Insider Secrets For Hiring Top Talent: 4 Current Challenges And Opportunities
A successful company is only as good as its people. This week we chatted with Darrin Carr, of the Darrin Carr Talent Group about acquiring top talent in these unsettled times. Darrin has some great insider tips for turning the current challenges to your advantage.
A time of disruption
Covid-19 has shifted dynamics in the employment market. At 11% unemployment (up from 3% pre-COVID) people are feeling the upheaval. Some industries have slowed, such as aviation, hospitality, and the energy sector, but others, such as manufacturing, legal, and medical, are coming back strongly. MSPs are in a sweet spot, and Darrin predicts that for companies ready to take the initiative, right now could be the perfect opportunity to find new talent for your business.
Expanded candidate pools are the most apparent benefit of the ongoing disruption. At present, many people are furloughed or working on reduced hours. Shaken out of their routine and comfort zones, some have become more willing to look around for new opportunities. Darrin says that this means there are more applicants for job postings, and also a better response rate to direct approaches.
It’s good news if you are looking for new talent, but there are challenges. Darrin outlines six problems to be aware of and offers us some solutions.
Challenge #1: You can be overwhelmed with applications
More candidates in the market mean that job adverts are likely to get a bigger response than is typical. Too many applications seems to be a good problem to have. However, every one of those applications has to be read and considered.
The solution
Businesses can sift through all of them, but it does take a great deal of effort, that could be spent doing other things. The solution is to use a firm such as the Carr Talent group to do all that sifting for you, coming up with a small selection of candidates, every one of whom is a good fit. The Carr Talent group, unlike typical staffing agencies, charge for their time by the hour, saving you a great deal of money in recruitment costs.
Challenge #2: Some applicants may be desperate for a job.
This means that some of the applications you receive will be from people who are unqualified and unsuitable for the job. Furthermore, that may try and conceal this fact from you. Darrin has some tips for finding your way through the forest
The solution
A multi-tiered approach is needed. If you construct and follow a staged process, you will eliminate more unsuitable candidates at every stage. The first stage is to weed out those who are entirely inappropriate by conducting online, pre-interview assessments such as skills tests, and personality assessments.
Challenge #3: They may not want the job
Sadly, some of your applicants may only be applying to claim the currently available unemployment benefits. These people are huge time wasters for you and need eliminating quickly.
Solution
In addition to all the tests, Darrin suggests getting the applicants to make a video of themselves – something that will take thought and effort. Another possibility is to do a dummy call with them to see how they react to, for example, an angry client.
Challenge #4: Interviewing Remotely
Because you cannot meet the person face to face, and pick up on all those vital subconscious body-language cues, the online interview has to be much more rigorous to ensure you do not make an expensive mistake
The solution
Make the interview count. Applicants, particularly the experienced ones, will have learned by rote the answers to all the standard interview questions. Get to the real person by asking questions in levels. Here is an example:
- Tell me about a time when you had to solve a problem (or calm a problematic client, or come up with a new idea)
- Describe the details; how did it unfold?
- What were the measurable metrics of success?
- What did you learn?
So now you have the best talent on board – start marketing! Talk to Ulistic, your MSP Marketing professionals today to learn more about how to generate more leads for increased revenue, marketing, and sales for managed IT service providers.
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