Be proactive in your recruitment.

When a job role becomes available, most companies will receive a job specification and create an advert from it. The advert could be placed within publications or on specific job sites, but is this really the best way of finding the right candidate?

At Andy File Associates we keep a record of how we source all the candidates we’ve placed and to date in 2013 only 28% were due to an advert we posted! If advertising is the first (or even only) step taken towards filling a vacancy then why does it only deliver the current candidate for us in one in four occasions?

There can be many reasons why job advertisements don't always attract the best candidates and in some cases is dependent on the industry in which you operate but here are our top 3.

1) Not all candidates read the full job description, but may just see the job title on their phone, tablet or computer and apply.  Assessing each application and giving feedback can be very time consuming.

2) The best candidates may not be proactively looking or find your advertisement. The Office of National Statistics believe only 10% of candidates are actively seeking!  The best candidate may not even be thinking of moving on, but when we contact them and explain your opportunity it can interest them to apply!

3) Exaggerated applications can be tailored for that role. Often an applicant will edit their application and CV to match what you’re looking for. We often see this when a job spec is bullet pointed, you receive a CV that then answers every bullet point but upon phone interview it is apparent that the document is not a true reflection of their skillset.

So what to do instead? Let Andy File Associates find you the right candidates. There are a number of ways that we source suitable candidates for the positions we have available.

Job Boards: We have access to a number of job boards where we can search for candidates on a number of criteria. 

Social Media: LinkedIn has changed the recruitment industry, some see it as a threat but we love it! We use our extensive networks on LinkedIn, as well as Twitter and Facebook to spread the message when we have a role available and also use these platforms to source and research candidates.

Word of mouth
Our network doesn’t just exist online and by spreading the word we will often pick up a strong candidate. 

Our pool of candidates
Over the past 4.5 years we have interviewed a wide variety of candidates and have had over 350 candidates temp via us.  These candidates are often tried and tested, giving us additional confidence in their skills, ability and potential.  

Placing just an advert is an expensive way of ensuring you receive a lot of poor fitting applicants

 Andy's tip on sourcing the right candidate

"We will be proactive and match the skills and attributes you are looking for, but will also encourage you to look at a 'curve ball' candidate. This may be someone who doesn't tick all the boxes on the specification, but we feel could be a good fit for your organisation. Often the right personality and work ethic will be a better long term placement.  My top tip is allow us to do the selection of candidates for you to interview, allowing the occasional curve ball to be seen"