How much time does recruitment really cost you?

Recruiting in-house might seem cost-effective at first glance, but it often comes with significant hidden time costs. Here’s a quick rundown of the time-consuming steps involved in traditional recruitment:

1. Crafting and posting job ads: Writing a compelling job ad tailored to attract the right candidates is the first step. Posting this ad on various job boards and niche sites takes time and meticulous effort.
2. Screening applications: Once the job ad is live, you’ll likely receive a flood of applications. Each resume and cover letter needs to be reviewed to filter out unqualified candidates.
3. Conducting interviews: After narrowing down the list, scheduling and conducting multiple rounds of interviews is a time-intensive process that requires careful coordination and preparation.
4. Follow-ups and communication: Keeping candidates informed and engaged throughout the hiring process requires ongoing communication, which adds to your workload.

These steps can extend the hiring timeline significantly. On average, it takes about 44 days to fill a position through in-house recruitment. For small businesses, this prolonged period can strain resources and delay key projects.

How Recruit Shop saves you time

Recruit Shop can drastically reduce the time you spend on recruitment. Here’s how:

1. Efficient hiring process: Recruit Shop’s average time to hire is just 28 days, significantly shorter than the typical 44 days for in-house recruitment. This means you can fill your vacancies faster and keep your business running smoothly.
2. Comprehensive job ad management: Recruit Shop handles the entire job advertisement process. We post your job across all major job boards and specialised sites, increasing visibility and attracting top talent.
3. Candidate screening and shortlisting: Recruit Shop screens all applications and shortlists the most suitable candidates. By the time candidates reach you, they are already pre-qualified and interview-ready, saving you hours of initial screening.
4. Increased visibility: Compared to posting ads independently, Recruit Shop achieves 17% more views in job searches, 29% more ad clicks, and 30% more applications started. This means a higher chance of finding the perfect fit faster.

Real savings 

In addition to saving time, Recruit Shop offers significant cost savings. Our low cost, flat fee recruitment service is $2,995 + GST – this fee is a fraction of what you might spend on in-house recruitment, which can easily escalate due to multiple job postings and extended vacancy periods.

Why choose Recruit Shop?

1. Affordable pricing: Compared to the industry standard of charging 15% of the average Australian salary (approximately $13,500 for a $90,000 salary), Recruit Shop’s flat fee is exceptionally cost-effective.
2. High customer satisfaction: With a 4.7/5 star rating on Google Reviews from hundreds of clients, Recruit Shop is a trusted partner for many businesses.
3. Employee Guarantee: Recruit Shop offers a guarantee on our placements, providing peace of mind and ensuring you get the right hire.

Act now and save time and money

With Recruit Shop, you can simplify your recruitment process, save valuable time, and focus on what truly matters—growing your business. Take advantage of our low cost, flat fee Recruitment Service for just $2,995 + GST. 

By investing in Recruit Shop’s recruitment service, you’re not just saving money—you’re reclaiming time and reducing stress, allowing you to keep your business on track and thriving.

As a result, many small business owners are finding themselves overwhelmed by the volume of candidates they are receiving. Managing this surge efficiently is crucial to ensure you don’t miss out on top talent due to a cluttered recruitment process.

Here are four actionable strategies to help you effectively screen and manage the influx of applicants.

By the way, if you’re finding that you’re not attracting enough applicants, perhaps it’s time to consider if your job ads are being written effectively. Check out this blog post on how to write a job ad, or this one about how to build a competitive employee benefits package. Ok, now onto the four strategies.

1. Streamline Your Criteria

Sharpening your job criteria can significantly decrease the time spent reviewing applications. Focus on these elements:

• Essential Skills and Experience: Clearly define must-have skills and experiences in your job ads. This discourages under qualified applicants and helps you quickly identify top candidates.
• Role-Specific Questions: Include a few role-specific questions in the application process. Responses can quickly indicate which candidates have a serious understanding of the position and the necessary expertise. For example, if you’re recruiting an Accountant, a role specific question might be “Can you walk us through your process for preparing end-of-month financial reports? Please include the tools you use and how you ensure accuracy and compliance with financial regulations.”
• Prioritise Quality Over Quantity: Rather than casting a wide net, target your recruitment ads to specific platforms known for quality candidates in your industry.

2. Conduct Initial Screening Calls

Instead of deep-diving into full interviews with a large number of candidates, implement a tiered interview process:

• Brief Screening Calls: Start with a 10-15 minute phone call. This initial touchpoint can help you gauge the applicant’s communication skills, enthusiasm, and suitability for the culture of your company.
• Focused Discussions: Use these calls to ask about specific qualifications or discuss answers to the application questions. This helps further filter candidates before committing to longer, formal interviews.
• Efficient Scheduling: Batch calls and set specific times for these screenings to streamline your calendar and maintain productivity.

