I get phone calls every day from hiring managers with tough to fill urgent PRIORITY ONE job openings. This is my job. This is what my firm specializes in helping my clients accomplish. Sometimes we refer to certain tough to fill job searches as searching for a “purple squirrel” or a “unicorn”. Translation – next to impossible to fill because the skill set is almost non-existent in their market.
But, we all want more hiring options at the end of day, right?
When faced with the challenge of making a TOUGH TO FILL hire, you want to try to make your talent pool BIGGER.
Here are some ways to increase the size of your talent pool.
- Offer telecommuting options – When you require someone to drive to your offices daily, you are essentially putting a 30-45 minute commuting radius around your office location for your talent. If the work that this candidate will perform can be done remotely part of the time or all of time, this will make your position easier to fill.
- Offer relocation – If the talent pool around your office location is shallow, you will need to offer relocation to potential hires in order to fill the role and move someone to you with your required skill set.
- Offer flexible hours – The ability to arrive early or leave late will help candidates who are commuting from longer distances to avoid traffic and give them the flexibility that they might need to say YES to your job.
- Decide on your “MUST HAVE” skills– Determine what skills your candidates need to have when they walk in the door in order to be successful at their job. And then determine what you will be able to offer training on. Focusing on 1 or 2 key MUST HAVE skills is much easier to fill than 5 or 6.
- Offer an extra special benefit – Why should someone work for your company over another employer? Perhaps unlimited PTO or a really good 401K match or retirement benefit.
- Offer a strong culture – You want candidates who WANT to work with your team. Create an environment and team that they are PASSIONATE about joining. And make sure that your staff is trained on delivering this message when interviewing. Your company will sell itself.
The 2018 job market is off to a rocket start. Many of our clients are fighting for top talent to join their teams due to strong business growth. Use these tips to compete and hire the best talent you can find!
About Michelle Coviello | VP of Client Development
Michelle is a Certified Personnel Consultant with almost 20 years of experience in the executive technology search business.
About HireNetworks
HireNetworks offers nationwide recruiting, staffing, and executive search services. HireNetworks fills positions for skills ranging from technology and finance to sales and research. Celebrating 14 years of success this year, HireNetworks is set apart by their experienced, senior recruiting team and reputation in the industry. HireNetworks is ranked top 5 of “Best Places to Work” and has been listed “Top Technical Recruiting Firm in the Triangle” every year since 2001. For the past two years, HireNetworks has been ranked in the INC5000 Fastest Growing Companies and recently named Best Employers in North Carolina again for 2017.
Clients use HireNetworks because of our vast network and collaborative approach to under-standing their culture, company and staffing needs.