Struggling to Fill Important Job Openings?
It’s a new year, hiring is heating up again, and thanks to today’s crazy talent market, you are struggling to fill important job openings. What can you do? Following are some ideas that can help you fill those difficult roles.
Change Your Mindset
The traditional mindset when it comes to hiring is “why should we hire you?” That won’t help you when candidates are in the driver’s seat. Shift to a “why would you want to work here?” mentality and let that govern your interactions with candidates.
Compensation
Pay has changed dramatically. The base salary that may have been attractive to candidates two years ago is no longer going to do the trick. In fact, the salary that may have attracted top talent 6 months ago is no longer going to land top candidates. Best case scenario, if you aren’t able to pay market-competitive wages: you manage to get a candidate on the hook and then lose him or her to a different offer. Worse yet, they leave for a higher-paying opportunity after several months of expensive training & orientation. Download Kinsa’s 2023 Salary Guide to help compete for in-demand talent.
Remote Work
For positions that can be done off-site, an increasing number of candidates want the option of working from home. Some employers have made the concession of hybrid arrangements, balancing days in the office and days working from home each week or month. A couple of problems with the hybrid work schedule approach to recruiting in hiring are:
- A hybrid work schedule is only going to appeal to a small percentage of the candidates who truly want to work from home, and
- Hybrid arrangements have little impact on the talent pool you are sourcing from, whereas fully remote opportunities open up a MUCH larger talent pool to recruit from.
Find out more about How Employers Can Benefit from Having Remote Employees.
Education
If you are requiring a college degree as a pre-requisite for your open jobs, this is a great time to rethink that policy. Consider someone who has been doing comparable work for 5, 10, or 15+ years and has picked up relevant industry training and certifications along the way as a viable option for your talent pool.
Smart Compromises
Take a fresh look at your job descriptions, and think long and hard about what is truly required versus what is “nice to have.” Be prepared to make “intelligent compromises,” since finding a perfect candidate is often an exercise in futility. And make SURE your hiring manager(s) are educated about the market and on board with your proposal.
Easy Apply
Make it incredibly easy for a candidate to express an initial show of interest in your open positions. You can always collect more information later.
Sponsorship
Due to our increasingly convoluted immigration system, fewer US employers are offering work Visa sponsorship than ever before. This makes for a great opportunity for employers who don’t mind spending a little more time and resources upfront to get qualified candidates who are not being bombarded by calls from other employers.
Stop Offering Lateral Moves
If you are looking to hire a Marketing Director, and you are only willing to hire people who are currently at a Director level, what is the incentive for them to make the change? Since it is not going to be for a better title, you will need to be prepared to offer a base salary well above the median and towards the high end of a Marketing Director salary range. [See Kinsa’s annual Salary Guide for detailed data.] If their current employer believes them to be any good, they’re already at or above the median. You will also need an extraordinarily compelling story about your company’s mission, culture, and other offerings beyond pay.
Work With A Specialist
Find an Executive Recruiting Agency that has the expertise and network to help you fill those difficult positions. Kinsa Group can help with all of your Food & Beverage recruiting needs. Read our recent When to Use a Recruitment Firm blog post.
Remember the old definition of insanity: doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. If your hiring efforts seem to have fizzled, it’s time to try some new ideas!
Food and Beverage Industry Executive Recruiters
Let Kinsa’s team of experienced food and beverage industry executive recruiters identify the talented professionals that can fill these spots at your table. We look forward to helping you find the talent your business needs to move forward. Contact us today!
This blog was written by George Blomgren, Kinsa Group Recruiting Manager. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
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- When to Use a Recruitment Firm | 5 Questions to Ask
- How Food & Beverage Professionals Obtained Employment in 2022
- 6 Best Practices for Your Hiring Process
- Put Company Values Front and Center to Attract Talent