Improve Talent Acquisition: 5 cost-effective tips

Having driven, passionate, and qualified employees will set your company ahead of your competitors, but they can be hard to attract and retain. One way to acquire the best talent for your industry is to have an effective recruitment process from the outset. 

The evolution of your talent acquisition process doesn’t always require you to spend money, though. That is why we have outlined our Top 5 Cost-effective Talent Acquisition Tips.

Why is it important to improve talent acquisition?

A one-size-fits-all recruitment process doesn’t work anymore. Every business has unique needs and goals, meaning talent acquisition will also differ across the board. Strategies must be tailored to each company’s individual needs and the type of talent it wishes to attract.

However, we can suggest some general cost-effective tips that will be relevant and valuable to remember when forming your recruitment strategies. We know talent acquisition and recruitment processes can feel time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, we have proposed tips with little or no cost to make your recruitment processes more efficient in the long run.

5 Cost-effective Tips to Improve Talent Acquisition

1. Effective Branding 

Your business needs to be appealing to work for to attract the best talent. An effective way of doing this is branding. Before you can brand your business, you need to know your company values and goals. Once you have defined these, you must consistently practice and promote your values.

Branding is worthless if proven untrue, so make sure it is actively practised across all company sectors – including recruitment. Demonstrate your values in the recruitment process and be welcoming towards all candidates. Having a good reputation as a recruiter will further increase the talent available to you.

Another cost-effective form of branding is having your employees as the face of your company. They represent your business and your company culture. Earning employee respect will help to build a good reputation as an employer.

Be understanding towards your employees, and check-in to ensure they are content in their roles. Your employees and their opinions of you are primary evidence of what it’s like to work for you, and whether or not you practice your proposed company values. Word travels fast, treat your employees how you would wish to be treated to have a positive employer brand.

Learn more about Employee Value Propositions with 14 great examples

2. Give your Talent Acquisition team more time

Your recruitment process is important, so build a good relationship with your talent acquisition team. Communication is key. Encourage the team to report to you and each other about any problems or delays within the process.

Be confident that your recruitment department knows exactly the kind of talent you wish to employ. Training your recruitment team can ensure that they are aware of the newest developments in their field and providing them with a dashboard with recruiter insights can enhance the recruiter experience.

Encourage your recruiters to provide candidates with an accurate picture of the job. Whilst you want the job to be appealing, you don’t want to give any false expectations of what it will involve. Doing so will only make you more susceptible to losing new employees.

3. Encourage internal mobility

Rather than looking elsewhere for talent, evaluate who you already have in the company. Certain employees may excel in different positions. It is good to be familiar with your employees and know their skills and ambitions. Having their goals and capabilities in mind will help you adhere to their needs and get the most out of your workforce.

You should establish systems for internal talent mobility and advertise all job openings internally. Frequent training days and upskilling options for your employees are also great for morale, productivity, and team-building.

4. Keep job applications simple and mobile-friendly

An over-complicated application form is very likely to put off candidates. Keep applications simple and to the point to maximise your talent pool. According to CareerBuilder, 60% of job applicants opt out in the middle of a job application. Imagine the talent you could be losing due to this.

Negative reviews of a complicated or unclear process can damage your reputation and hinder your ability to acquire the best talent. Keep your initial application concise; focus on acquiring the essential information from the candidate. 

It is now essential that job application forms are mobile-friendly. Many candidates will wish to apply this way, on their daily commute or lunch break – don’t let your application stop them. Phones are used far more regularly daily than laptops across all generations. Use this knowledge to make your application as accessible as possible.

5. Enable employees to work remotely 

Employers are expected to listen to their employees’ needs. A survey conducted by Operations Inc. demonstrated that 80% of workers would prefer to work remotely. Many companies are well-versed in this practice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so you may already have systems in place. Effective management, communication, and evaluations are essential in ensuring that remote work is sufficient.

If remote work functions within your workplace, inform your applicants of this perk. They will appreciate your flexibility as an employer. They may be thrilled about working remotely if they can save time and money on a long commute. Being reasonable and open to compromise from the outset will earn the respect and gratitude of your employees – and improve your reputation as an employer.

Convenience is a big factor for professionals changing their careers; you should use this to your advantage and make your opening as convenient and appealing as possible. On the other hand, remote work may be difficult for you to manage and implement. Be sure to have a clear plan for managing and communicating with remote workers before implementing anything.

Closing

These five cost-effective tips for acquiring the best talent should influence the foundations of your recruitment process. Remember to regularly review your recruitment processes and ensure they are not out-of-date or complicated for applicants.

An efficient recruitment process will earn you a valuable reputation as an employer – don’t let it be tarnished by ignoring your talent acquisition team. Have clear strategies and communicate with your team to achieve the best results and hire the best talent.

These Top 5 tips only scrape the surface of talent acquisition strategies; please contact us at ThriveMap for more advice and assistance on your recruitment processes.