Candidate Attraction 101: Strategies to Attract Top-Notch Talent

Last updated Jul 19, 2022
  • Talent acquisition goes beyond recruiting the best candidates. It’s about having a long-term strategy that makes the organization attractive to top-notch talent.
  • Today’s top-notch candidates demand more before signing on. They even require more to give them a reason to stay with the company.
  • Organizations need to remember that candidate attraction is only the first stage of the recruitment process. The company’s goal is to acquire a large pool of highly qualified candidates that will be able to fill their vacancies seamlessly.

Organizations have always been aware of the importance of selecting and attracting the right types of employees. In this day and age, it cannot be denied that the recruitment of talented employees is a critical issue for organizations.

 

Major workforce trends such as shifting demographics and the rising global workforce mobility have contributed to increasing the importance of organizational attractiveness to potential candidates.

 

In fact, the attention that organizations pay to attracting and screening new employees generally depends on many factors, such as the relative attractiveness of the vacancy and the overall state of the labor market.

 

Today, talent acquisition goes beyond recruiting the best candidates. It’s about having a long-term strategy that makes the organization attractive to top-notch talent.

 

Organizational Attractiveness to Potential Candidates

 

An organization that manages to attract talented candidates has a competitive advantage. However, since many organizations offer similar jobs, it becomes a challenge for companies to stand out from the competition.

 

Today’s top-notch candidates demand more before signing on. They even require more to give them a reason to stay with the company.

 

Competition for skilled employees is fierce in today’s candidate-driven market. In fact, more than 73% of job seekers today are only passively looking for a job and top talent will get hired by recruiters within 10 days.

 

Related: The Pivot to Online Recruitment: Tips and Tricks to Get the Best Candidates

 

So, how does a company find and attract great talent?

 

Organizations need to remember that candidate attraction is only the first stage of the recruitment process. The company’s goal is to acquire a large pool of highly qualified candidates that will be able to fill their vacancies seamlessly.

 

Applicants, on the other hand, consider this stage as an opportunity to discover a number of companies that they would like to work for. Even while having little to no contact with the organization, top-notch candidates today invest a substantial amount of time in gathering rudimentary information on companies that they are interested in.

 

Therefore, it is ultimately the company’s job to make the candidates interested in you. Candidate attraction will only commence once the candidates find specific information that will encourage them to apply and engage in the recruitment process.

 

Effective Candidate Attraction: Key to Effective Recruitment

 

Recruitment is the primary mechanism used by organizations to attract talent. Cornell University Professor Sara Rynes defined recruitment as something that encompasses “all organizational practices and decisions that affect either the number or types of individuals who are willing to apply for or accept a given vacancy.”

 

There has been a widespread recognition that supports the claim that recruitment, in general, involves multiple stages. However, little attention has been paid to separating and distinguishing the recruitment activities that influence candidate attraction.

 

Although candidate attraction throughout the entire recruitment process is often discussed as if it was a single activity, it is actually a combination of activities that can be manipulated independently.

 

Related: Key Emerging Talent Acquisition Trends Making an Impact on Executive Search in 2022

 

Candidate attraction can even be considered as the most crucial element that will determine recruitment and staffing success. An organization’s candidate attraction strategy will establish the talent pool from which the new hires will be chosen.

 

If top-notch candidates are not inclined to apply to your company, then you have no chance of hiring them. Thus, any organization that wants to pursue a sustainable recruitment strategy needs to have an effective candidate attraction strategy.

 

Jason Stone, a business manager at recruitment company Hays Personnel, remarked that employers need to use the right mix of candidate attraction strategies to help candidates locate and apply for job vacancies.

 

He noted that “It is more a case of employers managing their recruitment campaigns efficiently to maximize exposure and ‘candidate capture’ through all available media.”

Candidates locate and apply for vacancies using a variety of methods. Naturally, organizations also need to use the right mix of attraction strategies to reach them.

 

The Art of Candidate Attraction

 

Companies that recruit on a mixture of candidate attraction strategies that effectively consider the level and nature of the job vacancy are more likely to find and hire the right people.

Recruitment methodologies for candidate attraction are constantly changing. Organizations must get on the wagon before they are left behind.

 

When you know the kind of employees you want to hire in today’s candidate-driven market, the big difference lies in how you attract them and treat them throughout the entire recruitment process.

