01.25.2022 Felipe Torres
It’s no secret that businesses are struggling to fill vacancies as organisations scramble to rebound from the impacts of the pandemic. Securing skilled workers is now more complex, challenging, and time-consuming than ever before.
- 68% of HR professionals are having trouble recruiting candidates for full-time positions in their organisation (Source: SHRM)
- 75% of companies have reported talent shortages and difficulty in hiring – a 16-year high (Source: Manpower)
- The average interview process takes 23 days, up from 22 days in 2016 (Source: Glassdoor)
- 78% of job seekers would drop out or consider dropping out of a long or complex recruitment process (Source: Sterling)
As a result, employers are revisiting their Talent Acquisition strategies, placing more emphasis on their own people to recharge their approach to recruitment but also building a candidate experience that differentiates them as an employer of choice.
According to the Talent Trends 2022 report from Randstad, 84% of human capital and C-suite leaders say their organizations are more focused on the talent experience than ever before.
So, in a world where culture, brand, and reputation are paramount to attracting top talent, what role does the hiring manager play in the recruitment process? Hint: It starts way before the interview!
Here are 5 things we suggest the hiring manager should do on LinkedIn if they want to attract top talent to their recruitment process.
1) When Did You Last Review Your LinkedIn Profile?
Whilst candidates will first check out what it’s like to work at your company on platforms like Glassdoor.com, once they enter the application process and learn who the hiring manager is, they’ll make a beeline (definition: the swiftest, most direct route between two points) for your LinkedIn profile to more about you.
According to a Gallup poll, 75% of workers who voluntarily leave their jobs do so because of their bosses and not the position, the role, or the company. Candidates are savvy to make sure they work for someone they know, like, and trust. Make sure your LinkedIn profile photo is current, your About section is written in the first person and your profile reflects your personal brand.
2) Demonstrate Your Leadership & Personal Development
Fascinating research from LinkedIn cited that “active” job seekers aren’t motivated by money but by improving their skills. They seem more interested in moving because they are ambitious, not because they want higher pay.
Showcase how you’re building your knowledge by sharing articles that you find interesting, courses you’ve attended, and books that you’ve read. Having an active presence on LinkedIn shows that you invest in yourself and your own learning – it’s a reflection of how you lead.
3) Update Your Profile To Show You’re Hiring
If your network doesn’t know you’re hiring, then don’t be surprised if you get no applicants. Show you’re hiring on LinkedIn by adding the little purple #Hiring banner to your profile photo – it’s a quick and easy thing to change.
Go to your profile, click on your profile image, and add the purple #hiring banner. Once you add the banner, LinkedIn lets you "claim" a particular LinkedIn job listing and sync it with your profile. This way, when a user sees the job listing, they'll see that YOU are the hiring manager, and they'll have the ability to look at your profile and reach out. Credit: Dan Klamm, Chubb.
4) Record And Post A 60 Second Hiring Video
Humanise the hiring experience before your candidate meets you in person. Record a 90-second video to outline the role you’re hiring for and the type of person you feel will be successful in it. The way you deliver this video will help the candidate ‘feel’ what it’s like to work for you before they enter the application process.
Your video should cover some key topics including:
- Your name, role, and why you’re recording the video (e.g. because you’re hiring)
- What the role is about (e.g. technical detail on what you’re looking for)
- What you’re looking for in the person (e.g. the culture and spirit that will make this role successful)
- How to apply for the role (e.g. send you a message, add a link to the comments)
5) Ask Your Team & Network
According to Jobvite, 46% of employee referrals stay at their position past a year. The numbers remain the same throughout the second and third years, too. Referred candidates, whether via your employees or your own LinkedIn network, come with a level of connection and trust that shouldn’t be undervalued.
Ask your network to like, comment and even re-post your video to strengthen the reach of the message you’re trying to deliver and the audience you’re trying to attract. Your network can really help the process here and whilst you might not hire the candidate they refer; you’ll have some interesting and insightful conversations along the way.
Become A Connector, Not Just A Hiring Manager
I’m often asked if I know of people who are seeking a new role and find myself in a place of connectivity. As a hiring manager, it’s important to see LinkedIn not as a place to advertise jobs, but as a place to connect with others. The candidate experience has evolved. People want to feel they belong and are connected to an organisation, whether they end up working there or not.
I embrace the conversations that I have from the process of recruitment and if I know that we’re not the right place for them at this time, I make sure that I support their journey in any way I can. Whether through an endorsement of their skills, a recommendation (if I know them well), or a referral to others in my network that I know are hiring.
