Career Ambitions writes:
As the UK’s economy continues to improve, there are more job opportunities than ever before (with up to 65% of employers looking to recruit this year!). So how, and why are so many people unemployed? Many companies and recruiters are reporting a struggle to find their ‘perfect fit’. But are they missing out, by being narrow-minded, focusing on ticking boxes, and not taking a candidate’s potential into consideration?
As Peter Capelli writes, there are thousands of ‘jobs going unfilled while good candidates are out there, waiting’ (in his article The Skills Gap Myth). The real problem is that the matches just aren’t happening – candidates and recruiters aren’t coming together in the way that they used to. Increasingly, candidates take a ‘spray and pray’ approach. Instead of researching the company, finding out about the role and then tailoring their application, they are firing off the same CV and cover letter in response to hundreds of job adverts. The problem with this approach? The employers are almost guaranteed to smell this tactic a mile off, and instantly disregard the candidate. What a waste! Many companies receive hundreds of applications for every job… but what’s the value in quantity over quality? The key is to stand out from the crowd.
So, how can we ensure that recruiters / hiring managers and their ideal candidates are brought together?
For the recruiter and hiring manager:
- Consider how you are describing the role.
Are there aspects that could be taught and developed, rather than being essential from the offset? Being open minded to providing training and support could mean the difference between finding (or creating!) the perfect candidate, and letting that potential slip through the net.
- Are you looking in the right places?
Recruiters are increasingly recognising the value of advertising roles on specialist job boards and social media. The Cambridge Network’s Recruitment Gateway is a fine example of a specialist platform that puts candidates and companies in touch with one another in the Cambridgeshire region. LinkedIn is constantly improving their recruitment tools, with recent research by Software Advice finding this channel to provide the highest quality of applicants. With a database of over 300 million professionals, it could be costly to ignore this pool of talent!
- Don’t wait for them to find you.
The beauty of social media tools such as LinkedIn Recruiter is that you no longer have to wait for candidates to find you! Be proactive and contact them, using targeted candidate searches. There may be people out there who already thinking about changing jobs, but not actively searching yet. These are often referred to as the ‘passive candidates’, and there’s a huge amount of potential there, just waiting to be reached out to...
For the job-seeker:
- What does the Internet say about you?
As recruiters and hiring managers embrace social media as an invaluable tool, it’s important to consider your digital footprint. Google yourself! What do your profiles say about you? Ensure they are portraying you in the right light: as the perfect potential employee!
- Do your research.
Don’t fall into the trap of the ‘spray and pray’ approach. Give your applications a little love and care – do your research and make sure your CV and cover letter are ticking the boxes. Don’t forget to feature your transferable skills, as these can be a valuable addition. And whatever you do, remember to proofread before hitting send. Getting through the door is the hardest step!
- Be more open-minded!
If you can’t find your ‘perfect’ job being advertised, then make it! Find a role that suits some or most of your skills, ambitions and passions, then use the art of Career Crafting to tweak it into a role that really excites you (read more about this on the Career Ambitions blog).
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