Finding and attracting great talent is crucial in today’s job market. In fact, it’s the very foundation of building a high-performing team. With so many companies vying for the best candidates, you need a solid understanding of corporate recruiting best practices to stand out from the competition. Whether you’re a seasoned recruiter or a hiring manager, staying on top of industry trends and evolving expectations will give you a distinct edge.
With my experience as a SAP consultant, Senior SAP Project Manager, and Industry Principal, I’ve learned firsthand the importance of effective recruiting. In every position, including my time as a USAF officer, I’ve had to analyze needs, design the structure, and create detailed job ads. More than that, I’ve screened and interviewed hundreds of candidates, all with the goal of finding the perfect fit. Now, through my latest endeavor, Mapertunity, this knowledge and experience is shaping a whole new approach to the job search and candidate matching.
Table Of Contents:
- Rethinking Your Hiring Strategy: The Power of Data and Insight
- Nurturing Your Pipeline: Internal Mobility And Beyond
- Fine-Tuning The Process: Getting Candidates To Say Yes
- Conclusion
Rethinking Your Hiring Strategy: The Power of Data and Insight
The best corporate recruiting best practices evolve with the times. That’s why using data can help make sure your recruitment strategy is on point. For example, did you know nearly 40 million people quit their jobs since April 2021 because they felt confident about finding better work?
Data like that shows how fierce competition for talent really is. To make sure your organization doesn’t fall behind, you need to start thinking ahead. This means taking a proactive mindset in your recruiting efforts.
The Purple Squirrel Hunt
You’ll never attract top talent by simply replicating traditional recruitment techniques. In today’s market, one size definitely does *not* fit all.
Remember the elusive “purple squirrel”, the ideal candidate who seems to check every single box, but doesn’t actually exist? I’ve seen many hiring managers focus so intensely on those mythical squirrels that they fail to recognize incredible talent standing right in front of them. Instead, it’s time to move past that outdated approach and embrace a more flexible and open-minded approach to talent acquisition.
Getting Specific: Align With Hiring Managers
What’s the secret to more effective recruiting processes? Get everyone on the same page right from the start.
Take time to sit down with hiring managers and really explore the details of the open roles. Forget generic lists of skills or broad job requirements that rarely attract the best. You need laser focus on the real-life, day-to-day activities associated with each position.
Only then can you craft engaging descriptions that tell potential candidates precisely what they’re signing up for. Remember, authenticity is key. Talk about the impact employees can have, highlight challenges they might encounter, and really give a flavor of what it feels like to work for your company. People want more than just a job description, they crave genuine insight and clear expectations.
Thinking Beyond Resumes: Finding The True Capabilities Of Talent
When seeking the best talent, remember resumes only tell part of the story. Candidates who impress you with exceptional soft skills, work experience, or a stellar educational background may not be the ideal fit after all.
I can’t emphasize enough how vital it is to think beyond those basic parameters. That’s where implementing strategic pre-screening steps, like skills assessments, can help.
| Screening Step | Focus Area | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Hard skills tests | Assessing role-specific technical abilities | Coding challenge for developers, financial modeling test for analysts |
| Soft skills and personality assessments | Evaluating critical soft attributes like communication and problem-solving | Collaborative team task simulations, emotional intelligence questionnaires |
| Job simulation days | Observing a candidate’s performance in a real-world scenario | Mock sales presentations, trial customer support calls |
Skills-based assessments cut through embellishment and pinpoint areas of strength and potential development needs. Using a combination of targeted methods helps eliminate unconscious biases and reveals capabilities that standard applications often miss.
What’s more, they showcase your organization’s innovative thinking, sending a positive message to candidates right from the get-go. For example, if a job seeker scores below the threshold on a coding challenge, you know not to advance them for an interview for a senior software developer role. This helps refine your candidate pool to those who have the right technical skills.
Rethinking Your EVP: Engaging Active And Passive Candidates
Attracting the right kind of talent boils down to understanding people’s motivations. While many are actively searching for their next career move, a vast portion of the workforce – often the most qualified – aren’t pounding the digital pavement looking for open positions. According to LinkedIn, a whopping 70% are considered “passive candidates.” So, what does it take to get *their* attention?
