As the economy improves and unemployment decreases, some companies are finding themselves in a perplexing and frustrating position—they are unable to fill certain roles with qualified individuals despite large numbers of available applicants. What is causing this disconnect?
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Think you don’t have a brand? Wrong. You do, even if you don’t think about it.
What Candidates Are Looking for
First, let’s talk a little about what candidates are looking for from you. Whether or not you acknowledge it, you are being evaluated by candidates as you are evaluating them. The worst candidates are fawning and begging for a job, any job, but the best candidates can pick and choose, so they’ll be looking you over.
- What is the particular job like?
- What is the working atmosphere like?
- What are my prospects for the future?
- What are my potential colleagues like?
- Will I be proud to say I work there?
Put yourself in the shoes of your top candidates. What questions will they have? What answers will they be looking for? What might you tell them that will be particularly appealing?
If you know what your candidates’ expectations are, you can tailor your materials, websites, and public face to meet them.
That said, while you do want to put your best foot forward, you do not want to overstate or exaggerate beyond what you can deliver. Top candidates will spot that, and the word will spread on social media.
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Candidates Know a Lot More
By the way, your applicants know a lot more about you than they used to.
You’ll say confidently, “Our pay and benefits are second to none.” They’ll come back and say, “Uh, I checked salarycomparison.com—actually, you pay 12 percent below average and your benefits are not as strong as those of your competitors.”
You’ll say, “It’s a great place to work.” They’ll say, “The websites I checked do suggest that for some employees it’s a nice place to work, but there were several disturbing comments about micromanagement of developmental engineers and about lack of advancement potential that I would like you to comment on.”
This is all part of your brand, whether you like it or not.
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What Your Company Says About Itself
Check out what your company says about itself.
- Does your company website make the company attractive?
- Would a candidate say, “I should check this company out.”?
- Does your website show the company as a good corporate citizen? “I’d be proud to work there.”
- Does your jobs page give an attractive picture of what it is like to work at your company?
- Is it easy to navigate your site?
- On a home computer? On a tablet?
Beyond the website, is your organization active on social media? What impressions are potential employees getting from that source? Is the company in the news? What’s being written about? What’s the impression that candidates will get?
In tomorrow’s Advisor, what others say about you, plus an introduction to the free webcast from Ceridian LifeWorks, Integrated EAP & Wellness = Improved Employee Well-Being.