IS FINDING YOUR DREAM CANDIDATE LIKE LOOKING FOR GOLD AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW?

Posted on 30th January 2025

Securing that dream candidate for your business can feel like trying to hunt down the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - elusive and always just out of reach! Many businesses fail to realise what key aspect of their hiring strategy is letting down their candidate search. At Netbox Recruitment, we’re on hand with our top ten checkpoints to make sure your hiring strategy is safe from the common pitfalls that puts that dream candidate out of reach.

ARE YOU OFFERING REMOTE WORKING?

There’s been a lot of talk recently about businesses pulling away from remote and hybrid working and getting staff back into the office full-time. However, for jobs that can easily be done remotely, a hybrid balance, or at least one day working remotely, can make a big impact on your candidate search.

ARE YOU OFFERING FLEXIBLE WORKING?

Flexible and remote working are two very different perks and, for many professionals, flexible working is a non-negotiable. By advertising vacancies with explicitly stated flexible working practices, candidates will know that their new job can easily be shaped around other essential commitments.

ARE YOU SEARCHING FAR ENOUGH AFIELD?

By continuing to offer remote and flexible working, you’ll be able to widen the distance of your candidate search. Offering some home-working and the ability to stagger working hours can make all the difference in candidates in attracting candidates from beyond your usual search radius.

IS YOUR BRANDING TAINTING THE CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE?

Remember that one of the first things any candidate will do is research your business. By studying your website, social media profiles and other online content, candidates are absorbing your brand at a pivotal stage in the candidate experience. Make sure to keep your brand fresh and professional.

IS YOUR JOB SPECIFICATION HITTING THE RIGHT POINTS?

Have you benchmarked your vacancy’s requirements against comparable roles in the job market? Is your job specification keeping pace with the latest processes and technologies? Is the wording of the job specification causing candidates to lose interest from excessive jargon, or is it clear and concise?

ARE YOU OFFERING THE RIGHT PERKS?

Many candidates have read through what looks like the perfect vacancy only to suddenly see an annual leave figure that’s far below par! Alternatively, a great candidate might be drawn to a competitor’s vacancy due to some genuinely valuable employee perks as part of their overall package.

IS YOUR AGENCY TARGETING PASSIVE CANDIDATES?

Candidates actively searching job boards are just one side of the coin when it comes to your available talent pool. Your recruitment agency should also be reaching out to ‘passive candidates’ - those who are open to being head-hunted or just starting to think about new opportunities.

ARE YOU SEARCHING AT THE RIGHT TIME?

There’s a huge number of external factors that can limit the success of your search for a new employee. Posting a new opportunity right before major holidays or around major economic announcements can all impact the success of the timing of your vacancy.

ARE YOU ADVERTISING FOR TOO MANY POSITIONS?

Posting multiple vacancies simultaneously can risk putting off applicants. This could lead candidates to wonder if the business suffers from high staff turnover, unsuccessful management or other issues.

ARE YOU PAYING THE RIGHT SALARY?

Salaries have always been vital to get right but changes around employer national insurance contributions means this can be harder than ever.

At Netbox, We’re able to conduct in-depth salary benchmarking and build this into your overall hiring strategy. Get in touch now to start your salary benchmarking.