Application activity has been consistently lagging amidst the pandemic, however in mid-March job applications dropped another 14%. What happened? Job seekers cite health concerns, a need for child care and extended unemployment benefits as the top reasons for pausing their job search. Additionally the past year has meant demoralizing job losses and fruitless job searches for some. So, while there has been an uptick in available jobs some job seekers say they’re discouraged from continuing a painful job search process.
Add the passing of a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill to an increasing number of discouraged workers and you have the recipe for a talent crisis. So, what can employers do to attract much needed talent?
Look at your job posts.
While there is a multitude of information out there on how to write a good job post, one of the biggest areas employers can improve upon today is answering “why would I want to work here?”
While you may have an outstanding culture or a popular brand, much like a resume your job post is often the first impression. The wonderful stories on your careers page may be overlooked, or worse yet an potential employee may never see them because they glossed over your job advertisement on a popular hiring website.
SocialTalent, the world’s leading e-learning platform recommends asking “how would I sell it verbally?”
Write your job description as you would sell it in person to a candidate. Entice them with your words. Why would a chef put down that her soup of the day is just “vegetable soup” when, in person, she’d make a point of telling you it is a “wholesome carrot and parsnip soup“, and that she grew those ingredients herself? She wouldn’t, so don’t do so in your job advertisements
When you’re at a career fair or interviewing a potential employee what do you say? Your total rewards package is remarkable? Employee satisfaction is outstanding? There is tremendous opportunity for growth? If you’re not saying it in your job post, they may never get a chance to hear it.
Review what you’re offering.
Staffing industry specialists Haley Marketing set out to answer whether salary level affected applicant flow. Surprisingly what they found was there was actually an improvement on application conversion rates for positions paying $17/ hour. Whereas they noticed a 25% increase in conversion rates for $17 / hour jobs, jobs paying $12-14 / hour had a 45% drop in conversion.
While it’s not feasible for every employer to simply increase their compensation, employers can review what makes them competitive in the marketplace. Do you have an “easier” schedule? Excellent benefits? Opportunities for training or up-skilling? Other work-perks?
The new trend: Remote work.
According to part two of the 2021 “Decoding Global Talent” series compiled by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), The Network and Appcast, there has been a tremendous desire amongst workers to work remotely:
As a result of massive COVID-19 vaccination rollout efforts, employers are now preparing to welcome staff back to the workplace. However, the report finds an increased desire among U.S. workers for flexible work options. Post-pandemic, only 14% of U.S. employees would prefer to work completely on-site and a whopping 50% would prefer a combination of both remote and on-site work arrangements. Further, the report finds that 35% of U.S. respondents would prefer to work completely remote compared to 24% of respondents globally.
So, it’;s no secret that employers offering remote options are scoring higher amongst applicants.
Tap into the passive talent market.
What is passive talent? A group that accounts for typically more than 75% of the workforce, passive candidates are employed but not currently looking for a new opportunity. However, multiple studies have shown as much as 60% of workers are willing to discuss a new opportunity.
How can you find passive job seekers? Luring passive job seekers can be a challenge for any organization. The Society for Human Resource Management recommends taking the follow steps:
- Identify and strengthen the organization’s employment brand.
- Assess current and projected staffing needs.
- Source passive job seekers.
- Engage passive job seekers.
- Make the application process easy and tailored to passive job seekers.
Enlist help.
A great staffing agency spends years building up their talent network through referrals, networking, and speaking with candidates daily. Thus staffing agencies typically have a larger network of available workers than do many employers. If you have immediate openings that need to be filled, a great staffing partner can be an excellent resource.
For high demand, skilled positions an Executive Search partner can be an effective way to hire. Executive recruiters generally have a high level of expertise on their respective market by virtue of continuous placement of employees. Thus, they expertly navigate the passive talent market to target “hard to find” qualifications.
Can we help you?
Selective Staffing Solutions is a WBE Certified Woman-Owned talent acquisition firm with over 50 years of combined experience in staffing and recruiting. If you believe it’s time to enlist the help of a staffing and/or executive search firm we would love to hear from you.
