Ask most businesses what the most challenging aspect of their operation is, and they’ll tell you that it’s finding the right people. It’s hard to find workers who can slot directly into the company and begin offering value immediately.
The reason has to do with how the labor market has changed over the last few decades. In the post-war era of the 1960s and 1970s, people generally stuck with the same company for life. Ninety percent of hires were internal, and people went for promotions whenever the opportunity arose.
That’s no longer the case today. Less than a third of hires and promotions are internal. Most firms hire from the outside.
The reason for this is partly to do with the fact that firms don’t have to train people who already have experience with other companies. There’s less expense on training, and the new person can be productive almost immediately.
But there is a cost to all of this. People know the game, and they don’t want to stick with companies for long. Many workers hop from one organization to the next, looking for better pay, conditions, and opportunities. Retaining talent is a struggle.
The hiring procedure itself is also problematic. Take the problem of passive candidates, for instance. A lot of people just float their CV around to see what kind of interest it garners. A firm may put such a prospect through its recruitment funnel, only to later find out that the person was testing the waters and had no genuine interest in taking the job.
It goes both ways. Companies will sometimes advertise roles that don’t exist to see if there’s anybody out there who might be useful in the future when a new vacancy opens. It allows them to put people on their books that they might consider hiring, but don’t need right now.
So what can companies do to sort out their hiring problems and get the labor that they need without the hassle? Let’s take a look at some options.
Stop Relying On Internal Hiring Processes
Organizing recruitment drives internally is expensive. It’s hard to get all of the people you need, when you need them, especially if employee turnover is high.
It’s usually better, therefore, to use a labor hiring firm, like DSC Personnel, to do the job for you. These companies gather up a pool of recruits, vet them, and then send you workers who they believe are suitable for the job. The result is less admin and a higher chance of finding quality workers ideal for the task at hand.
Don’t Bother With Passive Candidates
Passive candidates are looking to find out what their status in the job market is. They’re not interested in actually taking a role with you or your firm. In other words, they’re wasting your time.
Avoiding these types of people, however, is easy. All you need to do is to make it costly for them to apply for work with you in some way. One of the best ideas is to insist on a covering letter of at least 500 words explaining their suitability for the role.