3. Utilise Skill-Based Assessments

Incorporating skill-based assessments into the application process is an effective, low-effort strategy to manage a high volume of applicants. Here’s how it helps:

• Automated Filtering: By embedding simple, role-specific assessments in the application form, you can automatically filter out candidates who do not meet the basic skill requirements for the position.
• Focused Applicant Pool: This approach ensures that only candidates who have demonstrated the necessary skills and competencies advance in the recruitment process, significantly narrowing down the pool.
• Efficient Screening: Skill assessments can range from multiple-choice questions to practical tasks, depending on the nature of the job. This not only saves time in reviewing applications but also highlights candidates with the best potential for the role.

4. Implement an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) can be a game-changer for businesses drowning in applications. And they aren’t out of reach for small businesses, with providers like our partner, Scout Talent, who offer a lite version of their ATS (designed specifically for small businesses) for only $150 per month. Here’s how an ATS helps:

• Automated Screening: You can set up filters and keywords to automatically screen out candidates who don’t meet essential criteria, reducing the initial pool to a more manageable size.
• Organised Candidate Profiles: Keep all applicant information in one place. This makes it easier to track, compare, and revisit applicant profiles during the hiring process.
• Communication Efficiency: Use automated responses to acknowledge every application and keep candidates informed of their status, enhancing your company’s professional image.

Dealing with a high volume of applicants doesn’t have to overwhelm your small business. By implementing strategies such as automated screening, refining job criteria, and utilising skill-based assessments, you can efficiently manage the surge in applications. These approaches not only save time but also ensure that you focus on candidates who are most likely to succeed in the role.

If the task still seems daunting, remember that Recruit Shop is here to assist. For a low-cost flat fee of $2995 +GST, our team can handle the recruitment process for you, from advertising the job to delivering you a shortlist of qualified candidates. Let us help you streamline your recruitment so you can focus on what you do best — growing your business.

Call Recruit Shop today!

As experts in recruitment, we understand the nuances of running productive interviews, and we’re here to share our insights with small business owners looking to refine their interviewing skills. Join us as we explore the key strategies for running productive interviews that yield meaningful results.

Preparing for Success

Clarify Objectives: Before diving into the interview, take a moment to clarify your objectives and identify the key traits, skills, and experiences you’re seeking in a candidate. This will serve as your compass throughout the interview process, helping you stay focused and evaluate candidates effectively.

Review the Resume: Familiarise yourself with the candidate’s resume and application materials beforehand. Pay attention to their experiences, achievements, and qualifications, and identify areas you’d like to explore further during the interview.

Craft Thoughtful Questions: Develop a set of open-ended questions that delve beyond surface-level responses and encourage candidates to showcase their skills, experiences, and personality traits. Tailor your questions to assess specific competencies relevant to the role and your company culture.

Setting the Stage

Create a Welcoming Environment: Start the interview positively by welcoming the candidate warmly and creating a comfortable environment. Offer refreshments, introduce yourself and any other interviewers present, and outline the agenda for the interview to set expectations.

Build Rapport: Establish rapport with the candidate by engaging in casual conversation and actively listening to their responses. Building rapport helps put candidates at ease and fosters open communication throughout the interview. Need help with rapport-building? Check out this blog post. 

Outline the Structure: Provide an overview of the interview structure, including the types of questions you’ll be asking and the estimated length of the interview. This helps candidates feel prepared and allows for a smoother flow of conversation.

Conducting the Interview

Active Listening: Practice active listening during the interview by giving candidates your full attention and responding thoughtfully to their answers. Avoid interrupting or rushing through questions, and take notes to capture important insights for later evaluation. While taking notes maintain eye contact as best you can. 

Probe for Details: Delve deeper into candidates’ responses by asking follow-up questions that seek clarification or additional examples. Probing for details allows you to gain a deeper understanding of candidates’ experiences and competencies. 

Assess Cultural Fit: Use the interview to assess candidates’ fit with your company culture by asking questions that reveal their values, work style, and interpersonal skills. Pay attention to how candidates articulate their experiences and how they align with your organisation’s ethos.

Remote/Online Interviews

In the modern age, conducting interviews online has become increasingly common. Here are some tips for running productive remote interviews:

Test Technology in Advance: Ensure your video conferencing software is set up and functioning properly before the interview. Test your audio, video, and internet connection to avoid technical glitches during the interview.

Create a Professional Setting: Choose a quiet, well-lit space for the interview and minimise distractions in the background. Dress professionally – if you’re wearing shorts and thongs off-screen, maintain business attire for what part of you is on-screen. 

Establish Clear Communication: Communicate the logistics of the remote interview, including the platform you’ll be using, the interview schedule, and any additional instructions or expectations.

