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CareerZOT Talk: How to Recruit Talented and Workplace Ready Employees Amongst a Large and Growing Sk

With unemployment at an almost 50-year low, recruiting poses more and more of a challenge. And indeed, there is a lot of research indicating that perhaps recent graduates or even people already experienced in the workplace may have significant gaps in skills compared to the needs of recruiting managers.

For job recruiters, relevant job-related knowledge is more important than degree attainment.

There is a trend now being implemented by colleges and universities to offer different types of credentials, rather than the traditional transcript, to better prepare students for the world of work. And the compelling benefit of these alternative credentials offers students immediate access to the credential so that they may publish it on social media quickly as they apply for positions.

But don’t count out university learning, as it is clear that institutions of higher education are taking on a larger role in post-graduate job attainment and are embracing innovative models of learning that can provide learners, young and old, the skills that are relevant today and will be in demand in the future.

So how can we as leaders determine how to weed out the underqualified candidates to focus on the ones that are the right fit for the job?

Here are a few suggestions.

Kathy Seaton Build a strong employer brand.

Focus on building a well-known employer brand, you won’t have to do as much active recruiting and the vetting process will be much easier. You’ll be a highly desired organization, flooding with appropriate applicants that are ready to work.

Write better job descriptions.

Many companies write job descriptions that include long lists of responsibilities and requirements, which may or may not be attractive to candidates. Focus on what your company can do for potential employees, and you’ll attract candidates who better fit your needs.

Embrace digital trends and social media.

Most people want to work for companies that keep up with the latest tech trends and the most significant aspect of that is utilizing public social media profiles for candidate research.

Find the right personality for the job.

Consider how a candidate’s personality aligns with the job responsibilities. The type of person that you hire needs to be in line with the culture of the organization and the individual should be able to contribute to the brand in significant and consistent ways.

Improve your interview strategy.

It’s important that you allow a candidate to interview you. This will allow for a better alignment of each of your needs.

Remember that candidates have many ways to vet your organization

It’s important to consider continual updating of corporate websites and active involvement in social media. Clear and concise content is key. Doing so can improve employee retention and lead to more positive reviews that will attract quality employees.