Recruitment can be time consuming, stressful, and require a lot of effort. But it doesn’t need to be like this. Here are some questions to consider when refining your recruitment strategy in 2019, so you can experience smooth sailing when hiring people over the coming year.
Do you know your strategy? (and have one?)
Companies that leave recruitment as an afterthought, and scramble when a new hire needs to be made, are often lacking knowledge around their recruitment strategy and processes. They may not even have a strategy in place at all! If this is you, take a moment to familiarise yourself with your recruitment processes. Believe us – this will benefit you down the track.
Your value proposition
This is what will make your offer attractive to the right candidates, and it’s really important to figure out. Consider:
- What do you have to offer? (for example, salary, flexible working arrangements, culture, support and professional development opportunities)
- Why is your business special?
- Why is this vacancy special?
- How are you going to stand out and get noticed?
Your networking channels
Do you usually put job ads onto Seek or LinkedIn? In the local paper? Do you create social media posts? Or email your professional networks for recommendations?
Your recruitment strategy should consider what networking channels you use to find suitable candidates. Think about where your target candidates will be. Are they more experienced professionals who’ll be reading The Financial Review? Or will they be young, eager graduates who you can target on social media platforms?
Your technique
A recruitment strategy goes beyond slapping a job ad up somewhere. It involves the candidate qualifying process, interviewing, follow ups, and HR checks right through to onboarding. Consider how your complete recruitment process may affect the quality of candidates that come through, or retention rates, if you get it wrong. Don’t forget, the experience you provide new recruits in the first 30 days will set the scene and expectations for that new employee – so make it a memorable experience.
Do you know how to be attractive?
If there’s one thing your business should focus on the most, it’s your unique selling proposition. Be clear on this because it’s what will affect your recruitment success more than anything. It’s a very competitive environment out there for businesses looking for high quality talent. You’re in a great position if you know how to win the best people over and paint a compelling picture of what you have to offer them.
This has to come first, before even thinking about hiring. You are competing with thousands of other broking firms, banks, credit unions, private lenders etc. So this is your chance to stand out and get noticed!
Can outsourcing help?
Recruitment may not always mean finding local resources. Offshore help may be a part of your strategy, and it may be something to consider if your business isn’t doing this yet.
We’re seeing a shift towards offshore recruitment, with larger mortgage broking businesses holding a key team of brokers in Australia along with a team of virtual assistants hosted offshore who can complete administration tasks and assist with loan processing. Offshore resources can also help local loan processors boost their performance levels by assisting with customer service.
If you’re thinking that outsourcing overseas sounds risky and strange, it can be a lot more cost effective than you may think, while still being ethical and fair for offshore talent.
Can you do it on your own?
When refining your recruitment strategy for 2019, it’s worth asking the question of if you can manage recruitment needs for the business on your own. Hiring new talent can put stress on your resources and affect day-to-day operations and cashflow. Working with a specialist recruitment agency may help you better manage the recruitment process while not putting your team under pressure.
Platinum People Group can help you find, attract, qualify and place excellent candidates that will help grow your business. We can manage the recruitment process end-to-end for you, or consult with you onsite to refine your strategy for you. If you’d like help making 2019 a great year for recruitment, get in touch with us for a free business consultation.
