Recruiters and Talent Sourcers are finding it more difficult than ever to find talented candidates for their open positions. It isn’t about just the difficulty in finding candidates, it’s the fact that most niche candidates don’t want to be found. Despite the beliefs of hiring managers, applicants do not grow on trees. With such a small niche pool of leads depending on your location. Recruiters are playing a cat and mouse game with candidates. It’s almost like we’re searching for Waldo.
Candidates are trying hard to avoid being contacted by recruiters, more so this year than in previous years. So why are they hiding? And what can you do about it as a recruiting professional?
Why Candidates Are Hiding?
Have you ever received a call and got super annoyed because it was a sales rep? Or maybe it’s the Fire Department trying to collect donations? This is how candidates are starting to feel when approached with new opportunities. Matt Craven wrote a SourceCon article that really identified the reasons for this trend, so you can avoid having candidates dismiss your opportunity with no consideration.
1. Tired of the endless, carefully scripted email messages and phone calls
Put the script away! Yes, it saves you time. Yes, it keeps you organized. Does it make your candidate feel good? Nope. In fact, it makes them feel like you don’t care about them and are just another email. 2019 candidates want to know they are joining a company that values them as a person. Start the conversation out right and build a relationship with the candidate. Even if they aren’t interested in the current opportunity you have, they may be in the future and could also potentially know someone who would be.
2. Candidates Surrender Non-related job opportunities
Candidates are getting annoyed with being reached out to for jobs that have nothing to do with their field or skill-set. For example, the recruiting message about an assembler job when they are in finance. Avoid this by only sending roles that align with the current field the person is in or what they are interested in on their resume. If it’s a different field that you think their background would be a benefit for and want to see if they would be interested, start by sending them a note and highlighting why they would be a great fit.
3. Candidates Surrender Lack of Recruiting knowledge
Many recruiters don’t take the time to learn what the role really does and people are tired of listening to recruiters who don’t have a clue about what they are doing. Take the time to research the role and the company. It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers, but at least be educated about the role to sound intelligent.
4. Candidates Surrender Enough with the SPAM
People don’t like to be sold. Candidates are exhausted with the barrage of meaningless, standard spam emails on a weekly basis. Related to the first section, people want to be treated like a human. So much of recruiting has gone digital and people are missing out on the personal touch.
We’re on the hottest job market in the past 40 years. Generalist recruiters are spamming the market and giving recruiting a bad rep. This is causing good candidates to stop applying and instead are avoiding the process at all costs.
How can we change this?
Once you find a potential candidate, reach out to them with a personalized message. People are getting more and more interactions from recruiters, particularly if they are in a highly sought after skill-set. If you show you are not just another recruiter, they will be more likely to consider your opportunity. I wrote an article about improving recruiter templates (here).
Talented candidates are attracted to companies with a good reputation in the market. If possible, you should work to improve companies employer brand. If you already have this, make sure you share that information with potential candidates. Share your culture and environment over social media. Try and build a reputation that you’re company adds value and is a great place to work.
You should use technology to make your life easier, but don’t blindly trust it. You still need to put in research and connect with applicants. There’s many ways you can auto-blast potential leads. Try and hold off from becoming an auto-blaster. Focus more on building relationships and connections the old fashion way.
Recruiting will continue to evolve over the coming years. AI is not going away and it will continue to make data smarter. Staying on top of the latest technology trends will ensure you are at the forefront of the market. Just don’t forget to keep your communication personalized with candidates, so they don’t feel like they are just another candidate.
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