market
Identifying tips and tricks to improve hiring efficiency and quality is key in today’s challenging recruitment market.
So, we hosted a webinar partnership with our friends at JobAdder to dive into the topic. We invited expert presenters Josh Conlay from Xref, Paul Molony from JobAdder and wonderful guest speaker Louise Joyce, Talent Experience Manager at Xero, to share their thoughts on the best hiring hacks they’ve come across.
During the webinar, we aimed to answer five key questions - here we recap what was discussed.
1. What market factors are impacting recruitment efficiency?
The Australian talent market is a turbulent place for every industry at the moment and we can all learn from one another, regardless of who we’re hiring. Some of the key challenges today’s recruiters are facing, include:
The war on talent. Demand for great talent is more competitive than ever and candidates have the pick of multiple options when it comes to choosing their next move. Finding the reason why that great talent should want to work for you is key.
An increase in global mobility. A skills shortage in Australia means we’re increasingly looking overseas for talent and, although more people are willing to move, that can quickly add complications to the hiring process. Knowing the rules and regulations around overseas hiring in your industry is an important first step.
Low unemployment rates. Australia’s low unemployment rates mean we’re all trying to recruit from a smaller pool of talent, which makes sourcing and attraction difficult. Getting out in front of potential future hires before they’re even looking to move will keep you front of mind when they are.
As mentioned during the webinar, these challenges aren’t unique to any role or industry. Whether you’re in retail and on the hunt for large volumes of seasonal hires, or in technology and desperately trying to find highly-skilled specialists, these market factors are all having an impact.
2. What tips and tricks could I implement right now to improve my hiring?
Making your recruitment process more efficient and smarter doesn’t always mean you need to jump straight into investing in a new tech platform.
As our webinar panelists discussed, there are lots of simple tricks and tools that can be implemented today to start seeing improvements right away. Here are a handful of them:
Update your company social profiles. Making sure the career-focused areas of your social accounts are adding the most value and insights, with content tailored per role and department.
Take back control of career marketing. Talent acquisition professionals are the custodians for company culture and should remain the gatekeepers of any recruitment marketing efforts.
Use video in emails to generate a more personal approach. Vidyard is a great example of a tool that can be quickly implemented (get started with a free trial) and help to massively improve response rates.
Get back to texting. It may seem like an “old school” engagement tool but it consistently delivers. If you find a candidate is ghosting you, why not drop them a text?
Prioritise your time with project management tools, such as Trello and appointment scheduling apps, such as Calendly.
3. Do I need to invest in tech?
While technology is an important factor in today’s modern recruitment process, understanding whether you need, or are ready, to invest in a tech platform comes down to knowing what’s right for your team.
There’s a three-step process that you can follow to quickly understand if tech is the best next step for you:
Understand the problem you’re facing - it may sound obvious but really digging into the issue in hand can help you to determine if technology is the solution, or if other changes could be made to overcome it.
Do your research - use your networks to speak to those who have experienced tech implementation, or those who are working with organisations that have. Understand what the key trigger points are that usually lead to an investment in tech and see if they align with your current situation.
Make space for tech - before you can even think about implementing tech, you need to make space for it. Make sure your team are aware that you’re considering it and how it will positively impact them. Then, work out how you will create time for you and your team to make the best use of it.
4. How do I know if a tech platform is right for my business?
As mentioned by Josh on the webinar, when trying to establish if a piece of tech is right for you, keep the six points of our VISION model in mind:
Valuable - what efficiencies will the tool offer your team?
Intuitive - is it simple to deploy and use?
Scalable - is it enterprise-ready and will it grow with you?
Integrated - does it connect to other HR tech platforms?
Owned - is it backed by reputable and reliable ownership?
Needed - it is business-critical or just a nice to have?
5. How can I get buy-in from my leadership team to invest in tech?
Once you’ve identified that a tech investment is the best next step for you, and you’ve assessed the value of a particular tool using the six elements of the VISION model, the final hurdle between you and your tech dream is getting buy-in from your leadership team to invest.
As our panelists discussed, there are a number of approaches you can take to help with this process:
Demonstrate due diligence. Use the VISION model or whatever approach works best for you to show the questions you have asked of the platform yourself.
Use data to back up your argument. Demonstrate the results of a free trial, source testimonials and case studies, and collect feedback from your network.
Adopt the “FOMO” approach. Look at the companies your business aspires to be like to show what they are doing and how you could be doing the same or better with your tool of choice.
Make the salesperson work! Bring in the salesperson you’ve been dealing with so they can help to answer any questions you might not be able to respond to.
A huge thank you to all those who joined us for our webinar - hopefully, this recap goes some way to supporting all the advice and guidance offered by our amazing panelists.
And, if you weren’t able to make it, you can watch the full webinar below!
