Having an excellent candidate relationship is key to beating your competition in a talent crisis.

Competition for talent remains high across all business sectors, with the average time to hire for Q2 2022 was 6.76 weeks, almost a one-week increase since Q1 (6.04 weeks), highlighting the gap between businesses wanting to hire, but not getting the people they need for the roles at the right time. – According to the hiring trends index by Total Jobs

Industries most likely to have increased recruitment include media/marketing/advertising/PR and sales (46%),

Employers are aware of the skills gap that doesn't seem to be closing, and many are planning to introduce global hiring and expand workplace flexibility benefits.

This is not new. It has been simmering in the background and was put on steroids in 2020 when the ad market collapsed in response to the first Covid-19 lockdowns. Some made redundancies too quickly and couldn't hire back the talent they lost. Many saw that people didn't want to come back after being put on furlough. And now, many of the ones that have stayed don't want to come back into the office, and teamworking is tougher to manage.

These analysts should read the highly important Media's Got Talent report published last week by the World Federation of Advertisers and media pitch consultant MediaSense. It canvasses the talent needs of advertisers, agencies, media owners and adtech companies. (source via Omar Oakes )

One area that I feel needs pushing is candidate relationships – something we thrive at Beagle Talent, and given the talent crisis, should not be overlooked.

Hiring processes that feel endless have "been a long-standing issue, even pre-pandemic. New data reveals that the majority (78%) of job seekers are dropping out or considering dropping out of the recruitment procedure due to lengthy and complex processes, exacerbating the skills crisis. That's?according to new research?from specialist background screening and identity services firm Sterling.

Long recruitment processes can, of course, backfire on employers when candidates end up losing interest in the job. Long gaps between interviews and poor communication can encourage applicants to apply elsewhere instead. A process that feels too long can be a bad sign; maybe the job isn't a great fit for you. The candidate may perceive the employer as not considerate or employee-centric by making them wait so long, so they may choose not to work with them.

That's why candidate relationships are really important. They're key to helping you maintain a meaningful talent pool and ensuring you can identify, develop, and attract the right talent at the right time.

A great example would be a candidate working remotely with small children at home. Arranging an interview with the board at 8 am is likely going to place them in a precarious situation, juggling school runs, traffic, and the nerves intrinsic to interviews. A candidate under that type of pressure will likely not come across as well as you (or they) had hoped.

To help maintain positive candidate relationships, it's essential to understand the candidate's journey through their eyes. A candidate's journey is all-encompassing and should include everything from their first interaction through to application, shortlisting interview, and any resulting decision. The aim is to map each stage and understand how your candidate may be feeling, what they might need, and what they might be missing. This will help you to nurture them through each stage and build a positive relationship.

In the recruiting business, it is important to provide top talent to our clients and build strong relationships with clients and candidates.?When we have built those solid relationships, we have a greater chance of understanding what both our clients and candidates need throughout the interviewing and hiring process.?Having this information allows us to provide enormous value to all parties by ensuring the right placement is made.

Book some time with Beagle Talent and find out why the majority of clients retain our services for their next executive hire.

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