Engage Effectively: Maintain eye contact, smile, and actively engage with candidates throughout the interview to create a connection despite the virtual setting. Use nonverbal cues, such as nodding and gestures, to show interest and attentiveness.

Wrapping Up

Address Candidate Questions: Reserve time at the end of the interview to address any questions or concerns the candidate may have about the role, company, or interview process. Encourage open dialogue and provide honest, transparent answers to help candidates make informed decisions.

Express Appreciation: Conclude the interview positively by expressing gratitude for the candidate’s time and interest in the position. Reiterate the next steps in the hiring process, such as when they can expect to hear back from you or any follow-up steps required.

Reflect and Evaluate: After the interview, reflect on the candidate’s performance and compare their responses against your predetermined criteria. Evaluate each candidate objectively based on their qualifications, experiences, and cultural fit, and use this information to inform your hiring decisions.

Partnering with Recruit Shop for Success

At Recruit Shop, we understand the importance of running productive interviews that provide quality insights and drive informed hiring decisions. Our team of recruitment specialists market your vacancy across all major job boards, as well as our database. Then, our consultants screen & shortlist every applicant, before providing you with a list of interview-ready candidates. This ensures you’re taking time to interview candidates suited to your role and your business. 

Are you keen to interview some great candidates? Contact Recruit Shop today to learn more about our comprehensive recruitment services and how we can help you find the perfect candidates for your business. Together, let’s build you a workforce that exceeds your expectations.

Read this next: 3 Tips to Improve Interview Efficiency

Call Recruit Shop today!

This could not be further from the truth!

The reality is that there are dozens of different costs throughout the hiring process, all of which can add up to thousands upon thousands of dollars. One example of these types of costs includes the money you spend advertising your job.

How Much Do Job Advertisements Cost?

Where you market your job has a big effect on the quality of the responses you receive. You’ll want to post the job on some of the popular sites simply because job seekers are more likely to utilise them, but you’ll also want to post information about the jobs on more specialised sites that will attract workers in the field.

It can cost hundreds of dollars to put a job advertisement on one of the bigger job boards such as SEEK, Indeed etc. – and that’s without add ons. Often you’ll choose two or three job boards just to be safe, increasing your total spend even further. Then you’ll want to advertise on specialised job boards for a few hundred extra dollars. At this point, you’re probably well over your starting budget.

But those aren’t the only costs either. You’ll also have to pay for the time it takes an employee to post on these boards, as well as the time it takes to find the best specialised sites to market on. These can take a few hours each time or more. You’ll also need them to be monitored, and if something comes up and you are unable to find a suitable applicant (since job boards are certainly no guarantee), you’ll then have to pay all of these same fees next month, and possibly the month after. Meaning your vacancy isn’t filled for longer, and your total spend just keeps rising.

Even if we take a conservative estimate of $2,000 (much lower than the likely cost), this does not include the additional employee hours it takes to review all of the applicants and find the one that is the best fit for the open position. Or the hours it will take yourself to sive through every application – keeping you from running your business. These costs add up fast, and with each dollar you spend you’re hurting your ROI.

Finding Affordable Recruitment

If the cost of professional recruiting was $10,000 or even $5,000, it may make sense to spend that much money out of pocket. But you can find affordable recruitment in Australia for a single fee of $2,995+GST – less than the lowest possible cost of advertising your job on job board sites. It simply doesn’t make sense to hire in house, when companies like Recruit Shop can find you a great new employee for one low fixed rate.

For the flat fee of $2,995 +GST Recruit Shop will market your vacancy across all major job boards and our own databse, then screen and shortlist every candidate. Presenting you with a final list of interview ready candidates that you can sit down with and choose from.

And if you don’t hire one of our candidates, we will give you $1000 back, or run your recruitment campaign for a second month completely free of charge.

So don’t take on recruitment all by yourself, save yourself and your business, stress, time, and money.

Call Recruit Shop today!

Here are the three key trends that small businesses must understand to attract, hire, and retain the best candidates & workers in 2024:

Embrace Remote (if you can):

Remote isn’t for everyone. If you’re a plumber you can’t talk a client through unclogging their toilet over the phone. They’re probably going to do a crap job (pun intended). So what can you do if remote isn’t an option? Well, can you offer flexible start and finish times? Flexible lunch breaks? Or maybe even the fabled early Friday finish? All of these things make your vacancies far more desirable, so if possible, include them in your job listings!

If you can embrace fully remote work then go for it, the world becomes your oyster, or more accurately, your talent pool. The pool of potential candidates gets so much deeper when you can hire someone from anywhere around the globe. In saying that if you want to keep it local there are plenty of Kiwis and Aussies (and everyone in between) who would love to work at home or from a coffee shop right here in Australia and New Zealand.

If you’re caught somewhere in the middle, why not give Hybrid a go? Even if it’s just one work-from-home day a week, that still counts as hybrid! Candidates will appreciate options, so if you can offer more than just Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm, always make sure that comes across in your recruitment.

