The world is constantly changing – right now, more than ever. In contrast to the 2020 standstill, sectors and markets are opening up with urgency and a rush to recoup their losses over the last 18 months.
It’s a candidate’s market…
Seeing such buoyancy in the jobs market is positive and refreshing, with some sectors seeing as much as +93% uplift compared to the same time last year.
But, there is a shortage of applicants to roles across the board. Moreover, in non-white collar sectors such as Hospitality, Transport & Logistics, Social Care and Customer Service, feelings around job security may be uneasy after a challenging year. Competition among employers to get the best people is rife.
How to reach the right people…
Messaging is critical when it comes to proactively headhunting potential candidates. An intelligent, tactical approach is a must to reach the people you want and give you the best chance of filling your vacancy.
1. Understand and target your audience with tailored messaging
Understanding your audience is critical to your outreach as a business, whether for sales and marketing or advertising your vacancies. Having this understanding will set the tone, method and message you take to market, whether you are a small start-up or global powerhouse. Use the tactical knowledge you have gained to build your customer base to help ascertain your candidate audience and understand who you want to work for you.
Crucially, doing your research also helps you to determine the best channels to reach the right people. Find out where they hang out and what they engage with.
With more than 11 million jobseekers visiting the site every month, Reed.co.uk is a prime place to advertise your opportunity, and the Reed.co.uk CV Search is a treasure trove of access to quality candidate information. From there, you can download CVs, shortlist your favourite candidates and target your search to skills, job title, salary, location and education to find the perfect person for your business.
A personalised email is a great way to engage with someone of interest when you have a potential target in mind. Don’t ‘spray and pray’ here. Instead, make a concerted effort to personalise your message. Ensure you have all the correct information about the kind of work they are looking for or will potentially be interested in. They may not be actively looking right now but may be open to opportunities brought to them in the right way.
Consider social media, such as LinkedIn, too – its Premium messaging service allows you to message people directly with extensive search options. It is also a great place to find career changers, relocators and niche specialism networking groups to engage with your offering.
Finally, you may find your ideal employee audience is more active on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, so do your homework and find out where they are. Use an omnichannel approach by creating a short video about your company and the role, for example, with a link to the job ad to creatively get your message across and create brand awareness at the same time.
2. Be clear and concise
People looking for work are often time-poor or looking through various roles, so opt for fewer but more impactful words where possible. That said, being concise doesn’t mean lacking information. Instead, be clear about who you are, what your business does, why your opportunity is so good and – crucially – why the role would be a good fit for this specific person.
You can get creative here with attractive terminology without putting out confusing waffle. You are not out to dupe anyone here, just erring on the side of positive, especially in roles that may seem less glamorous to some.
Present your information with any stigma or connotations removed, if you have any, and bring forward how and why your opportunity is important. For example;
Logistics – connecting the country, delivering crucial supplies, fundamental to infrastructure
Hospitality – a provider of entertainment, nourishment, fast-food serving late-night workers and early risers, feeding a nation
Customer services – helping people, engaging with the public nationwide to deliver stand-out services, bridging the gap between businesses and customers
Care – a pivotal role in society, caring for the most vulnerable, providing understanding and kindness in a time of uncertainty
Messaging example – Are you looking for a street cleaner at the council?
‘Help keep our streets clean and contribute to a healthier and happier environment for your area’.
The point is – get specific to attract better.
3. Create intrigue
Draw candidates in by focusing first on the skills you need and then speaking of the soft skills that candidates may not have considered important before. For example, instead of advertising ‘Plumber required’ and seeing who applies, look what other attributes outside of their qualifications you require:
- ‘Are you a problem solver with fantastic people skills?’
- ‘Do you love to manage projects and lead by example?’
- ‘Are you tenacious and proud of the work you do?’
This writing style will grab readers’ attention and lead them to want to know more about you and your vacancy – before getting to the job role specifics. If these soft skills have already put them off, you will save yourself (and them) time and effort in the long run!
4. Highlight your key features and benefits
Sounds like a product, right? A clever way to approach headhunting is to treat your opportunity as a product and highlight the USP it delivers to the person reading it. When there is a shortage of candidates, what makes your proposition more desirable than your competitors’? Putting your best foot forward for a new role works both ways, so show people why your company is the one to work for.
Recognition and awards, such as ‘Best Place To Work’ type awards, are a great way to stand out, especially when you back it up with why your culture, environment, purpose and values make it so. But, not everyone has the means or capacity to do this. So, before you advertise anything, think about what the features and benefits to someone working for you are and make it straightforward for them to see:
- Flexibility and dynamic working – a fundamental part of your offer, now and in the future
- Company benefits – no matter how small, ensure they have value and substance – critical where salary may not be the prime attraction
- Employee value – iterate the difference they will make and how they can contribute to, the future of the business
- To be part of something bigger – what that is is up to you. Use your mission and purpose to drive home a message of the benefits of working for you
All of these elements combined are what make up your Employee Value Proposition.
5. Adopt candidate management best practice
So, with your route to market and messaging nailed, don’t let your hard work go to waste through negligent candidate management. Recruiting when time-poor is hard, but make time to reply to all applications with feedback. Whether concise or in-depth with recommendations, give applicants the time they took to apply to you. After all, even if they don’t go for the current vacancy you’re advertising, they could be part of your future talent pool.
When you come to selection and interview processes, streamline as much as possible and do what you say you will. For example, if you commit to a timeframe, stick to it or communicate any timing changes to avoid losing any candidates along the way.
Example headhunting message
So, with all factors considered and an offer someone simply cannot refuse, take it to market and find the perfect candidate! Here’s an example of a message that encompasses the five areas above:
Advertising for a project manager in Property & Construction
Subject line options:
<FirstName>, your project management and people skills are in demand…
<FirstName>, your name has come up for a fantastic opportunity in property & construction…
<FirstName>, you need to see this…
Message:
Hey/Hi <FirstName>, (adapt your tone to fit your sector)
I hope this message finds you well.
I noticed your impressive work at <companyname> on LinkedIn and wanted to reach out regarding an exciting opportunity in the <property and construction sector>.
I appreciate you may be happy there (I hope so!); however, your name has come up in my dedicated search for work in the property and construction sector and I have a fantastic role with a leading building firm you may be interested in. They are the UK arm of a global organisation, specialising in private care homes, who are looking for a diligent heating and mechanical project manager.
Established in 2005, they have a fantastic portfolio of work, with a flood of new projects coming through as the business continues to thrive. Offering a huge range of excellent benefits including whole family private medical and unlimited annual leave, they take a very modern approach to caring for their team.
I would like to speak with you further in order to provide more details, if this is of interest?
If you want to know more, please let me know a convenient time to speak and I will arrange a call for us.
Thanks in advance, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best wishes
<Signature>
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