How to Take a Positive and Proactive Approach to Talent Acquisition in Today’s Highly Competitive and Unpredictable Labor Market.

 

If you think many of the headlines about today’s job market sound a bit combative, you’re not wrong. “The War for Talent Is On,” “Create a Lean Fighting Machine for Meeting Staffing Needs,” “Develop Special Ops for Your Hiring Targets.”

According to Greg Muccio, director of talent acquisition at Southwest Airlines, “It has been the most unpredictable labor market I can recall – truly unchartered waters.”

But is it war?

While the upheaval caused by the global health pandemic continues to challenge norms in virtually every aspect of society, our approach to problem solving related to manpower shortages might be adding to the angst. Could all of the battle speak be having unintended, negative effects on job candidates?

If you’re a job seeker in a talent war, wouldn’t a natural reaction be a defensive one? Could this be one of the reasons behind the candidate “ghosting” phenomenon?

How do we craft authentic messaging about a major shift in hiring best practices while engaging the very people who are part of the solution?

While exploring answers to this question, organizational leaders are wise to recognize that many of today’s pain points were a long time in the making. In this SHRM article that examines employer responses to job candidate expectations,  Jeff Lackey, vice president of talent acquisition at CVS Health states, “The pandemic was a catalyst for changing things that organizations maybe knew should be changed but lacked enough incentive to make the change.”

When leaders take a proactive approach to managing this tension for their personnel, HR staff and frontline recruiters are better equipped to navigate “unchartered waters” with an urgency that reflects opportunity and hope.

And why not continue a proactive approach by revisiting your organization’s benefits and bright spots? Check out these “five pillars” that matter most to today’s job seeker as reported by Guild Learning Marketplace:

  • Compensation
  • Rewards package
  • Career development
  • Contributions to others
  • Culture

How can we help?

For nearly 30 years, we have been developing products to help employers engage top talent. Our current clients are using job previews for showcasing key aspects of their company culture; virtual interviews to convey consideration for applicants that can now practice and record responses at their convenience; and job simulations to provide a realistic preview of what a job is actually like.

Integrating these proven solutions is supported by our team of industrial/organizational psychologists and customer service experts.  Call 888.332.0648 for your no obligation consultation.