Hiring Talent? It is not just about what the candidate can do for you

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Following my post Checklist before you start your job search, which was kindly circulated by many and received generally well, I had a comment about the need for LinkedIn to publish articles that put the focus on the company not just the candidates, so I thought I would address the point.

As a Director at Core Element Recruitment & Career Partners, an Executive Recruitment agency dealing with global and local companies, there are some things we have found important in ensuring great candidates are kept engaged throughout the recruitment process.

So here is a list of what Core Element Recruitment see as the key for employers to successfully engage and secure the best talent:

1. Honest communication – it is important for honesty and candour in explaining the reason candidates are not applicable or why they are not moving forward in a process. If not, a candidate does not end up with the learning from the process and can’t make refinements for the next role they go for.
   
2. Speed – There is only so long an outstanding candidate will wait around for a company, despite the company and role. If a process is delayed, it’s important to be clear about the reasons why. If the candidate is high potential talent, you can bet there are other suitors looking to acquire their services. An employer’s recruitment process offers good insight into its decision-making agility.
   
3. Make a judgement call – Most employers hiring process consists of at least two interview rounds and testing as well which is of course an investment in time and energy for the candidates to prepare and participate. If at the end of the process, you are still unsure, trust your gut and make a call rather than initiate another assessment stage.
   
4. Allow ample time for case studies – We believe business case studies are an excellent evaluation tool for companies to understand a candidate’s ‘in role’ capabilities but please employers, ensure adequate preparation time is provided, to analyse and prepare recommendations, just like in the real world.
   
5. Don’t low ball on salary – We are fortunate to work with clients who respect our candidates and realise their value, almost all the time. Role level bands aside, employers need to realise after the hiring process is complete (and they have found the right fit), it is worth remunerating someone based on their worth and potential and, to ensure they arrive on day one 100% engaged.
   
6. Cultural fit is just as important as role fit - When we take a brief for a role, we like to talk equally about what is not on the job description: culture, sub-culture, decision making, speed-to-market, external factors etc. Fit and the ability to assimilate and be effective is crucial; it matters to the existing team and of course the candidate.
   
7. Hire with the next job in mind – One of our global clients always hires people with the next role in mind. I.e. does the candidate have the ability/stretch to progress? If ‘people are everything’ and talent acquisition is truly strategic, employers will hire to ensure the capability and horsepower is there for the short, medium and longer term.
   

The recruitment process is a two-way street and companies wanting to attract and retain the best talent need to ensure they demonstrate rigor, decisiveness and respect throughout the process.