Reviewing Quarter 1 2018

Posted On 30 Mar 2018

Reviewing Quarter 1 2018

30 Mar 2018
Reviewing Quarter 1 2018

Reviewing Quarter 1 2018

Top recruitment tips to carry you through 2018

By Roxanne Calder, Managing Director at EST10

 

With the first quarter of 2018 about to come to a close, I thought I would take a moment to step back, reflect on what we’ve experienced over the past three months and offer my top three tips for remaining competitive in an ever-tightening labour market.

 

The ongoing skills shortage will continue to bite

The biggest challenge we will all face this year is the ongoing skills shortage across a range of roles and seniorities. In the last few years, the market has firmly shifted to one where talented candidates hold more power than ever before.

Not only is the skills gap widening as the revolving door of baby boomers and millennials continues, but our relatively isolated geographic location means we have less access to international talent. And young Aussies, in particular, are still seeking work and life experiences overseas, further limiting our talent pools.

In the past few months, we’ve already seen great candidates available one day, snapped up the next. And with this increasing sense of urgency there is also a heightened awareness of the power of first impressions and ensuring that your business, both in person and online, makes a positive impression.

So, with this in mind, how do you make sure your recruitment processes remain nimble and above all competitive? Here are my top three tips to see you through 2018.

 

1) Identify your non-negotiables

In an ideal world, your perfect candidate would tick all the boxes. But this year more than ever, we need to shift this mindset. In the current market, a superstar candidate might only tick four out of five boxes in terms of skills or experience, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still a superstar.

When drawing up your job brief, think about candidate attributes firstly in terms of non-negotiable attributes and secondly in terms of qualities that are a nice-to-have. These non-negotiable attributes are the ones you can’t compromise on. This approach will force you to be highly selective and to focus more on the specifics of the role and the skills you really need.

 

2) Choose attitude over experience

Recruiting a candidate with the right attitude, but who may be lacking in experience, is often a very smart move. And here’s why: skills can be taught, but attitude can’t. We often find that an employee with a good attitude is self-motivated, keen to be challenged and driven to exceed expectations. They’re generally also great collaborators and team players.

In the current climate, you also have to weigh up the cost of an empty seat versus training where you can. Someone with a great attitude will often apply themselves to any training required. Investing in your skills base is not only important for the business, but it’s also a valuable retention strategy.

 

3) Create a culture that retains talent

Finally, no-one wants to lose good employees – and this is even more important in times of skills shortages. Re-examine your value proposition and focus on creating a culture that retains talent as a top priority, not only to help you retain your existing team, but also to attract the best candidates during the recruitment process.

We also encourage you to not fall into the trap of thinking your business can or can’t offer certain benefits because of its size. Small businesses can still offer career challenges and on the job training, while large corporates can still offer a close-knit workplace environment.