It’s certainly a different recruitment market than it was 5 or even 10 years ago, with candidates and job seekers holding more power than ever before, due to a shortage in most sectors.

One our recruitment advertising partners, CV Library recently stated that poor hiring decisions are costing businesses up to £15,000 a year, so it certainly pays to get it right.

Candidates have made it well know that certain areas put them off applying for jobs, so we’ve put together 5 recruitment mistakes you could be making and how you can avoid them.

1. Badly written job adverts

94% of job seekers say they are more likely to apply for a role that has a clear job description, that explains the role in some detail along with an overview of the company. A well written advert is naturally more inviting. You need to point out key responsibilities, what skills are required, a little about the company and of course what the candidate can gain from working for you. Why is this a better opportunity than the job they are currently in. This is one area of our expertise, and now with the help of AI, you should be able to produce a marketing masterpiece.

2. A lengthy application process

Simplicity is the key. You need to be able to make the application process as easy as possible. Remember, most candidates are applying on their mobile, so they are not going to want to answer 20 questions, and if they do start, they’ll abandon the process half way through. Capture only the information you really need at the initial stage. CV, contact details etc… you can capture the rest later in the process.

3. Too many interviews

Do you really need to hold a telephone interview, an initial face to face, then a second interview, then come in and meet the MD at the final interview. If your hiring process has too many stages for candidates, they may well become impatient, or worse get snapped up by someone else. If they need to meet the MD, can he he be brought in at the end of the first interview?

4. Slow response rate

We see this all the time. The perfect candidate applies, it takes a week to acknowledge their application and a further 2 weeks to invite them in for an interview, then another week to put an offer together. If they are good, you are not going to the only party interested. Move fast.

5. Offer a good package

Consider the package you are offering. If the candidate is currently earning £30K, don’t offer them £30K and say you’ll have more progression opportunities here. The market is competitive, so you need to stay on top of current salary levels to make sure you stay in line with what your competitors are paying. Plus, what perks do you offer, what can set you apart from the crowd – it doesn’t always have to be about money.

Getting your hiring process right is key to recruiting the right person for your business, and well worth investing in – that’s where we come in, and can certainly add value to your recruitment campaign, ensuring the end result is not only a successful hire, but the right hire.

If we can be of any assistance, or offer any advice on any thing recruitment related, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with either myself or one of the team.

All the best,

Steve Wyeth 🚀

Attracting, recruiting and retaining top employees is extremely tough right now. The chances are your new hire was signed up with multiple agencies & job boards, and recently attended a number of interviews, putting pressure on you to pull out all the stops in order to entice them into your role & get them to stay once they start. So, you need to do everything you can to stop your new starters from being poached by another company or sweet talked by an agency about the “dream role” they are recruiting for.

You may think your job is complete once you make the hire, but the hard work actually starts here. Now, you need to live up to your new employees’ expectations. At this point, most employees only have one weeks’ notice period whilst in probation – so can easily leave the business, and often won’t need to work the week and leave on the spot.

So, how can you stop your new starters from being poached? There are a few key areas to look at here. From keeping contact with them during their notice period, to ensuring an effective onboarding process. Get this right and your new employee will settle in no problem. Get it wrong and you risk losing them to a competitor and having to start the process all over again.

We’ve put together 4 ways to ensure you are successful in retaining your new starters.

1. Keep in contact after they have accepted the job

Fantastic news – your candidate has accepted your job offer! They probably have a notice period to work in their current job, and if they are senior – this could be up to 3 months. But that doesn’t mean you should wait until they start the job to speak to them again, far from it.

Send them an email with any business updates, show excitement about them joining the team. This period is critical for communication and making them feel welcome. Remember, their existing employer could swoop in and make them a counter-offer that they can’t refuse. So, the better rapport you build with them at this stage, the more excited & committed they feel about their new job.

2. Eliminate first day nerves

Starting a new job is extremely nerve-wracking. Put yourself in the candidate’s shoes and consider what you’d want from a new employer on the first day of a job.

In the final week before they start, get in touch to ensure that they have all the necessary information. They know where to park, what time they need to arrive by, who to ask for on arrival, dress code and so on. While these might seem small, it can make a real difference.

Be sure to introduce them to their new colleagues as soon as possible.

3. Create an onboarding plan

The best way to do this, is to put together a clear schedule for their first 2 weeks in the role. This will include dedicated training time, inductions & meeting key personnel. Alongside this, be sure to give them tasks to crack on with, so they feel they are adding value.

It is also important for new starters to have one-to-one time with their managers to discuss what is expected of them in the role and to go over any grey areas.

4. Set clear goals

Every single employee in your company should have clear goals and objectives to work towards, this also applies to your new starters, as everyone is naturally far more productive when they have something to work towards.

This will also show that you value your new employee and they’ll be less likely to go snooping around for other job opportunities.

You should also focus on having ongoing career conversations in order to get the best out of all your employees.

What happens if your new starter does get poached?

Sadly, even if you do all the above, another company may swoop in and entice your new starter away. It’s just the nature of business and most of the time it is out of your hands.

If this happens to you and they choose to accept the offer, be sure to ask your employee for feedback. Is there anything that would have made them stay? Any issues you are not aware of? What has attracted them to the other role? All this will give you insights into why they have left and help your future hiring efforts.

Whatever you do don’t be bitter or show your anger. It’s your new starters career, not yours, so always stay professional and leave them with a positive impression of your company. You never know, you may be able to poach them back one day.

Take the above advice on board and you should stand a much better chance of retaining new starters and ultimately building a strong and stable team.

All the best,

Steve Wyeth 🚀