With over 25 years of experience recruiting in the equipment, power, and industrial sectors, our expert recruiters have come up with a few tips to help hiring managers attract and hire the best candidates.
Create a positive candidate experience.
Almost three-quarters of candidates in the equipment, power, and industrial sectors are passive job seekers and less than half actually plan to change jobs. Additionally, fifteen percent of candidates with positive hiring experiences put more effort into their job. It is important for recruiters and hiring managers to work together to create a positive candidate experience at every stage of the hiring process.
Maintain good communication between the recruiter and hiring managers.
It is essential to have a constant feedback loop between recruiters and hiring managers. Informing the recruiter of your initial thoughts on a candidate allows them to tailor their strategy to better suit your needs. With the average time-to-hire decreasing nationally, a tailored strategy is more important than ever.
Be persuasive.
In today’s job market, candidates often interview for more than one position and, many times, receive multiple offers. Actively “sell” your organization from the very first phone call with a candidate, discussing major selling points and advantages about your organization.
Timing is everything.
As a general rule, provide some response within 24-48 hours of application, schedule a phone interview within 4-6 days and in-person interview shortly thereafter, and extend an offer — formal, verbal, or otherwise — within 2-4 days after the final interview. Glassdoor reports successful hires on average close within 23.8 days. Moving quickly demonstrates your interest in a candidate, which can be very flattering.
Take care of your team.
Nearly all great candidates study and take into consideration reviews of potential employers online or in social media groups before applying for a job. Aside from the obvious benefits of a happy workforce, happy employees leave good reviews online. Unhappy/mistreated employees leave bad reviews online.
Offer great candidates more than their desired salary/hourly rate.
Great candidates know their value and often receive competing offers. Offering more than asking — even slightly — goes a long way psychologically when great candidates are faced with competing offers or are reluctant to leave a stable job.
Stay in touch with the candidate until the start of employment.
A candidate is not your employee until he/she shows up to work. During the two-week notice period, current employers have direct access to the candidate and often pull out all the stops to prevent their all-star employee from leaving. Check in regularly to establish loyalty and keep the candidate’s eyes on the prize!
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