Why most organisations are not attracting the best people

Think about the ‘best employee’ you have, and imagine having 5, 10 or even 30 more of them on your team. How much better would your organisation and life be?

‘A’ players are rare, and everyone wants them, however, it’s my experience that most organisations are not focused on targeting ‘A’ players at all but are wholly focused on filling roles which is a very different thing.? Guess what… Hiring suitable people does not equate to hiring the very best candidate in the market for each role you have.

Why is this happening?? Most organisations have a solid recruitment process, a competent inhouse recruitment team and external recruiters on their supplier list.? ?They’ll focus on filling vacancies and hire people who interview well.? Leaders in turn see things running smoothly, jobs being filled and think all is rosy in the talent garden.? ITS NOT!

That’s why most leaders have no idea they are losing out. ?They are blissfully unaware of the superb people out there they know nothing about and should be hiring.?

If your priority is, fill jobs and get people through the interview process. ?Over time, you’ll have ZERO competitive advantage when it comes to the quality of people you have on your team.

So, how do you ensure you’re hiring the best talent from the ENTIRE market?

Step 1

Start by asking is “How do we guarantee we are aware of and meet with the best people in the entire market for the job every time?” This change of focus can be hugely impactful.

Step 2

Buy in starts from the top and Leadership needs to be fully onboard with a truly comprehensive search that includes but goes beyond Ads, Social Media and Internal Recruitment Teams.? All the above can be very effective and successful BUT a large chunk of the passive candidate market, where most “A Players” are found, will be missing.

Step 3

At least 70% of “A” players are not active, do not apply for roles and need convincing to entertain a meeting with most organisations.? Internal Recruiters will certainly play a part here. However, it’s a seasoned, credible, external recruitment partner with a deep network of contacts and relationships who will get those top folks in play.

Employing an external recruiter does cost.? However, with the right recruiter it should be a game changer talent wise. ?A great recruiter will give you access to a much larger pool of passive candidates. ?In other words, you’ll now see the whole talent market not just 30% of it.

My Advice

Great recruiters are far less common than you think so make sure your organisation doesn’t just have a list of recruitment suppliers but rather 1-2 real recruitment partners who will work with you over many years and GET your culture and what works.? Having a real partnership with a recruiter will translate to huge benefits to your bottom line. ?Talent Attraction done right is an art and “A” Players need a trusted and independent voice to highlight all the things that will never jump off a JD and most importantly someone who will get them to the table.

Ignorance is not bliss, when it comes to the hidden talent market, so don’t miss out adding some more ‘best employees’ to your team.

Happy Hiring!

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