If you can’t offer any remote work or flexibility you’re still in luck – we have two more recruitment trends you can jump on.

Highlight your Employee Benefits Package:

You might have a great benefits package without even knowing it! Do you do team lunches for special occasions? Cake for employees’ birthdays? Recognition & rewards for smashing goals? If you offer any of these benefits, shout them from the rooftops (or pop them in your job ads on SEEK or Indeed). Even better actually! Tell your Recruit Shop consultant so they can articulate your offering to great candidates making you the employer of choice. If you would like to know what Recruit Shop offers over SEEK, Indeed, etc. read ‘Why Choose Recruit Shop over D.I.Y Recruitment Solutions’.

Your employee benefits package also fits with the first trend of remote work and flexibility. If you can offer family-friendly policies that allow parents to do the school run before and/or after work, then you will be winning over so many more candidates. If you haven’t thought about an employee benefits package before, we have a full blog post about building an employee benefits package. Give it a read for some top tips on how your business can offer candidates more, to attract higher quality applicants. The best usually want the best. Be the best.

Nail your Employer Brand to the Mast:

Look, you want to attract lots of quality candidates of course, but not everyone is going to be for you, and you certainly won’t be for everyone. Make sure your business wears its heart on its sleeve, and then you will attract more candidates who align with your business.

Employer branding goes beyond attractive benefits. Employer branding is about defining your business’s culture, values, and overall mission. Why does your business exist, & what is its purpose? I bet you know these things by now, so make sure your business, and your recruitment lives by them.

Some actionable ways you can start building your employer brand today are, celebrating employee anniversaries, employee achievements, and overall business achievements on your website or social media channels. You should also showcase employee stories on these channels as well as in your recruitment material. Be the author of your brand’s narrative and attract individuals who resonate with your business’s ethos.

You could be thinking your business size might prove a challenge, and it could for attracting some candidates, but it won’t for them all. Recruitment success is not about mimicking the corporate giants. Small business recruitment success lies in crafting a unique employee value proposition that aligns with your distinct culture, purpose, and goals.

Together, let’s fight for small business success, one talented hire at a time.

If you would like to tackle your recruitment together, for a flat fee of $2,995 +GST, for any role across any industry, enquire with Recruit Shop today.

If you would like some more tips on how to secure the best candidates in 2024, check out our guide on ‘How to Snag Top Talent in 2024’.

Hey there, fellow small business owner! At Recruit Shop, we know how hard it can be to find great candidates while keeping an eye on your budget. So, let’s dive into some strategies to help you nab the best hires in 2024.

Get active on social media:

In addition to posting your job vacancy on your social media channels, you can create short videos that show off your business. Through every piece of content you create – even if it’s just a short blurb, it’s important to let your business’ culture and values shine through strengthening your employer brand. That way you will attract candidates who share the same values, and are keen to work for you, not just pick up a paycheck. Share your job ad on your social media pages with engaging pictures/videos and clear descriptions of the role you’re hiring for. If you always want to go the extra mile, you can always put some money behind posts to reach a wider audience.

Now if you partner with Recruit Shop, we market your job opening on all major and minor job boards for you, as well as marketing your job on social media. A unique advantage Recruit Shop also offers you is our database. This is your recruitment hack. We market your vacancy to our large database of candidates, that only Recruit Shop clients can market to, making sure your opening gets in front of more candidates.

Get Niche with It:

Knowing what smaller job boards are right for your role is a brilliant advantage to marketing your job ad. This allows you to get industry and role specific, offering more of the type of talent you’re looking for. Your ad will gain a lot more visibility on these job boards.

Here at Recruit Shop we work to understand your role, and where is best to post ads for it. Being more targeted with your job marketing helps find candidates with relevant experience and skills without filling up your inbox with low quality applications at the same time. Now you can’t be a business owner, recruitment, and marketing specialist all at once. This is why Recruit Shop tackles all of your recruitment marketing for you.

Embrace Remote Work Perks:

Remote work is like the coolest kid at the party. If your business has the capacity to offer remote work options, then use it! Shout from the rooftops that you’re all about work-life balance in your job listings. This will definitely see your number of applicants skyrocket. Just make sure you’re clear about the arrangements, is it full time WFH? Hybrid? Or Flexible? Figure these things out before you start advertising!

During Recruit Shop 1-on-1 consultations our recruitment consultants gain a deep understanding of your business, your culture, your processes, and your needs. This is so we’re clear on what Recruit Shop needs to provide for you, but also what sort of job ads and messaging we must provide candidates. The worst thing in recruitment is having an amazing candidate that ghosts you after an offer because they’ve learned something along the way that doesn’t suit them. Recruit Shop combats candidates pulling out by nipping any problems in the bud with clear communication.

