Amidst today’s uncertain economic condition, HR department plays a crucial role as the enabler of successful business establishment. Attracting and retaining the best talents has always been a substantial challenge for any organisations. With unemployment rates for college graduates are dropping, employers are finding it difficult to recruit top talent in many professional occupations within the organisation. No wonder, current talent shortage has forced companies to focus more on their HR strategies to attract, nurture, as well as retain top performers.
Recent survey by global staffing firm Robert Half released on Wed (Jan 3) suggested that roughly 2 in 3 CFOs are experiencing recruiting difficulties, as it becomes harder to identify skilled workers for current job vacancies. When CFOs are asked about how challenging it is for their companies to find skilled candidates for professional-level positions, 20 percent said it is very challenging, while the staggering 45 percent said it is somewhat challenging to fill in such roles. Meanwhile, the other 24 percent and 12 percent said it is not challenging and not applicable or not looking.
Given that today’s skilled professionals are in short supply, conventional hiring strategies that worked well a few years ago might no longer be effective when implemented now, said Paul McDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half. Therefore, he suggested that smart businesses are required to retooling their recruiting practices to feed the changing talent pipeline.
As an effort to attract wider scope of candidates, the survey found that 51 percent executives are considering entry-level applicants for roles that were not open to them previously. At the same time, an equal percentage opt to expand their search geographically by hiring foreigners. Other strategies include bringing on interim professionals, shortening the recruiting process, as well as loosening the job criteria.
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To help companies change their hiring methods, Robert Half offers the following advice for employers:
Rather than focusing on experience and skills, you should focus more on candidate’s attitudes and willingness to learn. It means that HR managers need to identify must-have attributes and skills that can be taught on the job. Develop a strong onboarding program that will help new hires get up to speed quickly and learn the company’s systems and processes faster.
Long gone are the days when employers just advertise a job opening and sit around waiting for skilled professionals to apply. It is time to do more than just that, as employers need to keep their eyes and ears wide open. No matter what event and occasion, you should be ready to describe and promote your company’s exciting job opportunities.
Traditional nine-to-five working hours is no longer favoured by today’s workers who seek for freedom and flexibility. Therefore, you should give potential employees the option to work remotely, if the nature of the job allows for such practice. This flexibility enables you to tap a wider base of professionals.
Getting a helping hand from staffing professionals can make you quickly find and secure candidates that you might be unable to identify on your own. Besides, recruiters will also take care other aspects of hiring process, such as posting job openings, interviewing applicants, checking references, extending offers, and negotiating compensation with candidates.
You might not realise it, but your staff is the best recruiter you can find. As they are more likely to refer candidates who they think will be a good fit, you can ask your employees if they know people who would be suitable for the open position in your team. Implementing an employee referral program can also be a powerful recruiting tool.
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