Recruiting skilled employees in the tech industry is no simple task. The high demand, coupled with the rate that new start-ups are being created, means that the power is in the hands of the job-seekers. There is a reason that this is an industry known for its high salaries and perks. But the nature of the market is the only thing that’s standing between you and the best employees. When it comes to high-tech, our misconceptions are often our worst enemy. Here are five common HR myths that are due for a debunking:
Myth #1 – Only Money Talk
It is said that money makes the world go round, but when it comes to hi-tech, even companies that can offer the highest salaries are not guaranteed the best employees. The reason? Priorities change, and salary is now only one part of a greater whole of wants and needs. Work conditions, interest in the subject matter, career potential, acknowledgment of achievement, and more – each influence an employee’s decision to sign with or even apply to the position in the first place.
How to Do It Right?
The first step is to identify your target audience. Who are your potential employees? What is their dream job? This information will allow you to hone your proposition and match it to the type of employee you are looking for. Moreover, if your employer branding reflects your company’s values and character, you’ll be able to attract compatible employees easily. At the end of this process, you may find that you’ve not only increased the number of applications, you’ve also retained more of your existing employees and increased their sense of identity with the company.
Myth #2 – To Reach Everyone You Need to Advertise on Every Available Channel
The Internet has changed the way people search for jobs. It’s easy to assume that the success of your ‘wanted’ ad is based only on the number of websites you’ve posted it to. True, you should try and get as many eyes as possible to see your ads, but you should also be aware that that posting to some job-searching sites and Facebook groups can backfire and draw unsuitable candidates who will only waste your time. You may be ignoring several marketing strategies that go outside the realm of the virtual and could prove crucial in recruiting employees, especially is they are currently working at another company. Moreover, often employers think that publishing an ad is all that’s required to draw candidates. Doing so, they miss out on analytical insight that can help them improve their recruitment efforts.
How to Do It Right?
Widen your focus and note not only where your ads are published, but their content, their design, and the overall system you’ve put in place to accept candidate’s CVs. Even a simple step, such as an automatic reply that thanks each candidate who applied, can help your company to be perceived as kind in the eyes of the candidates. Think about how your company is branded – an unknown company or one that has bad reputation will have a hard time finding employees. In addition, think of creative ways to draw candidates’ attention, even if they are not actively looking for a new position. You can even try and meet them face to face. Finally, use analytical tools to assess your recruitment efforts over various channels to understand where your energies are best spent.
Myth #3 – We’ve Been Around for Years – Everybody Knows What We Have to Offer
Employers tend to assume that if their company is well-known, recruitment should be an easy task. It may surprise you to learn that some of the biggest names in tech often have troubles finding the right candidate. Your company’s reputation as an employer has nothing to do with your stock market value or the year you were founded. The years your company spent on the market might lead to some misconceptions about you as an employer you might not even be aware of.
How to Do It Right?
Just like a business needs to define its unique selling point to drive sales, you should define your employee value proposition (EVP) to empower recruitment. Identify your advantages as an employer and emphasize them. Don’t be shy about it, too! Your advantages should be at the front and center of every communication you have with potential employees.
Build a marketing strategy that focuses on the ways your company, as an employer, is different from other companies. Build your reputation as an employer with internal and external communication, all while keeping in mind your target audience, their priorities, and fields of interest.
Myth #4 – Everybody Wants to Be a Ninja
We all know those recruitment ads that try to make even the smallest position sound bombastic. “Wanted: social marketing ninja,” “We need a JAVA grandmaster who eats code for breakfast,” etc. The colorful language is meant to draw people’s attention, but in practice, it doesn’t always send the right message and prevents you from creating a cohesive identity. Worse still, this writing style is common mostly for low-level positions, trying to make unimportant jobs sound ‘sexier.’ Nowadays, this style is often seen as cynical by the candidates.
How to Do It Right?
It doesn’t matter how inconsequential the position, manning it should be part of the company’s overall recruitment strategy. Define your messages ahead of time, and make sure they come across for each and every job you’re posting. Even if the job itself isn’t glamorous or high-ranking, don’t rely on clichés. Rather, emphasize the company’s unique advantages as an employer.
Myth #5 – Waiting for “the One”
Don’t get us wrong; we’re sure your company deserves the very best. But you can find flaws in anyone, and irrational expectation might cripple the recruitment process. Wanting to find the perfect candidate often translate to over-emphasizing experience and degrees. As a result, many candidates are disqualified only because they lacked the proper line in their CV, and the company misses out on an employee that could grow with it.
How to Do It Right?
Clever recruiters know to look for “softer” details such as how well the candidate fits with the culture in your organization, their interest in the project and how well will they fit in as part of the team. These are details that may not be reflected in the candidate’s CV. It’s important to keep in mind that the position is usually a long-term commitment and a candidate that is missing a little on the requirement can learn and improve over time. Adopting this approach means that you will expand your options when it comes to employees. You will also encourage loyalty among new recruits, who will feel that you gave them a unique opportunity and given them a place to grow and develop their skill – something that many candidates consider extremely important.