Connecting Niche Technology Professionals

How Much Does Your Recruitment Cost?

How well do you understand the cost of your recruitment? When we speak about recruitment cost, it is often confused with recruitment fee and spoken of as a % or a fixed sum. If you don’t understand the detail, you can’t control your cost. Let’s break it down.If we re-engineer the cost model, we can spot the obvious additional costs.How much did you pay the recruitment or internal team for your last hire?How many hours of interviews did you conduct to make that hire?What is the cost for the interviewer’s involvement? i.e., in consultancy terms, the cost of the lost billable hours.How much time did you invest in screening the candidates? Again, equate the cost.What were your recruitment overheads? Systems, advertising, personal/company branding.Now you have your cost. How much beyond the initial % of fixed fee is it? I bet you’re surprised.How can you make this more effective?In the first instance, using a specialist is mandatory. Even volume exercises should be quality focussed. Why?Reduction in screening profiles when working with a specialist partner. Fewer interviews required for success. Think about those billables.One process can often unearth multiple stars. You may not hire all of them, however the groundwork has been laid for the next time you hire.Someone else is showcasing your company employment brand, which will lead to future direct applications. You’ve now saved a fee on a future hire.However, you approach your recruitment, lean into the data, and adjust your process to maximise the efficiencies. Doing so will reduce your overall recruitment cost.

Momentum is Key – Seems Obvious Right?

Momentum is the impetus and driving force gained by the development of a process or course of events. So how does this relate to hiring in digital markets?It’s no secret that most companies are feeling the effects of the talent shortage, this is evident no more so than in specialist technology markets. With competition high, companies are pulling out all the stops to ensure they are the potential employer of choice, and this means that the duration where a candidate is considering new opportunities is getting shorter. Awash with choice, it’s vital that not only your company stands out but also that you can move through the process with the correct momentum.Be ClearYou must have a defined hiring strategy that includes who you want to hire and when. This should then be shared with your recruitment partner to ensure that your goals are clearly determined for everyone to work towards. Whilst job descriptions aren’t always practical or necessary there must be a thought-out profile of the desired individual, their experience, cultural fit, certifications. Time spent correcting misunderstandings around requirements of the role will be detrimental to your strategy and will impact your hiring momentum. Be StreamlinedYou’ be right to assume that any candidates you’re interviewing will also be interviewing elsewhere. Your recruitment partner will be able to advise on how the other interview process are progressing, but you should ensure your stages are moving at a similar pace. Creating a structured, yet flexible process is the best way to do this. Your candidates don’t need to meet with everyone in the team, therefore decide the key decision makers and make sure they have time in their schedule to conduct interviews. Making candidates wait a few weeks to meet with one person is increasing the risk of losing out to a competitor. Similarly, if time is of the essence to your candidate, could you combine two interview stages into one. Taking these steps demonstrates your interest and will ensure you won’t get left behind.Be ResponsiveSome of the greatest delays when hiring occur waiting for feedback. Setting target response times is a great way stop this from happening, for example the hirer should feedback to the recruiter within 24 hours of the interview. Not only is this good practice but will also resonate with candidates, as 69% of candidates would most like to see employer response time improved. In some cases, timely feedback to this extent may not be possible but remaining in contact and setting expectations (and sticking to them) can also be very effective.The effectTime kills deals. This is something we have all heard of it but when talent is such short supply the clock ticks faster. A timely process is crucial to building momentum, but you must also ensure that the process isn’t rushed. A candidate that is rushed through the process may feel they haven’t had the time to address all considerations in their mind and get a good understanding of role and company, meaning they may not have the confidence in what’s being present, to accept.Following these steps will increase your success rate against competitors and when this continues to happen, the market will begin to take note, becoming interested in your company and growth. The more positive noise in the market, the more interest. The more interest the more interviews. The more successful interviews, the more the momentum grows!

Do Not Damage your Employment Brand with a Poor Candidate Experience!

A positive candidate experience should be hardwired into your companies DNA. The ramifications are far reaching and extend beyond whether you hire them or not.Insight to your companyEvery interaction you have with a candidate, either directly or through a recruiter, is an insight into your company.Poor organisation at the interview stage? Poor organisation across the company?Engaging, interesting interview? Engaging, interesting work? Candidates will build a perception of your company and start to draw conclusions based on their experience. Not only this but 95% of candidates believe that the way a potential employer treats them as a candidate reflects how they would treat them as an employee. Get off to a bad start and the initial and future journey of a potential hire could be limited. ReputationThere are multiple platforms where candidates can share their frustrations and experiences. This has a greater impact than you may realise. Overcoming these objections creates unnecessary barriers to growing your business, meaning every experience needs to be a good one.In niche markets, word of mouth is the biggest killer. With so many forums, meetups, and expos, it’s easier than ever to share negative experiences and deter future hires. “My friend said …” is a common phrase that is difficult to objection handle, specifically with talent that is not actively considering a change.The long gameNot every candidate you interview is going to be right for company, similarly not every candidate you offer is going to accept. However, that doesn’t mean that will be the case forever. After a few years, or in some cases, just a few months, the candidate might come back on to your radar. Many candidates will draw upon their last experience with the company and interview process to decide whether to reengage and a lot of this will come down to clarity over why the process wasn’t successful first time around. Talent is four times more likely to consider your company in the future if you offer constructive feedback.

