Why don't the best candidates apply?
Introduction
If you’re the head of a company or human resources department, you’ve probably already faced this conundrum: why aren’t the best candidates applying for your vacancies? Many recruiters ask themselves this question. The talents are there, but they seem inaccessible. Many factors can dissuade these talents from applying for jobs, from poorly structured offers to the simple reality that they are already employed elsewhere. This article looks at these difficulties in detail, while exploring solutions that can make the recruitment process more efficient and productive.
First, we’ll look at the crucial question of the quality of the job offer, and explain how a well-structured job advert can attract the right candidates. We will then discuss the challenges inherent in finding the best profiles, who are often already in place, and suggest strategies for reaching these candidates.
Reason 1: The quality of the job offer
One of the most common reasons is that the quality of the job offer leaves something to be desired. This can manifest itself in a number of ways. For example, the job description is not precise. So the potential candidate doesn’t know exactly what’s expected of him or her. What’s more, the salary is not mentioned, which can be a hindrance for some people who have precise expectations in terms of remuneration.
Another neglected aspect is team presentation. Candidates like to know who they could potentially be working with. This is an important aspect of the work environment and can have a significant impact on their decision to apply or not.
Generally speaking, a poorly structured job ad will deter even the most determined candidates. To remedy this, it’s essential to understand the key elements of a good job offer.
How to write a quality job ad?
1. The ad title: clear and effective: The title must be concise, precise and give a clear idea of the position to be filled.
2. The recruiting company: A detailed presentation of the company is essential. This includes its culture, values, successes and goals. This is a key element that will help candidates identify with the company and project themselves into their future role.
3. The “APPLY” button: It must be visible and easily accessible. A complicated application procedure can discourage the best candidates.
4. Terms and types of contract (fixed-term, open-ended, work-study, etc.): This information lets candidates know what to expect in terms of contract duration and working conditions.
5. Job location: It’s important to indicate the exact location of the job. Some people are willing to relocate for a job, while others are looking for opportunities in their local area.
6. Tasks to be performed: Describing the tasks to be performed in detail gives the candidate a clear idea of the position. Don’t look for the 15-legged sheep here, or else make it clear that these are missions where they will be accompanied and trained. Too many people don’t apply, thinking they won’t fit the bill.
7. Skills required: These must be clearly listed to enable the candidate to assess their compatibility with the position.
8. Company team presentation: Providing information about the team gives an insight into the working atmosphere.
9. The salary offered: This is a decisive factor for many candidates. Be transparent about the proposed remuneration.
10. Projection beyond the job: Show the possibilities for career development within your company. The best candidates are often looking to progress and develop professionally.
2nd reason: The best profiles are often already in place
It’s common for top talent to already be in place. This is particularly true in competitive industries where talent is in high demand. These highly skilled individuals are often engaged in roles that offer them satisfaction and stability, making them less likely to actively seek out new opportunities.
Why aren’t the best talents actively looking for new jobs?
1. Job satisfaction: The best talents often have a high level of job satisfaction. They have a good match between their current position and their skills, interests and career aspirations. This creates a sense of satisfaction and contentment that reduces their motivation to look for a new job.
2. Stability: In many cases, top talent has achieved a certain level of stability in their current job. They have stable contracts, satisfactory salaries and attractive benefits. What’s more, they have often established solid working relationships and enjoy the respect of their colleagues and superiors.
3. Fear of change: Change can be scary, especially when it comes to changing jobs. Even for top talent, the idea of leaving a familiar work environment for a new one can be daunting. This can be particularly true if the change involves new challenges or responsibilities.
How do you reach these candidates?
A new approach: recruiters take the initiative
So what can you do if posting a job ad isn’t enough to attract the best talent? One solution is for recruiters to take the initiative and contact potential candidates directly. By proactively identifying and contacting people who match the profile they’re looking for, recruiters can not only save valuable time, but also increase their chances of finding the ideal candidate. It’s better to spend 2 hours with a good candidate than 1 hour going through CVs and ending up with 0 viable candidates for the job.
However, this approach requires a good knowledge of the job market and specific skills, as well as a certain amount of time and resources.
1. Identify potential candidates: Use professional platforms such as LinkedIn to identify candidates who match the profile you’re looking for. You can look for people with specific skills and experience, or who work in companies or industries similar to yours.
2. Making contact: Once you’ve identified potential candidates, get in touch with them. This can be done via a message on LinkedIn or an email. The important thing is to be professional and respectful, to clearly present the reason for your contact and to suggest a conversation or meeting to discuss the opportunity.
3. Presentation of the opportunity: Present the job opportunity in an attractive way. Talk about the benefits of the job, the opportunities for growth and development, and the company culture. Sell the job and the company, but be honest and transparent.
So, even if the best talent is often already in place, with the right approach and the right tools, it’s entirely possible to reach them and attract them to your company. However, this method can be time-consuming, but it is possible to save time with automation. If you’d like to find out more, we’ve included our tips and methodology in this article.
Automate your recruitment process with Stepward
Recruiting the best candidates can be a complex and time-consuming process. Between searching for potential candidates, sorting through CVs and managing interviews, recruiters can quickly feel overwhelmed. In this context, automating the recruitment process can be an ideal way to save time and increase efficiency.
Stepward is an outbound agency that will help you facilitate and automate your recruitment process. By using automation tools, we enable recruiters to quickly identify potential candidates, contacting them directly so that they only have to focus on responding to qualified candidates.
One of the great advantages of Stepward is its efficiency. For example, instead of spending hours sorting through hundreds of CVs, recruiters can directly contact 300 people qualified for the job. This means we can only manage conversations with people who are really right for the job, which saves a considerable amount of time.
Another advantage is the efficiency of the method. Indeed, one of our customers, Qualiretraite, succeeded in recruiting 4 people for 4 different positions in just 1 month, thanks to recruitment campaigns launched on LinkedIn with our help. We have other uses for our specialized recruitment support, so don’t hesitate to contact us to find out more.
Conclusion
It’s important to understand why the best candidates don’t apply. There are many reasons for this: the quality of the job offer, the fact that these candidates are often already in post, and many other factors. But these obstacles can be overcome by implementing an effective recruitment strategy. Whether by improving the quality of your job offers or by taking a proactive approach, you can increase your chances of attracting and recruiting top talent. Stepward is here to support you in this process.
