Despite the coronavirus and the COVID-19 pandemic, top talent and the best candidates are still rather scarce in the employment marketplace.
After all, the pandemic has done a lot to things, but one thing that it has NOT done is create more top candidates.
So while there may be some hiring managers out there (perhaps even at one of your clients) who mistakenly believe that they have the leverage once again, that is clearly not the case. Recruiting top talent is still difficult, and the pandemic has made it even more so, since some of the best candidates are of the opinion that “this is not a good time to make a move” because of COVID.
So . . . what can a professional recruiter and/or executive search consultant do in this situation?
Recruiting top talent during a global pandemic
To help us answer this question, we’re relying up on the extensive wisdom and expertise of renowned staffing and recruiting industry trainer Barb Bruno, CPC/CTS of Good as Gold Training and Development.
According to Bruno, companies have been impacted by the increased global competition for top talent, which has escalated with many jobs converting to remote opportunities. Employers are either able to hire candidates who can help them achieve their goals and objectives or . . . those new employees become a costly turnover statistic in short order. And as a professional recruiter or executive search consultant, you know that your clients hate costly turnover.
Bruno indicates that there are two questions that everybody wants answered:
- “How do you accurately recognize top talent?”
- “How can you differentiate an average from a great candidate?”
According to Bruno, the answers to these questions lies in a different perspective. In other words, you must think about the questions differently.
“If you want to represent top talent, it is not just about identifying the best person for each job,” said Bruno. “It is also about identifying the best role for each candidate.”
Bruno lists several traits and characteristics of top talent, the best candidates in the marketplace that your clients want to hire (and for whom they will give you a recruiting fee). The best candidates:
- Adapt to change and unexpected challenges
- Use their communication skills to help accomplish goals
- Support and work toward goals that align with the company’s core values
- Are achievement-oriented, problems solvers, and dependable
“You would describe them as driven, dedicated, resilient, and team oriented,” said Bruno, who noted that there are other common denominators of high achievers. Those common denominators include the following:
- Participate in specific interest groups on social media
- Post articles or blog posts that reflect their expertise
- Comment on other people’s posts
- Received recognition and awards, both personally and professionally
- Have recommendations, testimonials, and acknowledgements from their peers and former managers
Truly recognizing top talent is the first step in being able to represent the best candidates in the marketplace as a professional recruiter or executive search consultant.
Recruiting and hiring top talent: action steps!
The next step? Taking action, of course. According to Bruno, there are multiple steps that you can take in your never-ending quest to represent the best candidates:
#1—Research them.
Specifically, see if they’re involved in their professional associations, and if so, whether or not they served or are serving in a leadership capacity. Most associations post their membership lists, board of directors, and committee heads online which are great resources for top talent.
#2—Identify and join the LinkedIn Groups that attract high achievers.
More than likely, you are already members of some of these groups, especially within the industry and niche in which you recruit. But there may be more. LinkedIn Groups are created on a nearly daily basis, so it’s a good idea to do quick search every once in a while.
#3—Write posts on LinkedIn and share them with your groups.
This way, you can keep your name in front of these potential future placements. Recruiting is a sales profession, after all, and you have to stay in front of your prospects and provide them with as much value as you possibly can until that point where they are ready to “buy.”
“When you learn how to effectively identify the best candidates, you will fill more business and elevate your level of success,” said Bruno.
Top talent, the best candidates, and your recruiting software
Recruiting top talent more effectively is made easier when you’re using a recruitment software that works the way that you do. In short, you should spend less time in your software and more time doing the things that lead most directly to you making placements. (Because making placements is the name of the game.)
And Top Echelon has an applicant tracking software for professional recruiters and executive search consultants that can help you recruit top talent and place the best candidates more consistently! Our applicant tracking and recruiting software offers a ton of great features, including parsing and data management features that can make your life easier.
Not only that, but right now, you can get 15 days of our recruiting agency software for FREE! This is the full version of the software and you do NOT need a credit card to start the trial.
Click HERE to start your free 15-day trial of the best applicant tracking system for agency recruiters and search consultants!
Top Echelon’s recruitment software is also one of the most affordable solutions available. That’s because the cost is just $59.50 per user per month when you choose the annual pricing plan.
But wait, there’s more! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) We also offer a live demonstration of our software, during which one of our account representatives will show you the software’s features and answer all of your questions.
Click HERE to request a live demo of Top Echelon’s leading applicant tracking software for recruiters!
(If you’re an owner and not sure what key performance indicators to set or have questions about other owner issues, Barb Bruno does offer executive coaching for entrepreneurs. For more information about this coaching, contact Jodi Svetich at jsvetich@goodasgoldtraining.com.)
