Are you struggling to fill a senior or specialist role?
We recognise that some roles are hard to fill. Using a recruitment agency like Better Prospects increases your chances of finding a suitable candidate as we will of course open up your position to a broader selection of potentially suitable candidates. However, some vacancies are just more difficult to find the right employee for than others.
It may be that these jobs require skills that are in short supply or perhaps the location of your organisation is in an area that is difficult to attract people to, or simply that you are unable to offer as high a salary or benefits package as some of your competitors.
What can you do to help?
If you are struggling to find someone who exactly matches your job specification, a good place to start is by revisiting the qualifications or experience required. It may be a good idea to relax some of the skills requirements in order to find someone who has the perfect cultural fit which, in our opinion, is at least as important as relevant skills. Consider what skills are a must and what could be learned.
Once you have decided which skills and qualifications are essential and which you can compromise on, consider widening your field of potential candidates by recruiting someone from outside your sector. If, for example, you are a not-for-profit organisation, as long as a candidate has transferable skills and a passion for your cause, then sector experience may not be such an obstacle.
Another option to consider is using a temporary worker to help out in the short term. Although you may not find a temp with the exact skills required, as long as they can fulfil part or most of the role, some of the pressure will be lifted on finding that perfect candidate quickly.
Better still, recruit a temp-to-perm which gives both you and the employee a chance to see if they are a good fit for your organisation and therefore reduces the risk of a bad hire.
Hiring is full of risks. CVs and interviews are of course important, however you never fully know how a new employee is going to perform until you see them in the role, allowing you to make more informed decisions about hiring them instead of basing your decision purely on assumptions made at interview.
Sometimes a candidate can be highly skilled and experienced but are just not the right fit for your work environment, and this works both ways. Hiring a temp-to-perm also gives the employee a chance to evaluate your company. In order to succeed, your new employee needs to be happy so it’s important for them to come to a decision before accepting a permanent offer and helps to reduce the risk of having to hire all over again further down the line.
If you would like to discuss hiring temporary, temp-to-perm or full-time staff, please contact us today, we would be delighted to help.
