Since coming back from Christmas holidays in January 2017, there has been a noticeable difference in a number of roles we are recruiting for! It’s a wonderful position to be in and reminds me of the good old days of recruitment pre-GFC in 2009! There is certainly a lot more economic confidence and whilst there are still some companies restructuring, it is rare to see companies in a recruitment freeze.
Whilst this increase in demand for accountants and other disciplines is encouraging, there are a few challenges our clients are facing in trying to secure the best candidates. Here are some tips to help achieve the best outcome:
Make sure you know exactly what the recruitment process will entail
How many interviews will take place? Will it be one interview, two, three? Also, in addition to reference checks, will there by Psychometric testing/ Medicals/ Police checks?
How long will this recruitment process take
In a market where there are multiple job opportunities, it is important that we know how long this process is likely to take. Candidates that are interviewing for multiple roles won’t last long in the market if the recruitment process is too lengthy.
Know your candidates and make sure you are well informed if they are considering other opportunities
This is vital to the recruitment process. The last thing anyone wants is to progress with a candidate and to then be told they have just accepted another role! Find out what other opportunities they are looking at.
Ask your candidates…if they were to be offered two roles…which one would they take?
This is key information in getting to know your candidates and what their drivers are.
Consultation is key!
It is our job as consultants to let our clients know what the market is doing and how quickly candidates are accepting roles. If the recruitment process is going to take too long…tell clients! They will lose the best candidates if they don’t act swiftly.
Let clients know if candidates have multiple opportunities or if salaries aren’t what the market is paying! In order to attract the best staff, all of the market conditions need to be satisfied eg, salary, career path, training, mentoring
On the flip side candidates need to be educated about what the market is doing and the salaries that are on offer.
In many instances because of this supply and demand, we are delivering permanent shortlists much more quickly to our clients, knowing those good candidates will be snapped up in the market!
These are very exciting times for us and our clients. As long as candidates and clients are informed about the recruitment process, things should run according to plan!
Marianne Savas – Divisional Manager