How to Win Candidates and Influence Recruiters

In case you missed it, it’s still a candidate-driven hiring market. (Sorry, employers.) 33% of employees plan to ask for a raise by year end and top performers are asking for and receiving increases from 20 – 40%. 1 in 5 employees will change jobs, gaining more money, job flexibility, and upward mobility by the end of Q4.

Download our 2022 Mid-Year Compensation Guide for more market trends

If the hiring market remains this competitive, do employers have any hope of winning the top talent they’re looking for?

Absolutely! IF they do these TWO things…

Put the candidate first

Job seekers have options and power – two things that can put an employer at a disadvantage. But candidates aren’t just looking for the next biggest paycheck (especially since their current employer is probably making an enticing counteroffer). Research shows that employees want to work for organizations that offer growth, autonomy, and respect. The best way to show respect to candidates is to have a candidate-first hiring strategy. Last week, one of our recruiters encountered the BEST examples of this. An East Coast organization instituted a policy that, to respect everyone’s time, candidates will be flown in to interview with all relevant stakeholders in one day. Secondly, as soon as they start interviewing a candidate, the decision to hire/not hire will be made within 7 days. No fuss, no muss, no endless timeline.

Trust the recruiter

No parent is going to admit they have a favorite child, but they’ll probably admit one is easier than another. The same is true for recruiting partners. We love and appreciate all our clients, but some might be a little easier than others. Does that mean they get special treatment? Of course not, we provide the same award-winning exec search services to every client. But working with a client who trusts us, trusts our process, and doesn’t play games, makes the experience better for everyone involved. Allowing us to do our job puts you in the most optimal position to hire the A-Player you’re looking for. What kinds of things demonstrate a lack in trust: Changing the parameters of the job without warning or telling us, altering a job title midway through the search, resisting our proven hiring strategy, intentionally low-balling compensation, going radio silent, asking candidates for experience/certifications you never included in the job spec, delaying interviews… to name a few. At TurningPoint Exec Search we truly strive to partner with our clients to bring them the outstanding candidates, many of whom they never knew were out there, and that partnership is based on mutual trust.

Looking for more Recruiting Tips? Download our FREE Ultimate Recruiting Cheat Sheet