3 tips for undertaking a recruitment strategy audit

In today’s job market more than ever, the recruitment process is predominantly candidate-driven. Due to the saturation in the job market, it has become more difficult to find the ideal candidate, who’s a good fit for your company and your brand. If this is something you have encountered in your current recruitment processes, it is undoubtedly time to look at undertaking a recruitment strategy audit.

Here are 3 ways to lay the foundations for a successful recruitment strategy audit:

Focus on Business Needs

Primarily, since COVID, it is important to review your business needs. What has the pandemic changed in your practices? How has it affected your productivity? Are there any skill gaps in your finance team that you need to fill?

Focusing on your business needs will help you refine your recruitment process and help cement both the candidate's and your own understanding of what is wanted and needed on this journey.

For example, when discussing your business with the candidate, be upfront about the business’s goals. Perhaps it’s strengthening customer service, increasing the overall market share, or growing the organisation? Be sure to know and understand the objectives of your business, then you can explain it clearly and confidently to a candidate so that everyone is on the same page and what is required is fully understood.

Of course, one of the aspects of current recruitment strategies that should be reviewed is the COVID-induced need for more flexible working policies and how that affects your business. Many companies have had to move toward a more flexible working environment. In fact, a more flexible working environment, the kind of flexibility, and the trust between you and your workers are qualities in an organisation that have been clenching really good candidates.

Not only from working parents, for example, but others interested in the business practices and flexibility as indicators of the work culture. It may be that some of the workers prefer to work out of their own office spaces; however, knowing they have flexibility is often an excellent motivator for taking a position. This is especially important if you want to hopefully build a work community and keep long-term employees who stay with their employer.

Map The Candidate’s Journey

The candidate’s journey is the set of experiences job seekers go through as they follow the process of attracting notice, applying, and after they start a new position. 

John Ennis, Associate Director at Savvi Recruitment has said,

"I see a lot of frustration with clients who don't have the recruitment process mapped out, and it all starts to break down mid process. And that's frustrating for the clients and candidates."  

The journey is defined by your employer brand and your ability to attract job seekers in this market, following through with your starter-retention rates.

Mapping out internally your recruitment process is an excellent way to prepare for your recruitment drive and to prepare a candidate for the next steps as well. This streamlines your process as the candidate will be aware and prepared for the next step. This, and open communication with the candidates, are key to a successful recruitment drive.

Candidate Attraction

One of the most successful ways to counter competition’s recruitment tactics is to have a strong recruiter brand. A strong recruiter brand with competitive hiring packages and a clear understanding of what the position requires will anticipate the best type of person to fulfil those needs. Roadmap your requirements and necessities; communicate them clearly throughout the candidate’s journey.

Be sure to make a candidate feel like they have your full attention while talking to them, especially virtually, and not making them feel as if you haven’t read their CV or looked at their background. While speaking to them, take the time to engage them, to make sure they understand the role, requirements, and responsibilities. If you expect this candidate to be a valuable member of your team, give them the time and attention they should get.

Please remember that advertisements and job descriptions are merely tools to get out your recruiter brand and what the position briefly entails. It becomes important to have a more personal touch because many candidates are already bombarded with LinkedIn and recruiter approaches to the extent that it is almost spamming. The number of licenses and people sending them out are generally of mixed quality and may not sift out the right person for your business needs. This is the place where using an agency like Savvi Recruitment Consultants may be key in connecting the right candidates to your business.

 The bottom line? A successful recruitment strategy audit will help you roadmap your recruitment process. Communicate your needs clearly to any candidates. Engage your candidates and be sure to have prepared to meet them. People make all the difference in successful recruitment.

If you are looking for a more in-depth look at your current recruitment strategy, Savvi Recruitment Consultants offers a free workshop. There is no obligation and Savvi Recruitment will invest time running through your current strategy and help you streamline a process that will serve you better.