We all know how time-consuming and expensive the recruitment process can be. That’s why capturing the attention of top-tier talent from the get-go is crucial to save both time and resources.
While there’s no magic formula for recruitment success, these seven recruitment strategies applicable to the regulatory sector, are seamlessly adaptable for organizations of any size.
Treat candidates as you would treat your registrants, members, and other stakeholders.
Demonstrate the professionalism of your organization – something top talent is seeking. This shows that you respect candidates’ time. For example, limit the length of interviews and phone calls, and clearly communicate expectations and timelines – and stick to them.
Small gestures like offering the candidate a glass of water before the interview and showing them where the restrooms are can go a long way to making prospective candidates feel comfortable.
Don’t ignore candidates after the interview process. Provide them with your contact information and make yourself available to answer any follow-up questions. Even candidates that don’t get hired should be treated as stakeholders as they might be a perfect fit for another opportunity at a future point in time.
By treating candidates as you’d treat your important stakeholders (e.g., registrants, members, the public, etc.) creates a positive impression of your organization, fosters goodwill, and helps attract top talent who value respect and professionalism.
Ensure your job advertisements reflect your organization.
Your job advertisements should authentically reflect your organization and its culture as you want to attract applicants who can see themselves fitting into the work culture. If your organization’s culture is a mix of professionalism and fun, be sure your job ads reflect that.
Conveying your organizational culture in job advertisements will help you attract candidates who resonate with your company culture, increasing the likelihood of finding people who are both a good fit for the duties and responsibilities of the role, and your organization.
Leverage social media
Social media will help you reach a broader or more targeted audience. You can also leverage social media to engage with potential candidates directly and showcase your organization’s culture.
Great talent is often found among those already familiar with your organization and who are following you on social media. Using social media effectively will help make your organization more appealing to job seekers.
If your organization’s social media game isn’t up-to-snuff to meet the demands of today’s highly competitive market, know you’re not alone. Many organizations know the value of social media and would like to have a more effective online presence, but simply don’t have the resources to keep up with the demands of social media.
MDR Strategy Group can help. We have been working with many regulatory bodies to help them develop and implement social media strategies. We’d be happy to explain our services to you – don’t hesitate to reach out! Contact our team.
Utilize niche job boards.
Utilizing niche job boards will enable you to target specific audiences and reach people who are more likely to have the specialized skills and the right experience needed for the position you’re looking to fill. It also helps reduce the time spent sorting through the hundreds of irrelevant applications you may receive if you advertise your jobs on more general job boards.
The regulatory sector is niche, and typically people working within the sector want to stay within the sector. Using a job board focused on this sector – like RegulatoryJobs.org – where regulatory bodies and agencies and the right talent connect.
Make sure the interviews are engaging.
The interview process is an important one as you’re trying to get as much information as possible about a candidate in a short amount of time. Often this leads to interviews feeling more like an interrogation than a conversation which can be a major turn-off for top talent.
Instead, make sure your interviews are engaging.
Take a few moments at the beginning of the interview to build rapport with the candidate. This could involve asking open-ended questions about their journey to the interview, expressing interest in their background or experiences, or finding common ground to connect on.
Instead of simply firing off a list of questions, aim for a more conversational approach. Allow the candidate space to share their thoughts, experiences, and insights, and be prepared to engage in follow-up questions or discussions based on their responses.
Engaging interviews can lead to higher acceptance rates and is a great first step at improving retention.
Showcase your organization through recruitment videos.
Recruitment videos are invaluable tools as they offer a visual and engaging platform to showcase your organization, including its mission, vision, culture, workplace environment, and team dynamics.
These videos provide candidates with a clearer understanding of what it’s like to work at your organization, facilitating a smoother recruitment process. By familiarizing candidates with your organization prior to their interviews, recruitment videos save considerable time and ensure that candidates already possess a basic understanding of your organization.
This can also help vet candidates who are genuinely aligned with your organization’s values and goals before they even apply.
Use an Applicant Tracking System.
An Applicant Management System (ATS) can be an effective tool to streamline the recruitment process by tracking and managing applications more efficiently and effectively. An ATS enables recruiters to track the progress of candidates through the hiring pipeline, ultimately leading to savings of both time and resources.
Many smaller (and some larger) organizations in the regulatory sector do not have an Applicant Tracking System as they can be costly. RegulatoryJobs.org is here to help with our complimentary, integrated ATS. If your organization has an ATS you can link to your own ATS instead of using the one on RegulatoryJobs.org. The choice is yours.
In today’s competitive market, organizations must elevate their recruitment strategies to secure top talent. To further empower your recruitment initiatives, consider partnering with RegulatoryJobs.org. Contact us today to sign up and gain valuable support for your recruitment endeavors.
Together, we can elevate your talent acquisition game and ensure your organization thrives in the competitive landscape.
This article provides many tips to job seekers looking for their first opportunity in Canada’s regulatory sector. It provides links to additional resources and organizations in an effort to provide sufficient context for job seekers. This is intended for publication on platforms catering to job seekers and professionals considering a career change. Originally published on www.regulatoryjobs.org.