Recruiting for your business?

How many times have you advertised a vacancy and your inbox has been flooded with unsuitable applications? Or, conversely, you receive little interest from candidates at all? When it comes time to recruit your next permanent or contract team member, here are a few things to consider

If people with the skills you need are readily available in the candidate market, advertising should attract suitable applications for you to review, shortlist, and interview. However, this isn’t often the case for those looking to hire in New Zealand’s construction market, as there’s a well-documented shortage of certain skills. If demand exceeds supply for the skills you need, a simple job advertisement will likely produce few results.

Finding the right person

If that’s the case, how will you find the right person? Over the years, technology has seen recruitment strategies move from printed newspaper ads to online job boards and social platforms. All the while, the focus has been on identifying the best candidates from those looking for a job at that point in time.

The rapid evolution of technology has changed all that. In fact, technology moves so quickly that unless you regularly recruit, you may not have heard how recruiters are now integrating data science capabilities with the skills, expertise and relationships of people to engage the very best professionals, rather than being limited to the best of those who happen to be looking for a new job at the time.

How to find & engage

How does this work? Digital technology and data science analytics are now used to reach deep into potential candidate pools and examine large amounts of data to prepare shortlists of the most suitable people. The data points can then be combined to determine how the timing of a job opportunity fits with a potential candidate’s career journey, how the role is likely to fit with their aspirations, and how relevant an approach about the job will be. Based on this, recruiters engage with suitable potential candidates to understand their personal priorities and career aspirations.

But not every organisation has the resource, such as a company recruiter, or the systems to do this, which is why some decide to engage an external recruiter that has invested in technology to complement their work.

Whatever approach you decide to take, below are some tips for attracting the right employees:

1. Selling your job

When skills are in demand, employers need to communicate the benefits of working for them. Make sure your Employee Value Proposition clearly communicates your company’s values and culture, as well as the rewards, opportunities and experience of working for your company. By communicating what you stand for and the experience of working at your company, you’ll attract like-minded candidates who are a natural fit with your company and the way you do business.

2. Speed up your recruitment process

It’s also important to run a succinct recruitment process – otherwise you could miss out on your preferred candidate to a competitor who moves faster and makes an offer before you. Shortening your recruitment process means a candidate could undertake their first interview, a second interview with co-workers or senior managers, sit any technical tests and be offered a conditional role, all in a few hours. A more streamlined process also brings down costs.

3. Make a competitive offer

In some areas, salaries are increasing in response to demand, while in others they remain static. Regardless, be aware of current salary trends for the role you are recruiting by referring to a current salary guide, such as the Hays Salary Guide, and make a realistic offer that’s in line with the market.

Hotspots of skills in demand

The Hays Jobs Report highlights employment hotspots. The latest report, covering the first half of 2018, confirms high demand for commercial site managers and project managers, given the large number of commercial builds.

Commercial estimators are being sought too, as increased competition sees companies tender for more projects. Intermediate to senior commercial quantity surveyors are also in demand. Meanwhile, residential quantity surveyors will be required in response to the continued housing shortage and demand for new builds.

We’ll also see demand for quantity surveyors in sub-trades as projects enter the completion stage.

Want to know more? Hays has offices in Auckland, South Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. www.hays.net.nz