 

Related: 10 Strategies to Attract Tech Talent

 

You must not only become more creative and go beyond the traditional advertising route, but you must also be prepared to employ non-traditional candidate attraction strategies.

Here are several ways to get you started:

 

  • Consider employee referral bonus to have employees refer their network to your company.

Companies need to remember never to underestimate the power of employee referrals. Employees have an extensive network in the industry, and their praise for your company is the key to attracting candidates. Talented employees would often refer other talented people. Consider giving a bonus to employees who have successfully referred someone that made it past their probationary period.

 

  • Write ads that appeal to your target candidate’s demographics.

Don’t just write ads on job boards just for the heck of it. Make it stand out by adding a little pizzazz that would make you stand out among the other boring job postings on the market. Those who responded with the same high energy and upbeat approach to your ad might just be considered prime candidates for your vacancy.

 

  • Go where they are and place ads on targeted places and social media sites where they hangout.

To be able to get the best applicant, it is essential to know your target candidate like the back of your hand. Do your research and ask around to find out where your prime job candidates spend their time. You can place ads on their favorite social media sites, sports bars, news sites, etc. Ultimately, you just have to be where they are and make your company’s presence known to them.

 

  • Have a strong recruitment process in place by ensuring a positive candidate experience.

Organizations often disregard the candidate’s overall experience during the hiring process. Some would even treat candidates like disposable goods during the interview process by showing little respect for their time and interests.

 

A great candidate attraction strategy should be able to sell the company from the get-go. This momentum should be maintained throughout the whole hiring process. Be sure to give them a positive candidate experience by keeping them updated on the entire hiring process and by being flexible enough to schedule interviews that will be convenient for them.

 

Regardless of whether a candidate is not qualified to move forward or is a hot potential talent, how candidates are treated at every stage of the process will reflect the type of employer you are. Candidates will talk about how well or poorly they are treated and this can make or break your employer brand.

 

  • Close the deal by making the candidate feel like a part of the team as quickly as possible.

A good candidate attraction strategy is all about taking care of even the smallest detail. Make sure that the candidates will feel like you are instantly welcoming them as part of your family. You can invite them to your monthly town hall meetings, let them meet the people they’ll be working with, give them an office tour and even show them where their future workstation will be.

 

  • Grow your own by establishing an internship program.

Cultivating your own home-grown talent is not only an excellent way to attract candidates, it will also create a more positive employer branding. You can advertise internship opportunities by touring campuses on career days in universities. Create a robust internship program that will help serve as a stepping stone for interns to be part of the company in the future.

 

  • Partner with recruitment organizations to have top-notch candidate leads.

Establish partnerships with reputable recruitment firms and executive search firms that will help your company grow. By seeking the help of the right recruitment partner, you are making sure that your companies get the cream of the crop of candidates in the industry.

 

Let us help select the best candidate attraction strategies for your business.

 

Curran Daly & Associates can help you find the right talent for your organization. As the go-to executive recruitment and search firm in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, our top-notch recruiters have helped global organizations solve their recruitment needs.

 

We offer relevant and timely recruitment solutions that provide greater reliability and accuracy in attracting the best candidates for your organization. Let us know how we can help you and partner with us!

 

References:

 

70 Recruitment Statistics for Attracting Top Talent in 2022. (2022). Retrieved 28 June 2022, from https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/recruitment-statistics/

 

Benjamin, L. (2003). Recruiting for the “New Workplace.” Journal of Housing & Community Development, 60(4), 14. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=11922300&site=ehost-live

 

Carlson, K. D., Connerley, M. L., & Mecham,Ross L., I.,II. (2002). Recruitment evaluation: The case for assessing the quality of applicants attracted. Personnel Psychology, 55(2), 461-490. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.upd.edu.ph/docview/220142486?accountid=47253

 

Renaud, S., Morin, L., & Fray, A. M. (2016). What most attracts potential candidates? Innovative perks, training, or ethics? Career Development International, 21(6), 634–655.doi:10.1108/cdi-01-2016-0008

 

Rynes, S. L., & Barber, A. E. (1990). Applicant Attraction Strategies: An Organizational Perspective. The Academy of Management Review, 15(2), 286. doi:10.2307/258158

Sutton, C. (2001, Dec 01). Attraction action: 1 first with the news edition]. The Courier – Mail Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.upd.edu.ph/docview/354485055?accountid=47253

By: Curran Daly + Associates

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