Five tips to increase applications for your role
As a hiring manager, have you noticed a decrease in the number of quality job applications your business is getting for roles?
If you’re having difficulty with hiring and have said yes, there may be a specific reason that people aren’t applying for jobs. We speak to a LOT of candidates every week, so we know first hand what puts people off applying for roles, meaning less candidates for you to choose from. But never fear, with some adjustments, you can broaden the appeal of your company and the role to potential applicants.
Hybrid working is where it’s at
Four-five days a week in the office is a job application killer. Unless they physically can’t do their job unless they’re onsite (think retail, doctors etc), candidates don’t want to be in the office that often. After two years of working from home – and showing that they could be productive while doing so – people are not willing to give up the freedom and flexibility COVID offered them.
Almost every candidate we speak to is happy to go into the office two-three days a week, for collaboration and team bonding, but relish the few days at home where they can buckle down, distraction free, and get their work done.
We ran a poll on LinkedIn and asked if candidates would want to join a company that is in the office four or more days a week and a resounding 73% of respondents said no.
Be realistic with your job description
It’s more common these days for businesses to merge multiple roles and expect one person to be able to do it and deliver solid outcomes, flawlessly.
For example, you want to hire a social media manager and you want them to:
- Create videos and other content
- Engage and manage the community
- Build a strategy
- Run paid ads
- Measure analytics
- Deal with stakeholders
- Manage influencer partnerships
To do all of these effectively, you’ll need to hire at least three different people, not one, and candidates know this. They don’t want to be worked to the bone trying to reach unrealistic business expectations.
Talk up your culture, purpose and values
These days, it’s not just the job itself that makes candidates want to apply for a role. It’s the purpose behind the brand – what they do, what they stand for and what they believe in. If a candidate looks at your website or your social media and can’t see what’s important to your business beyond the product or service you sell, then you may struggle to find people who buy into your company and want to work there.
You need to do some head hunting
This is dependent on what area you’re trying to hire for, but if the area talent specialises in is in high demand, but they’re pretty comfortable where they are, they’re not going to be applying for your role. They need to be actively targeted as a candidate by your recruitment partner or you, as a hiring manager and wooed. Wined and dined. Basically, you need to give them a dang good reason to leave a job they’re very happy at, to join your company.
Have a salary based on market rate
Money talks and with the rising cost of living, remuneration is a much larger factor in a candidate’s decision than it may have been in previous years. If you’ve addressed all of the other above factors, then the salary you’re offering may be the thing that’s stopping candidates from applying.
Not sure what’s market value for the roles you’re hiring? Download our Salary and Industry Guide today.
Need some extra assistance with your hiring? We can help! Our team are experts across recruitment in the creative, marketing, PR and digital space. Get in touch at hello@creativenatives.com.au today.