How do you quickly fill hard-to-fill positions?

There's no perfect candidate out there in the market who would be a 100% fit. An ideal candidate would mean someone who, to some extent, has the right skills and mostly the eagerness to learn. Focus more on the attributes which are nice-to-have rather than focusing on the attributes which are optional.

Realize that if you're constantly saying the roles are hard to fill, you need to do the groundwork first. Set a solid and compelling culture, made up of people who are actually building something meaningful and valuable for your customers. Make authentic noise about it on social media. Empower your team members to share what *they* think is exciting in what they do. And let them do it in their personal way. Not filtered through the marketing department. If you do this right, the momentum will build stronger and stronger over time. And all of a sudden the roles will be a lot easier to fill. But you need to prepare the ground and sow the seeds before you can expect to harvest.

Filling hard-to-fill positions may take time, and it's essential to be patient and persistent. Some strategies like an internal candidate (IJP's), employee referrals, social media platforms, and tapping passive candidates can help us in closing hard-to-fill positions.

The best way to understand hard to fill positions is to know why they're hard to fill which sits in the data. Hard to fill could be for many reasons and you need to pinpoint if its pay, location or job. You need to understand where they are falling through in the process. Are they falling through after interview? If so sit in on an interview and understand what is going on. Most important partner with your stakeholder and give them market data and facts of why it's hard to fill and understand how to problem solve whether is change requirements or interview style. Look at the data and process. Pin point your problem and it won't be hard to fill.

Defining ideal candidates for hard-to-fill positions is a strategic imperative in recruitment. It provides a clear roadmap for identifying the right fit, saving valuable time and resources. By specifying the required skills, experience, and cultural alignment, recruiters can target their efforts more precisely. This narrows the candidate pool to those most likely to succeed and thrive in the role, increasing the chances of a successful hire. Moreover, it enhances communication between recruiters and hiring managers, aligning expectations and reducing the risk of misalignment. Ultimately, a well-defined ideal candidate profile acts as a beacon, guiding the recruitment process toward efficient and effective outcomes.

Diversify Your Talent Search ?? Job Boards: Explore industry-specific, niche job boards for targeted outreach. Social Media Platforms: Leverage LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook for broad visibility and networking. Employee Referrals: Tap into your internal network; encourage employees, clients, and partners to refer potential candidates. Candidate Relationship Management: Engage with past candidates, maintaining relationships and updating them on new opportunities. Specialized Recruiters: Collaborate with recruiters or headhunters for access to a diverse pool of qualified candidates. Remember, casting a wide net across multiple channels increases your chances of discovering the ideal candidate.

Make sure you have good relationships with third party recruiting organizations. Because recruiting is the only thing we do, we have more candidates in our pools and our ability to start our recruiting machine quickly outpaces what most companies can do internally. Get and keep good partnerships, even if you don't have current openings!

Even though LinkedIn works most of the time for me but there are situations where, when you are either hiring internationally or hiring for a specific skillset which is hard to find on LinkedIn, you need to use different sourcing channels or platforms. Some platforms that you might want to consider and work well are: 1. Indonesia - GrabJobs, JobIndo 2. Egypt - Wuzzuf 3. Bangladesh - Snaphunt, Bdjobs.com 4. USA - Monster, GlassDoor, CareerBuilder 5. Other platform/s: Indeed, Bayt, Naukrigulf (mainly for Gulf region)

Openings should be filled with someone already working at the company. Question your talent development process if you don’t have someone groomed for the role. Look in other parts of the company. As mentioned, if you have to go outside, look at who you’ve seen or made offers to in the past, find out who is connected to people already working for you, see what successful people in this role have had in common - where they’ve worked, gone to school, products or tech they’ve worked on. What else do they have in common - interests, activities, etc? Organize a database of prospects. Organize a list of companies that provide appropriate experience. This all leads to quantifiable and targeted profiles with the meat that a recruiter can use.

Last but not the least, Prosecution: Stick to your plan like honey. I used honey because it takes a good amount of effort to slip off. Never go off your plan unless it is crucial for your metrics or priorities. This not only teaches you to be disciplined enough to follow your plan to the end but also makes sure you are adaptable enough to ditch it if things go sideways. Do follow me and reshare if this makes sense to you! Wreckruiter Out!??

In order to be flexible, it's important to distinguish between the essential and the desirable criteria for the role. After identifying these criteria, you should consider how much flexibility you have with the desirable ones. For example, if the essential criterion is fluency in JavaScript, and the desirable criterion is working in the office for three days a week, could you offer the option of remote work to attract more qualified candidates?

??♂? Flexibility and Creativity in Hiring ?? Global Outreach: Explore talent beyond your local region; utilize video conferencing for remote evaluations. Online Assessments: Leverage tools for virtual assessments to efficiently evaluate candidates. Training and Development: Invest in programs to upskill candidates who may lack specific skills or experience. Attractive Perks: Stand out from competitors by offering flexible work arrangements, bonuses, stock options, or wellness programs. Navigating hard-to-fill positions requires adaptability and creative solutions.

Communication is they key, as I always say. Candidates love those recruiters who regularly update them about their status, keep the process transparent, and do not leave them hanging in the air. Make it a habit and you'll find your candidates choosing your employer as their first priority.

?? Effective Communication for Hiring Success ?? Clear Expectations: Set transparent expectations about the hiring process, duration, and candidate responsibilities. Timely Feedback: Provide constructive and timely feedback after each hiring stage to keep candidates engaged. Express Enthusiasm: Showcase genuine interest in candidates, emphasizing the benefits of joining your organization. Consistent Updates: Stay connected with candidates through regular reminders, confirmations, and updates. Effective communication fosters a positive candidate experience, increasing your chances of attracting top talent.

A possible solution for filling a complex position is to divide it into two simpler roles. You can do this by separating the responsibilities according to their relevance and priority for the position. This may increase your costs, but it could also benefit you in the long run by bringing in two people with fresh ideas and unique perspectives.

Filling hard-to-fill is a very demanding task. Filling these positions more quickly will require precision, planning, and prosecution of the plan. I call this the 3 P's of "Candidate Procurement". Yeah, I just coined that?? Precision: In a shooting range, the mannequin or the target is clearly defined with specific points for each region. Bringing that into recruitment, you must ensure you are completely aware of the basic requirements; qualifications, experience, and location. With the right target in mind, you will subconsciously aim for that. Planning: You need to make sure your candidate qualifies for the rounds with the hiring manager, plan this in advance. Try to book a couple of time slots in advance. Save time and plan early!

?? Mastering Hard-to-Fill Positions: The 3 P's of "Candidate Procurement" ?? Precision: Like a skilled marksman, define your target clearly with specific qualifications, experience, and location. Aim for precision by ensuring a deep understanding of the basic requirements. Planning: Execute a well-thought-out plan for each candidate, ensuring qualification for rounds with the hiring manager. Book multiple time slots in advance to streamline the process and save valuable time. Prosecution of the Plan: Act on your plan promptly and efficiently to move candidates through the hiring process smoothly. Be proactive in addressing potential challenges, adapting as needed for successful execution.