Oh WOW what a year 2020 has been, full of twists and turns that’s for sure.

Recruitment was certainly challenging, as much as the Jobkeeper and Jobseeker aided businesses and jobseekers it did present other barriers such as staff shortages especially in front-line casual positions. Border closures made it difficult to travel and the casual workforce of backpackers certainly slowed down as well as Australians who could not afford the quarantine costs.

As these lockdowns are easing favourite tourism destinations such as QLD and Cairns are struggling in finding staff especially in the hospitality and service-based industries.

As much as 2020 was a weird year it was also wonderful, we reassessed what is truly important in life. Experiencing hardships as much as they are unpleasant, they make us grow, strengthen our character, and make us more resilient.

I think most of us are ready to say goodbye to 2020 and let’s bring on 2021!!!

To attract top talent in 2021 will be about how credible is your employer brand, security, and stability of employment.

The best way to find out how strong your brand is, is by asking some of your employees who left your business. Why did they leave and how is your relationship with them after their departure?

Another way to check is to look at your social media presence and platforms like Glassdoor and Seek to see your satisfaction rating. Hopefully, you will be pleasantly surprised but if not, there are a number of ways you can rectify it.

Offering stable and secure hours can be sometimes difficult especially in some industries like hospitality or retail, perhaps offer part-time options. If you can offer above award wages it will entice a few more people to apply for your position. Adding some incentives and bonuses to make the role more attractive will increase your chances in attracting the right candidates.

In service based industries it is very hard to offer flexible work arrangement, however in industries that you can offer working from home with flexible hours will also increase your application rate as well as the calibre of candidates applying.

The war on talent in some industries has always been there even prior COVID era, and some recruitment challenges will remain the same.

• Attract the right candidates to apply 
• Knowing where to find candidates / marketing the position on the right platforms  
• Allocate time to the recruitment process  
• Having a sound onboarding process, including the induction

Before I explain how to overcome these obstacles, I would like to share some stats about candidates in today’s market 

• More than 73% of job seekers today are only passively looking for a job. 
• 80% of HR leaders say employer branding has a significant impact on their ability to attract talent
• 73% of job seekers say the process of looking for a job is one of the most stressful events in their life 
• 83% of candidates say it would greatly improve the overall experience if employers provided a clear timeline of the hiring process

Looking at these stats, it’s clear that an employer’s brand, culture and communication are the most crucial part in attracting the right candidates. 

Advert writing is not just about attracting candidates with technical skills to apply but also to use language that appeals to the right type of person you want to apply. This also applies when deciding what avenues to use when marketing your position.  If you grasp these fundamentals, you will get the most from your advertising dollar. 

How effective is your shortlisting? If your advert results in large amount of applications, how do you get through them in the most effective way? 

Equipped with AI and automation, this task only takes seconds, whereas a skilled and experienced recruiter would need several hours to do this manually.

In stark comparison, an untrained person (including most business owners / managers) may need the best part of 2 days for the same task.  

This is where a precise recruitment process is valuable. Ensuring the right templates and processes are in place, including interview sheets, score matrix and reference checking templates makes the process more efficient and effective. 

SME owners are usually time-poor and if these processes are not implemented, the selection is often compromised (At sometimes disastrous results).  

Simple and powerful: 

Another important aspect of recruitment is to create a great experience for the candidate. The last thing you need is to see the candidate that you have your heart set on, becoming disengaged, feeling that the process is cumbersome, and ultimately not seeing value in accepting your offer. 

People who are satisfied with the recruitment journey are 38 percent more likely to accept a job offer.  For candidates that didn’t get the job, a good experience will encourage them to speak in a positive way about your brand. 

On the flip side, a whopping 83% of people say a negative experience during the process changed their mind about a role or company they once liked. 

Don’t lose them

Ensuring your onboarding process is efficient and streamlined will engage your new top-talent right from the start.

Whilst using the latest technology and AI for their recruitment process may not be within your reach, you may want to consider technology for your induction processes. Online induction training usually come with great cost savings and are more efficient and effective in most aspects compared with paper-based training. Having an online induction program also ensures consistency in training, compliance, and record-keeping. 

Key summary: 

Understanding who you are looking for, where to look for, and how to capture the right candidate must be supported by following an efficient process, having experienced staff doing the recruitment, and a sound onboarding process. Of course, ensuring that you have a strong employer brand is the key to ensure you attract the right talent in 2021.