Recruiters are searching in every nook and cranny for new talent pools this year.
 
In fact, 67 percent of rapidly growing companies listed finding new talent pools as their highest priority in the recent 2018 Growth Hiring Trends in the United States report from my team here at Spark Hire.
 
But this talent acquisition search has major roadblocks. Even with a strong focus on talent pools, respondents also identified a lack of qualified candidates as the biggest rapid-growth obstacle.
 
When you’re trying to quickly and successfully grow your company, the need for new candidates in a depleted talent pool leaves you susceptible to poor retention and costly workplace errors. To prevent these errors, you need first to understand what’s going on internally and determine the type of candidates who will excel on your team.
 
The search for answers begins with previous employees and knowing why they didn’t stick it out.

You’re not focused on belonging

Belonging is a state where employees feel free to be themselves at work. A new LinkedIn report, Inside the Mind of Today’s Candidate, found over half of companies (57 percent) are focused on ensuring employees feel this comfort in their workplaces.
 
Focusing on belonging means looking at the whole employee experience. If you’ve provided former employees with a diverse, fun, and engaging environment but failed to ensure they consistently feel welcome and accepted, that’s a clear reason they would move on.
 
Issues with belonging frequently occur during the talent acquisition process. When you focus on hiring with one specific goal in mind, like hiring for experience, but don’t identify the type of support they need to open up and be themselves, a crack in the foundation of their employment satisfaction will form.
 
Use personality assessments to understand what candidates need to be their best selves at work. Once you’ve identified their needs, take a critical look at your working environment, managers, and how your team works together. Then, narrow down quality talent based on your team’s ability to make new hires feel a strong sense of belonging.

They don’t really understand your mission

Your mission isn’t just a few well-worded sentences on your webpage and business cards. It’s the lifeblood of your company. Misunderstanding or a lack of passion surrounding your mission is a major reason employee’s disengage from their roles.
 
You’ll see this in employees who were immediately excited to jump in and start working, but that enthusiasm rapidly declined. Their excitement could have been based on a partial understanding of your mission or even the adrenaline rush of landing a new job. But when the new and shiny feeling wears off, you’re left with someone who isn’t invested in the organization’s growth.
 
When looking to open up new talent pools and find quality talent, you need candidates who are enraptured by your mission and passionate about its future. During talent acquisition, crack open talent pools that are right in front of you — your social media followers.
 
Following you on social media is a choice. This means these people are already invested in the future your product or service is creating. Post job opening announcements and speak directly to your followers. Explain why, as an already critical member of your team, they’d be a successful fit in driving your growth forward.  

Their role responsibilities weren’t clear

Role responsibilities are one of the top reasons a candidate will accept or reject a job. The proof is in LinkedIn’s new Global Recruiting Trends 2018 report where 70 percent of candidates say it’s most useful to hear their role responsibilities from recruiters.
 
Disgruntled employees who are particularly confused or upset about their daily tasks likely weren’t clear on their responsibilities from the start. Even if they were silent, you could spot issues after they’ve gone by how many tasks were left unattended or were done incorrectly.
 
When you’re trying to promote growth, uncovering these missed or erroneous tasks may make you panic. But don’t make another hiring error by quickly filling the spot.
 
Successful talent acquisition starts with candidates understanding every task and goal. Make sure they are on the same page by implementing online or in-person skills assessments. By performing tasks they’ll be in charge of if hired, candidates get a more thorough understanding of the role. Additionally, you and managers will see their level of capability first-hand.

 

General News Recruiting
Employee Engagement Hiring Job Market Recruiting Sourcing Talent Acquisition
Authors
Josh Tolan

Josh Tolan is the CEO of Spark Hire, a video interview solution used by more than 4,000 companies across the globe.