There are many challenging factors at play right now. The Great Resignation. An unemployment rate of 4.0%. More than 10 million open jobs. Wages reaching never before seen levels. These are just a few of the obstacles the staffing industry currently faces. So, what can we do to improve our fill ratios while balancing all these headwinds?
1. Assess the quality of your current open orders.
With so many orders to work on, now is a perfect time to review all of them and retain only those that have a high sense of urgency, competitive pay rates, and where clients will respond to your submittals quickly. All the others should be relegated to the back burner and the client advised accordingly.
2. Focus on your employment brand.
It is critical to concentrate on messaging that will connect with candidates (both active and passive) and promote your brand as a true employer of choice.
3. Redirect a portion of sales efforts towards sourcing.
It doesn't make sense right now to have your business development team continue to solicit new orders when you already have a surplus. The mechanics of candidate sourcing are much like those of business development, so why not have your sales team work the candidate database and take incoming candidate inquiries?
4. Recommend reduced candidate requirements.
Educate your clients on the impact of minimum requirements in such a competitive hiring environment. Can they make temporary adjustments, such as reducing educational requirements? Review current background limits? Be more open to lapses in work histories? Counseling clients through this situation allows you to become a valued partner for their long-term needs.
5. Approach sourcing and recruiting more like selling.
When courting a prospect, a "yes" is not automatically expected from the first contact. We know that the prospect needs to be nurtured over time while you educate them about your organization and build credibility. The same can be said for today's candidates. With all the options now available, candidates have become much more selective in whom they choose to work with and must be nurtured over time, just like our business development prospects.
Try one or more of these five ideas and you will begin to turn the corner on taming your open orders and, as a result, improve your standing with clients and candidates alike. Contact TerraFirma Marketing today to learn more.