How to master your recruitment in five steps...

The traditional methods of sourcing potential candidates within key operational and management, property or asset related roles are proving less and less effective.  We all know that there is a shortage of good able people that have the right skills and, just as importantly, the right attitude, values and behaviours.  So what lessons can be learnt to help us to succeed in this apparently arduous task?

1. Be a destination

Increasingly, prospective employees want an ‘experience’ from working in your organisation.  Pay, holidays and pension are not enough.  Being an excellent place to work that meets peoples’ professional, personal development and social needs has to be in the mix as well.

2. Tell a good story

Be clear as to what you stand for, where your organisation is going and how this role fits in with that story.  Self praise is no praise at all – but people want to know what your organisation is about and that you’re going places.  Everyone wants to play for a winning team.

3. Role requirements

Don’t bore me with long winded ‘HR’ driven job descriptions and person specifications.  Communicate clearly and concisely what the job is, what success for the role looks like, what skills and competencies are needed, including the softer, people and behaviour based ones that actually make the real difference to how people do in their new role.

4. Invest in it

We’re all time poor.  The days of potential candidates trawling newspaper adverts have gone.  You can’t rely on candidates coming to you for these high demand, technical or operational property related roles.  If you want to find the best people, then you have to work at it and that means investing time and money into doing so.

5. Understand the market

Not doing your research prior to commencing the recruitment process is a big no-no. You need to understand what the demand for candidates is like, what market salary and packages look like, who are the competition for talent, where others are actively trying to recruit.

When you have all of this, then you can design a resourcing strategy that maximises your chances of success.

For more information on our people resourcing services and how we can help you master your recruitment, contact Chris Spencer at cspencer@pennington.org.uk