When vacancies hit a high: How do you manage?

We learnt today that job vacancies are at a record high, with health and the hospitality sector looking to hire the highest volume of candidates.

Ostensibly, great news for the UK jobs market. But as a recruitment team urgently seeking talent, how can you stand out in such a crowded landscape? And, once you get candidates through the door, do you have the right tools in place?

How to attract talent

In a report from the BBC this morning, vacancies have risen to 1.1million in the three months to September, with particular demand in certain sectors. That’s a lot of organisations all seeking the same hard-to-find talent.

So how do you position yourself as an employer of choice?

Employer branding is vital here. What does your organisation stand for? Why should candidates pick you over others in your sector? And what can you offer in terms of company culture, values, and support?

Hopefully you already have a well-defined EVP. (If not, our friends at Monster have a handy checklist here on developing your  employer brand.)

Crucially, you need to promote your EVP consistently, across every touchpoint a candidate might encounter. Your careers site, social channels, email tone of voice – everything should reflect your brand ethos and values.

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Are your recruitment processes accessible?

In another report from the BBC, they shared the story of jobseekers who were struggling to find employment – despite the high volume of vacancies.

One candidate, who has Cerebral Palsy, does not feel that she performs well in traditional interviews, and would benefit from additional training. Review your application and assessment processes. How accessible and inclusive are they?

We have great insights on this very topic from the fantastic Evenbreak, a jobboard dedicated to supporting disabled candidates. We also have advise from D&I champion, Natasha Broomfield-Reid on providing inclusive interviews.

And whilst on the subject – do you know how your candidates really feel about online interviews? Our leading research report into candidate behaviour might have some valuable insights for you.

Do you have the tools you need?

With an influx of new vacancies, it’s essential to have the right screening and shortlisting tools in place.

Processing high volumes of applications? Consider pre-screening questions to ensure that candidates meet essential minimum requirements before they can apply for a role with you.

Arranging multiple interviews? Use an automatic interview scheduling tool (like our self-select interviews feature) to save time and administration.

And if you’re relying on Hiring Managers to review and provide feedback on candidates, it’s imperative that they are confident using your ATS or recruitment CRM. Some Applicant Tracking Systems have a dedicated Hiring Manager Portal, which is designed with busy managers in mind. Others may require more training.

Use your existing talent pools

Do you have previous candidates who might be ideal for your new vacancies?

Using an ATS should enable you to send personalised, branded emails at the touch of a button to candidates in your talent pools. Share details of your new roles, and encourage them to apply if they can.

Ideally you’ll have been nurturing your passive talent throughout the year so that these potential candidates are already warm – but we know time and resource don’t always allow this!

If you’re not sure whether your ATS or recruitment system provides the tools and support you need right now, why not drop us a line? We’ll gladly have a chat about your challenges, and can provide a demo of Hireserve ATS.

In the meantime, our guide to Choosing an ATS could also be handy!