Finding the right candidate can be tricky, especially when the role you’re trying to fill is a bit of a niche job. But fear not, we have some top tips and advice on how you can attract the best talent for your business.

Advertise right & offer a package they can’t resist

It is not enough to simply advertise a job and wait for the flood of applicants. You must advertise the job well. A great job description is a way to reflect the job as well as your business culture. A rushed, lazy advert with basic details could be interpreted negatively as a candidate assesses if they want to work for you. We suggest that your job description should include the following, to encourage the perfect candidate to apply:

  • Pay – Make sure you include an estimated pay bracket that is competitive against your rivals. This manages the jobseekers expectations, meaning they are more likely to apply.
  • Location – Candidates are more likely to apply for a role that they know is within their preferred travel radius so try and narrow this down to the immediate area.
  • Job description – Use bullet points in your job description and clearly list what their key responsibilities will be, essential criteria and preferred experience.
  • Why should they choose you? – Brag about the great schemes and benefits you have. Do you have flexible working? Do you have great holiday allowance? If so, shout about it!

Have a strong online presence

Did you know 75% of people research a company before applying for a job? Job seekers will research your website, social media pages, news articles, reviews on search engines etc. Conducting a regular assessment of your business online will help you to see what is working and what could be improved.

To help improve and strengthen your online presence, our advice would be to ensure you are staying active on social media sharing news and videos that show successes in the business and give a glimpse into the culture. You could also ask your customers if they would mind leaving a review of their experience on your Facebook page or on Google, Bing and Yahoo.

Look after your current employees

We are sure you understand the importance of a happy work force in your businesses productivity and success. Did you know that your employees could also help locate your next staff member too? A staggering 99% of candidates would consider applying for a job that was recommended by a friend!

No business is perfect and as we all strive to improve and engage our employees more, you might want to also consider conducting regular staff surveys asking what your staff enjoy about working at your company and what they think you could be doing differently. There is very reasonably priced software available, such as Hive, which allows you to send these surveys to staff and receive responses anonymously, even giving you suggestions of what questions to ask.

There are surveys out there that allows them to be anonymous so you will receive truthful feedback. Responding to suggestions highlighted shows your employees that the higher ranks do listen and take on board what they have to say. Do your best to make sure word of mouth is working with you, not against you.

Put yourself in their shoes

If you were in the shoes of a jobseeker, what would you be looking for? What kind of organisation would you want to work for? What would you like to see in a job advert? We’re all human so whatever you personally would look for in a company, chances are that’s what a lot of other people are going to look for in your company.

Take a step back from your organisation and look at it from an outsider’s perspective. This will help you understand what you’re doing really well and what could be the icing on the cake for your next big hire if you were to make a change.

Don’t rush it

This is our last but by no means the least important piece of advice. Finding the perfect candidate to fit in with your company culture, mission and values can be tricky, which is why it’s so important not to rush it. If you know you’re going to need to take another member of staff, advertise it as soon as possible so that you employ the right candidate, not the most available candidate. Patience is a virtue.

So there we have it, our 5 pieces of advice! We hope these tips help you find the right candidate.