To attract talent, treat them as you would treat your customers.

With talent shortages in many industries and the “Great Resignation” in progress in certain countries, companies have been struggling to retain high-performing employees and attract new ones.

Employees are rethinking their priorities, not only in terms of pay and benefits, but also in terms of how their jobs fit into their personal lives and world views.

As the competition for talent becomes fiercer, companies have to go beyond enhancing pay and benefits to attract and retain the best.

In this climate, we recommend treating job seekers the way you treat your customers. Apply the principles of finding, nurturing and converting your customers to your talent pool as well.

The Candidate Persona

Just as you would identify a buyer persona for your products or services, make the effort to identify the types of candidates you need to help your business succeed. You and your team must be aligned on candidate personas in order to be able to target them effectively.

Among the questions you should ask and answer:

• What does the ideal applicant look like? (personality traits, competencies, etc.)
• What does he/she care about?
• What can my company offer?

Shape your communication accordingly.

Target Passive Candidates

Considering the lack of qualified talent, you should be casting your net wide. We recommend making an effort to target not just those who are actively looking for a job, but passive candidates as well.

These individuals are usually happy and successful at their jobs already. While they may require more persuasion, their decision to move is usually more well thought-out. They will move for the right role, at the right time and to the right company. Because of this, they are more likely to quickly settle into the job and stay in the job if it proves to be worth their while. Passive candidates are also less likely to be interviewing with other companies, hence you won’t have to compete with other employers to get them on board.

Avoid Stalking. Instead, Increase Opportunities for Organic Selling and Interaction

These days, companies must make connections with candidates, especially passive candidates, beyond job boards and cold calls.

In fact, passive candidates might be put off by cold calls.

Instead, employ some simple techniques to ensure they hear about you.

Firstly, ensure that you are already a great place to work. Your current employees will naturally talk you up to the right people.

Secondly, increase opportunities for interactions with candidates in order to maximise your brand’s appeal as an employer of choice.

Here are some ways of doing this relatively effortlessly.

• Provide resources your target candidates would find useful: On your website and social media channels, be intentional about providing blog articles or e-books on anything from industry trends and your company’s thought leaders’ views on your field of expertise to timely career-related topics (e.g., achieving success remotely, managing remote teams, rewards and recognition, work-life balance, etc.)
• Informal Get-to-know You Sessions: Webinars, job fairs, and other channels to connect with candidates should be capitalised upon every chance you get. These should be geared towards not just highlighting job opportunities and selling yourself as an employer, but also as a thought leader in your field. Candidates who respect you as an important player in your industry will naturally want to be a part of your team.

Craft Campaigns Beyond Your Career Pages

Passive candidates are not likely to voluntarily visit your career pages. The following techniques could help you reach them more effectively.

• Downloadable e-books and newsletters on a particular industry trend. Make these available on social media channels and your website. Use social media to target individuals who might find these useful and be prompted to find out more about your company.
• E-mail campaigns that highlight your organisation’s purpose and corporate culture while spotlighting employees, accomplishments and meaningful initiatives.
• Retarget people who have visited your careers page with paid advertorials on job opportunities so that you stay top-of-mind.

Treating job seekers as if they are your customers shows that you prioritise your employees. Now, more than ever before, employers need to go the extra mile to navigate a job market in flux.