One of the reasons why headhunters are used is that without them so called top candidates are very difficult to find and get interested.
If a job seeker who is well aware of his/her own value is looking for new challenges, the bar for a prospective employer is usually so high that several companies aren’t able to attract and get interest up through traditional recruitment campaigns.
This is precisely because the jobseeker who’s knows his/her value will not apply to a traditional recruitment process, knowing that finding a new job is a lot easier through own networks. This is the way to avoid the competition for the same job with other applicants when approaching the whole job search process from a slightly different angle than the rest.
An experienced headhunter often manages to approach these so called top candidates and when the job is done properly, they start to heat up slowly and show some interest towards this possible new opportunity.
However, it is important to understand a couple of characteristics associated with this type of candidate compared to e.g. a candidate who is currently satisfied with his or her current job situation, but interest has been aroused by the headhunter. In the latter situation, which is very normal in direct search projects, it is more important whether the company behind the assignment is able to offer something better that the person currently has.
However, let us return to these so-called a couple of top candidates who have been for a month without the job (statistics shows that for a top candidate it takes couple of months to find a new job) and have had time to explore new opportunities.
Here are three things that a hiring company should keep in mind:
You can be sure that the candidate has other offers on the table as well
It is very likely that the candidate has at least a couple of job offers already on the table, between which he or she will now make the decision. So remember to really sell your own business, company and mission to the candidate and show that you really want him or her to come work for you.
As long as the names aren’t on paper, nothing is certain
For one reason or another, recruitment decisions often take time. A decision / approval from a higher level is required and it takes time always.
If so, do your best to keep the candidate warm and do whatever it takes that this candidate starts thinking about that second next best option. Stay connected and communicate even if nothing new is being told. That, too, is better than the classic radio silence that quickly makes a good candidate realize that the place may not have been the right one after all.
Speed is good
Strongly related to the previous one, but in recruitment in general, speed is good. The faster you are able to make a decision in your organization, it will naturally have a positive effect on the outcome of the recruitment when the candidate doesn’t have time to have second thoughts and explore the other options as well.
Someone reading this text might think that this situation does not apply to us because our company is so good that for us it’s important that candidates shows that they want to come and work with us. This idea is really beautiful and so wrong. No matter what kind of crisis we have ongoing, pretty much the best candidates will ALWAYS choose where they work. Or at least where they’re not going to work.
These “you need to show us that you want to work here” or “now let’s really grill the candidates and give them tough time on a job interview” less often are the jobs that the best candidates apply for and just nicely thank for the interview and close the door behind them.
Written by,
Teemu Ruuska
CEO
InHunt World
