2021 was the year that millions decided it was time to seek new employment. In fact, at the end of last year, as many as one in four employees were planning to change their job. When an employee decides to leave, it creates an opportunity for positive change. A chance to review your plans for their role, think about who you would like to recruit and how you will go about doing so. It’s not just about finding a replacement either. Recruitment done well can provide a pathway to effecting positive change in your business, such as to improve equality and diversity.
Yet there’s no doubt that post-pandemic, we need to be thinking differently about who we hire and how we hire them. The war for talent is raging! In a candidate-driven market, you need to think about how you as an employer is going to stand out from the rest.
Do you know what you need?
What has not changed is the fundamentals of good recruitment which can often be missed in favour of last-minute panic hiring to fill a role.
These fundamentals include:
What is the job? What role are you recruiting for? Have you really considered what you need? What skills and experience are required?
Fit – the values and culture of the company drive everything you do, so it is important to focus your selection decisions on finding people that match your organisation. Be careful though! You don’t want unconscious bias to creep in or recruit people who all have similar backgrounds or characteristics!
Diversity – customers always respond better when they can see that your team matches their own workforce. Diversity in the team is great in other areas, such as bringing different perspectives.
The future – it is often suggested that you should not hire who you are looking for now, but what you need in the future. Do the candidates you see have the capacity to grow into other or bigger roles so you can use their skills to help grow the company?
Thinking outside the box
The reality of recruiting at the moment is that we have to look in different places and think of diverse ways to attract candidates. Some outside-the-box thinking can help.
Promote current staff – The perfect person for the job could already be working for you. If there is something stopping you from promoting a current member of staff to fill a vacant position, consider if training might make a difference.
Think differently – Having a picture in your mind of the ideal candidate could mean that you’re missing out on the next best person. Try to keep an open mind when reviewing applications with miscellaneous experience, as many skills are transferable.
Going further afield – Ever since Brexit the recruitment process for EU nationals has changed and the points-based immigration system explains the various routes to employment when hiring from the EU.
Rethink your recruitment
If you’d like to hear some more ideas or discuss how you can make sure you hire the right person, give us a call. Our professional HR team can help you rethink your recruitment for a successful year ahead.