That’s where your Employer Value Proposition (EVP) enters the equation. People want to know “What’s in it for me (WIIFME)?” before even glancing at a job listing. So, take the time to paint a clear and compelling picture.
Offer insights into work-life balance, explain your commitment to employee growth, talk about company values and community involvement, highlight opportunities for advancement, and maybe mention some really cool benefits. In short, focus on the perks beyond salary that make your organization the perfect place to work. Think about offering employee referral programs, too. A good EVP helps tap into that large talent pool of passive candidates.
Once you have a robust EVP, remember to promote it across multiple platforms and build a presence beyond traditional job postings. Think engaging social media content, professional networking events, participation in targeted meetups and online communities, strategic social media marketing, collaborations with universities and colleges, employee testimonial videos… get creative.
If people understand your company culture and values before they even consider applying, you’re way ahead of the curve. This also reduces the number of “purple squirrels” you run into, giving you a wider net for hiring. In essence, a good recruitment strategy involves getting your company’s name out there.
Nurturing Your Pipeline: Internal Mobility And Beyond
With my background in managing large SAP implementations, I often had to find candidates who could learn quickly. We found training internal employees yielded superior results to outside hires because those individuals understood the organizational context for the new tasks they were undertaking.
Similarly, tapping into your existing workforce for potential advancement can be one of the best corporate recruiting best practices you’ll ever implement. This, however, requires proactive planning. By investing in your current employees, you’re also investing in the future of your organization.
Keeping Talented People in the Company
Consider the startling statistics. According to a Ceridian study, a whopping 88% of employees considering leaving their jobs would actually *stay* if given more career development opportunities.
What’s more, over 90% of CEOs who invest in those opportunities say those employees show improved productivity, leading to more resilient workforces. By offering training programs and outlining pathways for advancement, you create a loyal, enthusiastic team that’s constantly evolving.
Plus, you signal to potential outside hires that your company invests in employee growth and internal advancement. It’s a win-win situation. You retain top talent while also attracting new candidates.
Embracing The Alumni Network
Corporate recruiting best practices don’t end when an employee leaves. Take, for example, research from UKG, showing nearly 20% of employees who quit during the pandemic ended up returning to their previous employer.
These are your “boomerang employees” – individuals familiar with your culture and organizational structure – making them invaluable additions to your team. After all, who wouldn’t welcome someone who knows the ropes and brings new outside experience?
What’s more, it takes significantly less time to bring a past employee up to speed compared to onboarding someone brand new, saving you valuable time and money in the hiring process. So, implement solid offboarding processes and nurture those connections even after an employee departs. Consider inviting those individuals back into the fold at networking events. Staying in touch often leads to remarkable talent returning.
Remember The “Hidden” Workforce
This leads to another valuable insight. A group researchers often call “the hidden workforce” could very well hold the key to your next exceptional hire.
People often overlook this group. That’s precisely why understanding their importance could be one of the most powerful corporate recruiting best practices you adopt. Data shows the “hidden workforce” actually accounts for a significant 14-17% of the workforce.
Think retirees seeking new challenges, veterans seeking fulfilling careers, stay-at-home caregivers re-entering the job market, individuals with disabilities ready to contribute their talents, individuals seeking a second chance… these talented individuals bring diverse perspectives and life experience. The problem? Many face barriers that traditional recruitment processes reinforce.
This often starts with hiring processes that screen applicants based on specific degree requirements, for example. An alarming 38% of candidates seeking hourly positions never hear back after applying. These are people with the potential to transform your organization.
Corporate recruiting best practices have to be all about inclusivity, about creating opportunities for those who are often overlooked. Focusing on capabilities, transferable skills, and providing access to training opportunities is where the real change lies. By recognizing their worth and adjusting our expectations, we can build extraordinary teams while doing our part to improve social responsibility.
Fine-Tuning The Process: Getting Candidates To Say Yes
You’ve revamped your hiring process, implemented proactive strategies, crafted compelling job descriptions, built a vibrant employer brand, and targeted active and passive candidates… Now what? Corporate recruiting best practices ultimately hinge on getting those qualified candidates to say “yes.”
