We are no longer facing a candidate’s market but rather one that requires a well-positioned strategy to find the most qualified candidates at the right time. Companies must balance the need to immediately fill high priority positions with the ability to create a talent pipeline for the near future, which requires reigniting their employer brand. We gathered a group of talent and branding experts who have first-hand knowledge on how to restart your hiring plans the right way.
WATCH THIS ON-DEMAND WEBINAR: MAKING THE SHIFT TO HIRE AGAIN
About the On-Demand Webinar
Experts from True Talk Advisors, BentoBox and Affirm joined Built In to discuss how businesses can identify a path forward for their hiring efforts. The conversation spanned from topics of hiring signals to how your employer brand can influence hiring, and much more.
Below is a recap of the five things you should know from the discussion. However, there are many other insights that were shared during the live discussion. To hear everything these experts had to say, download the full, on-demand webinar here.
5 Webinar Takeaways
#1: When to Hire Again
Of the attendees who joined the live webinar, 57 percent are currently hiring but only for select roles while only four percent are on a hiring freeze with no hiring plans on the horizon. So how can you know when it’s time to hire again? There are a few suggestions our experts made but first you should know that these signals will vary for each company.
Still, you should work to be ahead of the curve and anticipate your company’s hiring needs before they come about. You can do this by watching for market signals within the industry you’re in and the industries you serve. Knowing when sales start to pick up and customers begin re-investing in your product or service is also a key indicator. It’s not an easy task to know when it is the right time to hire again, but a necessary one.
#2: Be Transparent Both Internally & Externally
During any time of change, being transparent is key. It helps build trust, which is something that is super important to both current employees and potential ones.
When you begin to hire again, you must empathetically communicate this with your workforce internally. They have likely been through a lot over the course of 2020 and will have a lot of questions about your hiring plans. Be sure to over communicate not only that you’re starting to hire again but why. This will ease their minds as your company continues to get back to normal.
Externally, over communication and transparency is also key. Candidates want to feel confident that they’ll find safety and security by joining your organization. They also want to have a good experience during the hiring process. By clearly setting expectations about when the role will be filled, who you are looking for to fill the role and how the role will impact the company’s return to normalcy will help them feel at ease no matter if they get the job or not.
#3: Shift Your Employer Branding Strategy
While your employer brand should have never been turned off, now that you’re hiring again it needs a reset. The conversations you had with potential candidates before 2020 were vastly different than what you have to offer now. No longer are beautiful offices your selling point but rather you mission, culture and values.
The stories of these foundational elements likely won’t be too different than before but how you tell these stories should be. Candidates are putting a company’s values and mission at the forefront of their job search. They want to work for organizations that supported and valued their existing workforce during tough times. By shifting your employer brand to focus on these stories, you’ll attract like minded individuals to join your company.
#4: Talent & Marketing Should Collaborate
Luckily you don’t have to share your company’s story alone. You have your marketing team to help. They are the experts on your company’s brand and working together can help you share how your company navigated tough times with both candidates and customers.
Teaming up will help both departments honestly share the struggles your organization faced during this time and how you’ve overcome them. This authenticity will not only delight your customers but attract candidates at the same time.
#5: Managing A Flood of Applicants
Now that we’re no longer in a candidate’s market, many companies are seeing a high volume of candidates for their open roles. Talent professionals are struggling to manage the workload of this volume while also providing candidates with a great application experience.
Our experts acknowledged that this is tough but it’s important to be honest and open with candidates. Simply letting them know that the volume of candidates was high and that you filled the role quickly is helpful. You should also ask them if you can keep their resume on file for future positions. This will help you nurture a talent pipeline for when hiring gets back to normal.
The key here is to set clear expectations, over communicate updates and follow-through. Doing so will help candidates come away with a great experience with your company, making them more likely to apply to your roles in the future.
Changing recruitment strategies isn’t an easy task, especially when you’re trying to slowly turn on hiring again. Talent professionals should tap into the work they did while on a hiring freeze to make their strategic shift that much more successful. Trust your skill set and ask for help when needed so you can bring in the best talent for your organization to grow.
WATCH THIS ON-DEMAND WEBINAR: MAKING THE SHIFT TO HIRE AGAIN