Best Practices for Luring Candidates with Multiple Offers

In a candidate-driven market, job seekers often find themselves with the upper hand. They likely have numerous positions to apply for, and little competition from other candidates. This gives them the freedom to only consider jobs that they feel are an excellent fit with competitive pay and a workplace culture they want to be a part of.

Where does this leave employers and recruiters? Today’s candidate-driven market is thanks to something positive: a ten year decline in unemployment. However, this means that employers can’t just post a job description and expect to have a line of highly-qualified candidates lining out the door.

The simple reality is that there are more positions available than there are highly qualified candidates. That creates a situation in which employers must be creative and intentional in their recruitment strategies if they hope to get the best people for their open positions.

What are the strategies you need to use to lure candidates who likely have multiple offers from other employers? We have been working with companies to recruit top talent for years. From that experience, we have several tips for you to implement into your recruiting and hiring practices.

Tip #1: Develop an outstanding work culture.

One of the best things you can do to make your workplace stand out to potential talent is to have an outstanding work culture. When your employees feel satisfied and valued, their satisfaction becomes a part of the way they talk about work. That satisfaction is visible to visitors, people who come to interview, and even friends who may be good matches for open positions.

Your work culture should provide meaningful employment to your workers and a good work/life balance that makes people feel appreciated. Management should be thoughtful, motivating, and responsive to employee concerns. Pay and benefits should be competitive, too, and don’t forget to invest is professional development opportunities for your workers. Prioritize diversity, spend money on things that make employees feel valued, and develop clear paths for advancement within the organization.

Tip #2: Effectively communicate your workplace’s story and identity to both potential talent and the general public.

Once you have built a workplace culture that is diverse, meaningful, and enthusiastic, you have to take that a step further and actually make sure people know about it. Don’t hide your light under a bushel! You should have a variety of mechanisms in place to spread the word about anything you’re doing that is special, different, and meaningful within your field— what sets you apart from your competitors?  

This can be done in the interview process, of course, but we also recommend developing a strong social media presence and SEO strategy so that people come to know that your company is one of the best places to work. Work to ensure that when people see your Facebook posts or Instagram pictures, they want to be a part of what you have created!

Tip #3: Work quickly and efficiently during the hiring process.

This one is pretty straightforward. If you don’t have an efficient process that moves prospects quickly through the interview and offer process, you are going to lose talent to your competitors. There are simply too many other options out there for people to wait around in hopes of hearing from you.

Tip #4: Make a good, sincere offer early in the process--don’t expect to haggle!

If your company still makes low offers in hopes of getting employees for the lowest possible ticket price, you have to stop. Potential employees have so many options that many of them have no interest in going through a lengthy negotiation process. Make sure your initial offer is enough to get the candidate to take you seriously.

Tip #5: When in doubt, bring in the pros.

Companies who haven’t caught up with the changes in this candidate-driven economy may need to bring in professional help in order to develop new policies and practices. We work with many companies that haven’t yet made the changes required to stay competitive.

Now more than ever, these organizations are tasked with appealing to job applicants who are accustomed to having many opportunities and a lot of room for preference.

Get the Candidates You Need

When a job seeker has the chance to pick and choose from numerous offers, the recruiter’s job is to show that potential employee why the company they are representing is that perfect match. At SelectOne, we’re well-versed in the strategies required to attract top talent. Download our free offer, Attracting Talent in the Candidate-Driven Economy. Have questions?  Let’s talk!