Now more than ever this could not be more relevant to today's job market. A candidate rich market can complicate the recruitment process and quantity does not align with quality!
Be it internal or external, it’s both time-consuming and costly to recruit. To manage this in a candidate rich market increases the difficulty - not only to secure that perfect candidate, but managing the process to get there!
What to bear in mind in such a market:
- Candidates may seek assistance for professional resume development to achieve a competitive edge. They can look great on paper only to find it’s been written for them – in every sense!
- Being constantly knocked back, candidates may under-value their ability due to lowered self-esteem and may also apply for roles significantly below their level of capability. The perception can be “great value for money”, but what is the risk?
- Candidates may interview with an increased level of pressure, many having been out of work for months. This in itself can skew the interview and you’re left wondering “was it nerves or wasn’t it”?
- Good people are valuable! If they look exceptional, why are they on the market? Take time to find out.
Differentiate the genuine candidate:
- Beware of resumes in a third person style and look for specific detail, not subjective statements.
- Produce specific interview questions that are behavioural based, but more importantly aligned to the candidate’s resume claims.
- Candidates should be realistic in expectations i.e. there should be flexibility, but they will still be confidently aware of the value they can bring, while being able to substantiate why they will consider a lower level. How much will it cost to employ an over-qualified candidate only to find it was “until something better came along”!
- Robust reference checking is even more important; more than ever before. Probe the referee and know why this candidate is on the market.
Is recruitment your forte - how much time and energy can you afford to work through the volume; what is the risk of missing that perfect person because you’re unable to do the process justice; could that one candidate you don’t see be the one you need?
For more information contact Sandy Gibbs on 02 6257 1010 or sandy.gibbs@pcapeople.com
