There are some positions that get filled in the blink of an eye. And then there are those hard-to-fill senior roles that prove to be a daunting challenge for every hiring manager. After all, you need someone who is not only available and interested - but someone who fits the bill.
The good news is that there are a few strategies you can implement to help expedite the process and employ the ideal candidate.
But before we reveal these strategies and solutions, let’s take a closer look at what makes these positions hard to recruit for.
Reasons why these jobs are hard-to-fill
Hard-to-fill positions can mean different things for different teams. You may define a hard-to-fill position as one that requires specific expertise, while another may find that the day-to-day demands of the role narrow down the availability of a qualified talent pool.
Some candidate reasons we’ve come across while talking to hiring managers include:
The job location.
The corporate culture not being a suitable fit.
A lack of flexibility.
Candidate scarcity – a shortage of qualified candidates.
Low salary and benefits offering.
On the other hand, hiring managers themselves feel the following are some of the reasons they are finding it hard to fill certain senior positions.
They don’t feel they have a credible informed and expert provider who can consistently find top talent for them.
They themselves can’t decide what they really want due to the complexity of the role.
They don’t know how to make their offering seem attractive.
The selection process doesn’t help them decide who the best applicant is.
Their talent pool is too small to get the results they need in time.
Their stakeholder group has different ideas about what good looks like.
So, as you can see, it’s a bit of a complex maze! But worry not, we have a few strategies to help you get out of it and reach your goal.
Five effective strategies to fill hard-to-fill positions quicker
1. Hire a firm that focuses on selection.
In our recent blog - Are You Missing Out on Top Talent? A Sure-Fire Solution to Overcome This, we talk about the impact of attraction over selection when recruiting for quality qualified talent. The truth is many executive search firms follow the path of attraction, resulting in rigid processes, a limited talent pool, and high invoices regardless of whether they successfully fill a position or not. So, what’s the solution? Work with a recruitment agency that focuses on selection – such as DukeMed.
At DukeMed, our prime focus is talent selection. Therefore, before we begin our search, we sit down with you and have a thorough briefing session to understand the assignment, functional and behavioural competencies, and your Employee Value Proposition (EVP).
Our searches are not preordained, and we don’t recycle candidates – we carry out a thorough, exhaustive search for every project.
Unlike executive search firms, experienced consultants, not researchers, carry out the search.
We are faster - our time to shortlist is 4-6 weeks, so you don’t have to wait for 8-12 weeks to shortlist and interview candidates.
Our process is transparent. We share the ongoing progress with the client every week.
We only bill you once you achieve your milestone successfully.
We are committed to working with you until we reach the desired result.
2. Optimise your hiring process.
This begins with having a clear idea of the candidate you seek so that you can tailor a clear and concise job description to attract the right talent. Moving forward, streamline and simplify your interview process without sacrificing thoroughness. For instance, conduct initial screenings using digital shortlisting tools to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit. Reserve in-person interviews only for the most promising candidates.
3. Offer Competitive Compensation and Benefits
Attract top talent by offering a competitive compensation package, including salary, bonuses, and benefits. Be prepared to negotiate and make competitive offers promptly to secure candidates before they explore other opportunities.
4. Invest in promoting your jobs.
Expand the reach of your job ad to a greater pool of prospective candidates by making the most of your social media networks and overall content marketing strategy to boost your job openings supported by the credibility of your brand. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
Post the job openings on LinkedIn, if you aren’t already, and if you have the budget, advertise this to a select target audience.
Showcase employee stories by sharing videos and reviews.
Highlight some of your most recent initiatives and new business developments through press releases and blog posts.
Remember that while speeding up the recruitment process is essential, it's also crucial not to compromise on the quality and fit of the candidate. Finding the right senior-level professional requires time and thorough assessment. Balancing speed with quality will help you successfully hire for these critical roles.
Hire faster without compromising on quality with DukeMed’s unique solution.
At DukeMed, we like to do things a little differently. We’ve taken our 20+ years of experience in the MedTech recruitment industry to create a unique solution that enables us to work proactively alongside you to
Lower the risk of bad hires.
Find you the best candidate and not the fastest applicant.
Find candidates with the skill sets for those hard-to-hire positions.
Save you time and money.
Customise our approach to provide a relevant talent pool to select from.
The benefits don’t end here. So, if you’re curious to learn more about our unique selection process that guarantees top-quality candidates for your team, book a call with me today.