Do you struggle to attract applications from the right candidates when you advertise a vacancy?
Would you like to identify the problem so you can work towards making changes to your approach and resolving the issue?
Then you need to spend the next five minutes reading through the information on this page.
We have taken the time to list some of the most common reasons employers end up with less than ideal employees. This article will help to point you in the right direction and ensure you don’t make the same mistakes again in the future.
With that in mind, grab yourself a cup of coffee, and let’s get down to business!
Publishing generic job ads
The worst thing any entrepreneur or employer can do is publish generic job ads online or anywhere else because they never work. You need to write accurate job descriptions that detail the day to day realities of working in the role if you want to attract the best talent. That is a fundamental of the recruitment process, and it’s a process you need to master.
Take a look at recent vacancies posted on leading website to learn more about how the best companies write their job ads. At the very least, it should contain information about working hours, salary, and required experience and qualifications. You also need to make sure you publish those ads in the right places, but we’ll discuss that more in the next section.
Not advertising in the right places
Employers have many options on the table when it comes to promoting their vacancies and publishing their job ads in the right places.
Ask people working in your HR department to conduct some research and work out which domains are best suited to your brand. There are industry-specific job boards out there you should consider because they tend to draw in the best workers. Make sure you use one of those sites instead of posting your job ads on just government-run or generic websites.
Not accurately describing skill requirements
It makes sense that if you want to find the best candidates and turn them into full-time employees; you need to write accurate descriptions of the skills your ideal worker requires.
If you don’t write enough about these requirements in your vacancy ad; you can’t expect the right people to get in touch. If you need any help at all when it comes to writing job ads; there are freelancers out there you can employ, and there are also recruitment specialists who could assist with constructing the job vacancy advert.
You might even decide to hand the task to someone in your HR department with a lot of experience in recruitment. That way, you should get reasonable results.
Not being selective enough with interviews
When you post a job ad online or anywhere else; you are probably going to get hundreds of applications from people around the country. Many of them do not have the skills or qualifications you require, and so you must take a look at the applications and remove the ones that do not stand a chance.
You must then come up with a system that will enable you to sort the wheat from the chaff before you ask your HR department to call the candidates and offer them an interview. Don’t waste your time interviewing hundreds of potential employees because that is a waste of money and your time is better spent focusing on the growth of your company.
Using a weak interview process
Entrepreneurs and business owners will find a wealth of information online that should help them to develop an interview process that helps to get an accurate perception of the person sat at the other side of the table. If you only ask to see the CV you’ve already seen because it came with the job application; you will struggle to learn anything new about the person. So, think outside of the box and try some unusual techniques for the best results.
One employer recently asked their candidates to spend half an hour playing the video game Call of Duty so they could assess how the person responded under pressure. While this may not be suitable for your specific business; it should help to highlight how unique approaches can work well in identifying the right candidate for the job.
Not publishing details of benefits
Lastly; you need to make your job vacancy ads look as appealing as possible if you want to attract applications from the best people in the industry. The best way to achieve that goal usually involves listing all the benefits and perks of the job, especially these are unique or unexpected in your industry. If the role gives someone a company car; you should mention that when you advertise the position. Does the candidate get a higher than average holiday allowance each year? That’s another thing you should mention if you want to catch the biggest fish with your hook. Anything that makes the job seem more appealing and attractive to workers should get a mention in the ad you place online.
Now you know about some of the top reasons employers struggle to find the right candidates, you can use the information to tailor your approach and make sure you get better results the next time you need to employ someone new. Remember that the recruitment process doesn’t have to take a lot of time or cost a lot of money if you have the right processes in place, write engaging and accurate job ads and get them into the right places to be found by the right candidates.
Using job ads on popular and industry job boards as a guide for what works in reaching the best candidates will go a long way to helping you developing the best ads for use. Equally, working with an industry professional such as an external recruiter can provide the industry knowledge and expertise required to get the job done.