Show Some Love with Candidate Experience:

In 2024, it’s not just about finding the right talent; it’s about treating them with respect. Make your recruitment process smooth and seamless. Communicate clearly, give feedback, and keep that candidate experience top-notch. A happy candidate is like a loyal customer who’ll keep coming back for more.

Recruit Shop consultants take on all of your candidate screening for you. Consultants will rate and rank candidates based on a variety of factors, recommending you a shortlist of the best candidates for your business. Throughout this process consultants will stay engaged with candidates, making sure they’re not left waiting on an email, or call that never comes. Even if a candidate is unsuccessful in their application, we guarantee they have no complaints about your recruitment process.

Lean on Recruitment Partners:

Now if you don’t have time for any of the strategies listed above, you can give Recruit Shop a call to help you implement each of them.

Forget those agencies that want to take a cut of your new hire’s salary. Instead, go for a one-time flat fee solution with experts like Recruit Shop. We understand the small business struggle, and we’ll save you time and money. Plus, we know how to pick the best apples from the talent tree.

Conclusion:

Recruiting in 2024 might be a wild ride, but with these strategies and partners like Recruit Shop, you can be the boss of your hiring game. Start early, get digital, explore niche job boards, embrace remote work (if you can), and team up with budget-friendly partners.

Remember, the new year is a hiring frenzy, so lock-in a plan now and get your business in the driver’s seat for success.

Get ahead of your competition and get recruiting now as most businesses will be raring to recruit in early 2024!

Extra tip: Follow us on Linkedin for more free recruitment resources, and to stay up to date with our latest deals & offerings!

Major platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok are available for free and used by millions and millions of people, young and old, every day.

We’re not just talking about stalking potential hires and sussing out their profiles, either. We’re talking about reaching out to passive candidates and building a talent pool with your posts.

Not only are we going to share tips to use social media for better recruitment; but we’re also going to teach you how to promote your business’s brand as a great employer and create a community of candidates who actually want to work with you.

How to use social media for better recruitment

Don’t panic. We’re also a small business. We’re not going to tell you that the only way to recruit socially is to pour days and days into your Facebook profile. We understand that small business owners and operators are time-poor and need to get great results in good time. So rest assured that these tips are going to be easy, accessible, and light on your budget.

1. Celebrate your employer brand

Employer branding is easier to understand – and build – than you might expect. Essentially, your employer brand is the reputation your business has from the perspective of potential employees. It’s also understood as the values you give to your employees. Considering this, you can imagine how important it is to have a good, strong employer brand! You want people to want to work with you.

There are several ways you can use social media to build your brand as an employer:

• Dedicate a couple of posts a month, at least, to showcasing your culture, benefits, values, and team.
• We all love stories about people, so you could get your current team members to tell success stories in text or on video and share these with your audience.
• Introduce your team members and their roles to your audience, and share behind-the-scenes pictures of your team hard at work, having fun, or celebrating milestones together.
• Post some of this content to your business page’s story, if available, as this generates more engagement and pushes you up in the algorithm, too!

2. Create a recruitment community

You may already post your vacancies on your business’s social media accounts, but you could take it a step further. Rather than clog your main page with job posts, consider creating a branded Facebook or LinkedIn group to share your vacancies with a dedicated group of interested candidates. Alternatively, you could join existing jobseeker groups to tap into an existing group of eager potential employees.

There are a couple of ways to funnel candidates into your recruitment community, such as:

• Directing anyone who expresses interest in working with you to your branded group;
• Making an occasional social post that directs jobseekers to your talent community (with lots of #nowhiring hashtags);
• Asking for expressions of interest in your branded community; and,
• Promoting your recruitment community in relevant networks and social media groups (if allowed).

With a steady stream of candidates filing into your community, you end up with an engaged group of potential team members that you can tap into whenever a vacancy comes up. Bonus: it costs nothing.

3. Generate recruitment leads

In recent years, we’ve all gotten used to the highly visual, dopamine-delivering online world and the instant gratification that comes with it. It’s time to shake up your recruitment methods to take advantage of those short attention spans.

Long, drawn-out application processes push candidates away. If you’re struggling to get any applications for your SEEK ads, try using social media to generate recruitment leads.

Put out a post (paid or organic) with an eye-catching, relevant image and a call to action like:

• Tag someone who’d be interested in this role;
• DM us with your name, number, and relevant qualification; or,
• DM us your resume and we’ll do the rest.

Ultimately, you are removing as many barriers between yourself and interested candidates as possible.

Note: This approach works particularly well when you’re hiring in bulk, or for a role that, at its core, only requires a couple of key qualifications.

We’re hopeful that these tips to use social media for better recruitment will help you cut through the noise and get better results when you’re hiring. If you have any questions about how to get more applications or attract more candidates to your small business, reach out to us and we can help you achieve your goals.

