As most of us know, there is a serious labor shortage in the specialty chemicals industry. In a tight labor market, you need to get creative if you want to hire top talent. Offering higher salaries and more perks isn’t enough to attract high performers. Employers need to reach a larger candidate pool and go out of their way to market and sell themselves to prospective employees. Here are three strategies to help you hire better talent in a tight labor market.
Create a Message that Resonates with Candidates
The interview phase is your chance to share your message to candidates and sell them on the job opportunity. You can’t spend the whole interview evaluating the candidate. Think carefully about what makes your company a great place to work. It is a good idea to ask your current employees what they like about the company culture. This will help create a tailored elevator pitch that accurately reflects your company’s strengths.
Make Your Hiring Process More Efficient
Many companies lose out on top talent because they take too long to make an offer. You can’t have a hiring process that takes months when the labor market is tight because high performers will find employment before you ever even get a chance to make an offer. You have to remember you are competing with other organizations who are also looking for the best talent. Also think about how an inefficient hiring process reflects on your company. You don’t want prospective candidates to think that your competition has better organization and leadership.
Focus on Role Behaviors Instead of Experience
When we evaluate candidates on resumes and in interviews, it is tempting to focus on experience. We think about what kind of experience would be useful to have for the job in question. This way of thinking manifests itself in job descriptions. We describe the experiences that are required to succeed in the job. The truth is things like degrees, skill requirements, and certifications can’t predict job success. This is a problem because when people see that they don’t have the right degree or experiences, they’re much less likely to apply, even if they’re actually perfect for the job. Instead, focus on the role behaviors and responsibilities. You only want to list requirements that are legitimate deal breakers. This way you can increase the candidate pool and increase your chances of attracting top talent.
In a tight labor market, competition for talent can affect your ability to grow and succeed as a company. You need to make yourself the company candidates are eager to work for. To attract top talent, hone in on your message, market your company, speed up your hiring process, and do what you can to draw in a higher number of applicants.
Are you looking for top talent in the Specialty Chemical, Plastics, or Animal Health industry?
Contact us to discuss how we can bring top leadership talent to your team. Boaz Partners is a premier executive search firm focused on the direct recruitment of executives and professionals for the specialty chemicals and plastics space. We are your partner, and our focus is on custom recruiting solutions.
Are you a professional looking for a new opportunity?
Contact us to discuss your career options or browse our open positions.