The Impact Of The Candidate Experience
When working with high-ranking SAP clients, I found making people feel appreciated goes a long way towards building lasting partnerships. In much the same way, creating an outstanding candidate experience can make all the difference. It impacts their overall perception of your organization. Remember, people often share their interview stories, regardless of the outcome.
Make sure the message they’re sending is positive. Companies that treat candidates like valuable individuals build a positive reputation over time, increasing the likelihood of landing the very best talent.
That’s where some strategic changes are needed. According to CareerPlug research, a whopping 48% of job seekers experienced at least *one* negative aspect during a recent job application process, and a shocking 49% turned down a job offer because of an unsatisfying candidate experience. Think carefully about how candidates interact with your company at every touchpoint. A negative candidate experience can severely hinder your recruitment strategies.
Communicate Honestly About Company Policies
You also need to avoid misrepresenting things during the recruitment process, especially when it comes to workplace culture and expectations. It may be tempting to hype remote opportunities or generous benefits packages, for instance, to get more people through the door.
The problem is if your real-life experience doesn’t align with your promises, those disgruntled hires won’t stick around long. A steady revolving door of unhappy employees will wreak havoc on your budget, company culture, and your overall reputation.
Go Beyond Basic Respect
While respectful treatment during interviews is absolutely necessary, corporate recruiting best practices involve going beyond the bare minimum. Don’t bombard candidates with irrelevant or confusing information about job functions.
Streamline application processes so no one’s sifting through endless paperwork or struggling to decipher tricky instructions. Provide regular status updates and ensure everyone knows precisely where they stand during each stage of the hiring process.
I know sending automated rejections to thousands of unsuitable applicants can feel overwhelming. It’s a lot more effective, though, than simply ghosting someone who put the time and effort into pursuing a position. After all, every interaction contributes to your employer brand. You never know if that candidate might be perfect for a future open role.
Consider Generative AI: Optimize and Streamline
Many of the challenges recruiters are facing today have a simple solution – get AI involved. Generative AI helps organizations automate repetitive tasks, improve communication, provide personalized experiences, and create data-driven insights for building successful recruiting practices.
Even though it’s still emerging in HR, many organizations are adopting a new and more sophisticated recruitment process through these cutting-edge tools. Data shows, though, just 5% of HR teams were fully embracing this transformative technology as of mid-2023. Those organizations who’re not getting up to speed soon may well end up lagging behind the competition.
A More Human Approach With Generative AI
How does generative AI play into successful corporate recruiting best practices? While many companies think of this innovative technology as something out of a Hollywood film, it’s more akin to having a hardworking team of assistants right at your fingertips.
Take scheduling interviews, for example. Automated bots can find optimal meeting times that work for everyone. They can send automated yet personalized emails updating candidates. They can analyze thousands of resumes and rank qualified applicants based on skills tests.
You can create an interview checklist so you can ask every interviewee the same standard set of questions. AI can also write job postings or provide tips for tweaking the employer brand. It doesn’t replace your team though.
It just gives everyone the power to do what they do best. This means less time crunching data and more opportunities to build genuine connections with top talent. Generative AI tools often get accused of creating canned, impersonal experiences. But they actually give recruiters more opportunities to do the human stuff – provide in-depth answers during screenings, personalize video interview follow-ups, send targeted thank-yous to applicants, brainstorm tailored advancement opportunities, really listen, and offer constructive guidance.
In today’s evolving job landscape, humanizing your recruitment approach really gives organizations the winning edge. Using tools like niche job boards, you can also target candidates with very specific skills and experience.
Conclusion
From my first position designing military operations to creating an entirely new approach to finding qualified talent, I’ve consistently emphasized the importance of knowing your objectives, strategizing, adapting, and building strong connections. And that’s the foundation of solid corporate recruiting best practices. No matter your position within an organization, approaching recruiting in a proactive, insightful, and humane way is crucial for staying competitive and attracting the best of the best.
Use data to gain deeper insights and tap into those “hidden” workforce resources often overlooked. More importantly though, treat everyone like individuals worthy of respect, give candidates the guidance and communication they need, stay flexible, implement new and emerging technologies to help streamline your processes, and never underestimate the importance of making people feel heard, understood, and genuinely valued. After all, good recruitment is about finding the best fit for both the candidate and the company.
