Ineffective Recruitment

6 hazards to avoid: Part 1 - Inadequate planning

With over 20 years of recruitment experience, and managing specialist projects around the clock, we know what works, and what doesn’t. We’ve identified 3 key factors that can jeopardise the hiring process:

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• Salaries

• Unrealistic job profiles

• Timescales

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Salaries:

Market changes directly influence candidate salary expectations. Ensuring your salary offerings align with current rates is crucial for attracting top talent. Approaching a talent search with salaries below expectations can prolong the process and lead to the loss of the best-fit candidates. Omitting salary information from job postings to temper applicant expectations is a big NO and should be avoided at all costs.

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Hot Tip: Before finalising budgets, consider consulting salary surveys or reaching out to experts for bespoke advice. We're always here to help, no strings attached!

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Unrealistic Job Profiles:

Recent years have seen a surge in blended and multi-disciplinary roles. While some candidates may fit these profiles, many won't. It's crucial to assess whether your role profile aligns with market realities. Striking a balance between ideal and compromise can inform a more effective recruitment strategy and mitigate the risk of a long and costly process. As we’ve seen a lot, this mistake can also generate negative feedback on social media, damaging your brand and reputation.

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Hot Tip: Utilise LinkedIn to explore your competitor's people profiles. Are the skills and requirements you’re asking for common?

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Hot Tip: Seek expert guidance to navigate ideal versus compromises in your search and messaging.

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Timescales:

Whether you're replacing a position or planning for growth; time is of the essence. When there is a skill gap, businesses tend to rush by engaging multiple recruiters, skipping interview stages, or relying solely on video interviews. This compromises quality and will likely lead to an unsuccessful hire.

In contrast, hiring for growth allows for a well-planned campaign, but it can also lead to complacency among stakeholders. Timely review of applications, candidate feedback, interview scheduling, and effective communication of an offer, is critical. While you may have the luxury of time, candidates may not, risking the loss of top talent due to sluggish responsiveness.

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Hot Tip: When you’re in a rush, consider leveraging trusted freelancers or specialist recruiters to tap into both active and passive candidate pools efficiently.

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Hot Tip: When you’re planning for growth, be fully prepared before starting the recruitment project and ensure agility throughout the process to retain the perfect candidate.

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Check out Parts 2–6 coming throughout February.

If you’d like to sense-check your recruitment strategy, reach out anytime at 01789 451510 or get in touch here.