Here are some key digital recruitment strategies to boost your current plan and help you get the results you need to drive your business forward. 

Small business digital recruitment strategies 

There are a number of things, big and small, that you can change or introduce into your recruitment plan to get better results for your business, namely: 

Engaging candidates for future hires 

If you’ve recently run a recruitment campaign and had to make a tough decision between two great candidates, it’s well worth engaging the unsuccessful candidate for future hires. For bigger businesses, this is the process of talent pooling. But, for those with fewer resources at hand, it starts with simply asking the candidate if you can contact them for future vacancies that may come up. If they were willing to work with you once, they’ll likely want to work with you again. And, taking interest in their skills and experience is a good move for your business reputation. 

Consider setting a calendar reminder to send a short, friendly email to the candidate again in a few months time to let them know that you haven’t forgotten them and still have their resume on your radar for future opportunities. 

Providing a good candidate experience 

Make the recruitment process as painless as possible for your candidates. Start with simple things like enabling the “instant apply” button on job boards. Think of the jobs you’ve applied for where you could apply with just your SEEK or LinkedIn profile. It’s a breeze, and thus encourages more applications for your role. 

Another key consideration is optimising your job ad for mobile. It sounds technical, but it just means testing how your job ad looks and functions on a mobile phone. Walls of text without line breaks or any bold print are annoying to read on mobile and turn candidates away from your role. Plus, mobile devices comprise more than 50% of all internet traffic globally. You can’t afford to forget about it. 

(Click here for tips to optimise your job listing for better results). 

Finally, always communicate consistently with candidates. It takes some time, granted, but making the effort to let candidates know that you’ve received their application, whether they are unsuccessful, or next steps after an interview, goes a long way for your business. 

Using different platforms for active candidates 

Not all job boards are created equal. Rather, not all job boards attract the same candidates. If you only post your vacancies to big boards like SEEK and Indeed, you’ll miss out on great candidates who prioritise specialised job boards, like Ethical Jobs, or OurMob. If your business fits into a more niche category, you can use that fact to increase the chance of hiring someone who’s highly engaged with your mission. 

Don’t forget to leverage social media, either. LinkedIn is an obvious choice for attracting people to your vacancy. But, Facebook and Instagram can be useful too on account of their targeting capabilities. They allow you to put your job ad in front of specific demographics, people with certain interests, locations, job titles, and so on. People give social platforms incredible amounts of personal data, and that enables you to use it to your benefit. 

Considering flexibility and what it can do for you 

By now you’ve undoubtedly heard that candidates demand flexibility in the workplace. For a small business, this might sound like a barrier to hiring. But we challenge you to not only consider offering flexible arrangements to new hires but to consider what flexibility can do for you. 

Perhaps your business runs slightly outside of normal hours, or your team can work asynchronously without causing chaos in the business. These can be drawcards to candidates looking for roles that support their version of work-life balance. 

Remote work is a major drawcard at the moment, and huge companies like Atlassian have enjoyed much success with their newly-launched “work from anywhere” policy. Could this approach work for you? 

Similarly, consider working with part-time or freelance team members, perhaps even from other countries. Having ad hoc support could close critical skills gaps without breaking your budget or introducing traditional recruitment challenges. 

Targeting passive candidates online 

Not all eligible candidates are scouring job boards for their next career move. Some of them already have jobs and, whilst they’re performing well, they’re thinking about making a change to suit their life, their passion, or their location. 

Key amongst these digital recruitment strategies is headhunting online. The process sees you or an affordable recruitment service provider reaching out to suitable candidates online and sending them personalised invitations to apply for your vacancy. If you’re not doing it, be assured that your competitors are. It can be time-consuming, so this is one strategy that’s worth outsourcing to a professional for support. 

Leveraging online skills testing 

Take a leap of faith and go all-in with your new strategic recruitment plan. It’s an incredibly competitive market right now. So, try casting your net wider and considering candidates from all walks of life. 

Some will be overqualified but are looking to downsize to prioritise their family, hobbies, or mental health, for example. Some will be from a totally different industry, but they’ll have a load of transferable skills that suit your role. Some might have no formal qualification but a few years of experience and a dedication to developing their skills in their personal time.  

Leverage online skills testing to get an idea of each candidate’s hands-on skills. What they have on paper is often less relevant than what they can achieve in the real world, after all. And, you’re more likely to find a new superstar for your small business with this open-minded approach. 

Using your status to your advantage 

In the past, candidates had to articulate their value to their prospective employers. But the tables have turned and the onus is now on you to articulate your value to prospective applicants. That is to say, it’s not just about a competitive salary and benefits. Obviously, those things are incredibly important, but job security, a sense of trust, achievement, empowerment, and purpose are high priorities for candidates post-2020. 

As a small business, you’re uniquely positioned to demonstrate a clear path of value from employee to client. They can more easily see the real-world impact they’re having on your valued customers. You can use this, as well things like a close-knit team, social responsibility, and ethical practices, for example, as a ticket to attract highly engaged candidates. Make these emotional benefits clear in your job ads, interviews, and even your marketing materials. 

As a small business, you’re uniquely positioned to illustrate a clear transference of value from employee to client. Use this to your advantage and make it clear in your job ads, interviews, and even your marketing assets. 

A strategic recruitment plan for your small business 

If you need support achieving your recruitment goals, consider working with an affordable recruitment service. Your time is precious and so is your money, so spend both wisely with a low-cost flat-fee recruitment service that helps you drive your business’s growth. Our team of consultants draws on decades of combined experience hiring for small to medium-sized businesses across Australia and New Zealand. Reach out to us for more information about our budget-friendly recruitment service and how we implement digital recruitment strategies to get better results for your business. 

What are the emerging trends in recruitment? 

There are three major areas where recruitment experts around the world are looking to evolve. Each of these areas is deeply concerned with people, both in and outside of your organisation. Improving your processes to take better care of your team members as well as your applicants is key to productivity and sustainable success in 2022. 

In summary, these global recruitment trends are: 

• Automate your process for success 
• Candidate connection is key 
• Leadership overhaul for longevity 

To help you get a head start in the new year with a new and improved approach to recruitment, let’s unpack what each of these emerging trends in recruitment entails. 

#1: Automate your process for success 

This trend can apply to a wide range of roles across your organisation. Automation used to be a big scary buzzword that made the average person worry about job security. However, automation is primarily a tool to support you in your role. In fact, leveraging the power of automation to streamline mundane tasks and free up time for your teams is the most impactful change you can make in 2022. 

For example, you can use email automation tools to send out automatic emails to select clients (think birthday offer emails, abandoned cart emails, and the like). You might use a social media scheduling tool to automate your social media activity, setting it up so that your posts go out on set days and times for the next few weeks, engaging new audiences as they go out. Another business area that’s frequently automated is payroll and timesheet management.

In recruitment, automation is key to minimise manual tasks and has the added benefit of reducing human error and double handling. The precious time you save for your recruiters (or yourself) allows your organisation to put more time and effort into the recruitment process. That means building unique, personalised connections with candidates. And that’s exactly what candidates want to see from their employers. A human touch. Ironically, you can use automation to get there. 

#2: Candidate connection is key 

That brings us rather neatly to the next trend: candidate connection and candidate experience. What kind of impression of your organisation does the average candidate get when they hit the “apply” button? Do they not hear back from you unless they’re progressing to the interview phase? Do they receive a notification that their application is unsuccessful? What kind of experience do they have with your brand? 

All of these questions are incredibly important when you consider that we’re deep in a worker economy. The bulk of the power is in the candidate’s hands, and it’s you that needs to convince them that your role is worth applying for. Similarly, how the candidate feels you treat them will impact whether they accept or decline your offer. Freeing up time with automation means you’re empowered to create genuine connections with candidates and afford them the respect they deserve. 

#3: Leadership overhaul for longevity 

Classical management styles were already outdated in 2019 and this is doubly true in the current climate. Your leaders must adopt a leadership style that is trusting, flexible, and supportive to keep employees engaged and maintain productivity. More than ever, team members want to feel connected to a purpose in their work lives. What does that look like? Managers aren’t just for driving execution and results anymore – they are teachers, coaches, mentors. Your leaders may have to manage different team dynamics, like a hybrid team, or learn to manage an overlap of personal and professional boundaries. To connect their team to a deeper purpose, managers must be able to weave your organisation’s values and culture into just about any project. 

From a recruitment perspective, this implies hiring team members and leaders with a strong set of people skills and demonstrable resilience, empathy, and adaptability. You might have to change the way you define your selection criteria and widen your scope to find leading candidates with these skills. For example, be open to candidates with adjacent experience or capabilities and a complement of impeccable soft skills. 

In Conclusion: Recruitment trends for 2022

Overall, these trends ask organisation’s like yours an important question: are you ready to put people at the heart of what you do? If you look to automation tools to streamline key processes, you’re saving your people time and empowering them to build better relationships with clients. If you use this time to build better relationships with candidates, too, you make higher quality hires for your organisation. And with highly capable and adaptable people on your team, you have the peace of mind to transform your leadership style and maintain cohesive teams that see the bigger picture. 

If you want to discuss your recruitment goals in-depth and how our team helps you implement strategies like this to get the best results, reach out to us today.

The global workforce is reshuffling 

For many, the pandemic prompted a shift in focus. Billions of people were forced to reflect on their lives, their careers, their wellbeing, and how these three major facets of their lives interact. Values, priorities, and personal goals came to the fore, and millions realised that their roles didn’t quite fit in as well as they’d thought. 

Now that some geographical areas are enjoying more stability, staff feel “safe” enough to move on and find opportunities that align with their values. And so, we see a massive amount of people resigning and reshuffling within the global workforce. According to Microsoft’s 2021 Work Trend Index, a whopping 46% of the global workforce is considering a job change. 

Many countries are already in the midst of the massive shift. Of course, this isn’t true for all locales. Your organisation might still be fighting to find its feet amidst ongoing lockdowns and restrictions in flux. Whether you are struggling to retain your team, or you’ve already lost key team members to the global reshuffle, here are our best insights to help you engage your team and grow your business sustainably: 

8 Strategies to get ahead of the Great Resignation

They’re not workers, they’re humans

Your team members are not a means to an end, nor should they feel like it. It is your duty as the employer to maintain a psychologically safe workplace, and that means that you should respect mental health, empower a work-life balance, and provide flexibility where it’s needed most. Particularly if your organisation is based in an “unstable” COVID environment, it’s important that your team members feel like they are valuable, rather than just a cog in the machine. It’s the latter that drives people to resign and look for more meaningful work. 

Speaking of which: 

Renegotiate roles and responsibilities 

This is a great move for organisations that aren’t empowered to recruit new staff right now. Retaining your team is of utmost importance right now. Check in with your team members and investigate what makes them tick. Ask your team member which tasks energise them and which drain them. Where possible, shift projects around so that your team is able to spend more time on what excites them. This goes a long way to reframe how they think about work and its place in their lives. Minimising the energy their role drains from them reduces the risk of burnout and resignation. 

Improve your internal processes 

If you’re not empowered to grow your organisation right now, it’s a prime opportunity to review your internal processes and work out the kinks. Find and treat the pain points that your teams put up with. Let go of legacy systems that bottleneck your workflow so that your team can do great work more easily, reliably, and accessibly. Projects like these reduce frustration and improve productivity, scalability, and future-readiness. 

If you are fortunate enough to be in a more “stable” COVID environment, enjoying greater mobility and proximity to “normal life”, there are still some strategies you should consider to retain and hire great talent: 

Appeal to values 

Whilst it’s important to advertise salary when recruiting new team members, you have to step up your game to appeal to candidates these days. Most people have reevaluated their values, and how their job and lifestyle contribute to or work against them. Your organisation must articulate benefits that go deeper than just money. Think about what people value: their health, their loved ones, their sense of wellbeing, growth, recognition. Articulate how you celebrate these values, and great candidates will come. For example, do you offer health insurance, generous parental leave, lots of learning and development, internal mobility, a strong culture of reward and recognition? 

Recruit Australia-wide 

If the role can be done remotely, consider recruiting from all across Australia and New Zealand and driving economic growth for all. Drawing from a wider talent pool makes it easier to find a great new team member in a competitive candidate market. The flexibility that a remote role offers is also incredibly attractive to some people and could set you apart from the competition. 

Consider “downsized” candidates  

Since the start of the pandemic, multitudes of talented people “downsized” their careers to reduce the amount of pressure and responsibility in their work lives. As is their right! Your organisation would do well to consider candidates whose resumes differ from your “usual suspects” and embrace these experienced professionals who are content to take on more “relaxed” roles. The hesitation usually stems from a worry that highly qualified or experienced candidates apply for roles that are “beneath” them because they’re looking for a quick, easy fix between bigger roles. This is not necessarily true, anymore. The candidates cover letter will show you what they’re after, so be discerning, and address this concern directly in your interviews. You never know, their knowledge could still be a valuable resource in a “downsized” role. 

Consider upskilling 

Where labour shortages are considerably high, consider upskilling and reskilling your current team to fill skills gaps. A whopping 94% of employees say that they would stay at a company longer if their learning and development is invested in, according to this LinkedIn Learning Report. And organisations are starting to understand this, with upskilling and reskilling reported as a top priority for L&D professionals globally. It’s easy to see how developing your current team benefits your organisation: improving internal mobility, engaging team members, retaining talent, and improving adaptability. 

Recruit smarter 

If your current environment empowers you to hire new team members, consider your internal resources. If your HR team is strapped for time and resources, consider a recruitment partner to find and hire great team members who fit the bill. A recruitment partner can reach further, advertise more effectively, and power through the administrative tasks that you simply don’t have the capacity to. Focus on uplifting your team while your recruitment partner bridges the gap between where you are now and the growth you want to achieve. 

Regardless of your current position, these strategies help you to improve your culture and look after your current team. Whether you’re hiring right now, or couldn’t fathom it, helping your team do their best work and feel valuable to your organisation goes a long way towards retaining talent, until such time as you recruit more.