Turning Unsuccessful Candidates in to Marketeers

Rejecting candidates is part of the hiring process, however it isn’t a job that anyone relishes. When done correctly, a positive relationship is maintained that could prove very beneficial. When handled badly, the effects can be felt further than just that one disgruntled candidate.Candidates that have engaged with your company will have an opinion on your company and you want to ensure that this opinion remains positive, even after rejection, for a number of reasons:1. They are part of your industry. Candidates are likely to talk to friends and family about their interviewing experience, many of these may work in the same industry too. The word of their bad experience can quickly reverberate, reaching professionals that you hope would consider you to be a potential employer. They may not look upon you so favourably once hearing a bad review. Bad experience doesn’t just travel through word of mouth, and with the ever-increasing presence of review websites such as Glassdoor, candidates often take the internet to share their experience.55%of job seekers report avoiding certain companies after reading negative online reviews.2. Future opportunities. Just because the individual wasn’t right this time, doesn’t mean they won’t be suitable in the future. Providing a bad experience will mean the candidate is unlikely to apply again.80%of job seekers say they would not reapply to a company that offers them a poor application experience.3. Potential customers. With niche skill sets so in demand, it is likely candidates you’ve interviewed may choose to join one of your customers. It may be hard to rebuild this already soured relationship!Virgin Media found that 18% of their rejected job candidates were also customers.The detrimental effect a poor candidate experience can have on your business is evident, so how do you ensure rejected candidates remain brand ambassadors?Feedback quickly.Once the decision has been made, inform the candidate they have been unsuccessful immediately. Although this is never an enjoyable conversation to have, putting it off won’t make it any easier. A good time frame for this would be 24-48 hours. If however, this isn’t possible, explain to the candidate, they will understand that there are sometimes delays and will respect that you’re keeping them informed. You should offer them a new timescale, and stick to it, this way the candidate isn’t waiting, twiddling their thumbs.Be personal.Rejections should be handled in a personal manner. Whether this is through your recruitment partner or directly yourself, the rejection should be delivered via a phone call. The candidate has taken time out of their schedule to prepare for their interview and meet with you, using a generic rejection email is unprofessional and impersonal. If unavailable to speak, leaving a voicemail stating the outcome of the interview but offering the opportunity to talk through the decision, gives the candidate the opportunity to reply if they want to.Feedback constructively.A rejection gives the candidate an opportunity to learn and develop their skills, offering detailed but constructive feedback can be very valuable.Firstly, you should check that the candidate wants to hear feedback, some may be disappointed about being unsuccessful and not want to listen further. Most, however, will be interested to understand why. It is important that feedback does not feel like a character assassination, therefore you should stick to professional reasons around their experiences and skills. In some cases, it may also be appropriate to offer advice around what certifications or courses they might consider undertaking to build their knowledge. Keep the door open.As mentioned earlier, just because the candidate isn’t right currently, doesn’t mean they won’t be down the line. If the candidate has performed well, you should suggest for them to keep an eye on your careers page and consider applying for future openings. Connecting on LinkedIn is also a good way to keep communication open.Ask for their thoughts.78% of job seekers report that they’ve never been asked for feedback on their candidate experience. As a hiring manager this could provide valuable information on how to improve your interview process for future candidates. It will also make the candidate feel their opinion is valued and respected.In markets where talent is in short supply, creating positive experiences from negative outcomes, should be seen as an investment into future talent pools, whether that is the individual directly, or through the ripples of their story throughout the industry.

How do the Best Companies Attract and Retain Top Talent?

Even with the rise of technology and artificial intelligence, people remain a companies’ most important asset.Employee turnover is disruptive and expensive. Research shows that, on average, it costs a company 6 to 9 months of an employee’s salary to find a replacement. For an employee making €60,000 per year, it comes out to €30,000 – €45,000 in recruiting and training costs. High turnover rates can also impact company culture, productivity, and engagement of the team, in addition to the overhead cost.So how do the world's leading companies attract and retain their top talent?Foster a Culture of InnovationAs a company, it’s important to embrace technology, systems, and new ideas to evolve workflow. With so many brands competing for attention, it’s now more important than ever, that creativity and innovative thinking are critical to a company’s success. When employees feel their ideas are valued and they are supported to try new things, they will be more engaged and develop a passion for the brand. Keep in mind, innovation doesn’t happen in a confined box. Building diversity into your teams brings new perspectives that make way for a culture of innovation.Research studies have shown that 50% of the workforce are not engaged and are simply turning up to go through the motions.Create Career PathsBuilding an organisational structure that allows for career growth takes time and strategy. Being able to show candidates where they can go and how they get there is critical to both attracting top talent as well as retaining them. Companies also need to provide and invest in the right resources. By investing in your employees, you create an environment of support and encouragement that helps employees move up the professional ladder and produce higher-quality work. Common opportunities for professional development include conferences, education classes and training for certifications, but should be tailored to the position and relevant to the individual’s goals.Promote Your MissionYounger generations of workers want to understand the “why” behind an organisation’s purpose. The mission and purpose must be promoted from the top of the company and felt in every department. Purpose is what drives us to do great work. Not only does your company need to maintain clearly identified values, no matter their age or seniority, but every employee must understand his or her role in supporting the mission to achieve the collective results.Allow Career Growth & Opportunities to ThriveCandidates want to see that there are opportunities for developing within a business, so companies need to prove that they can lay down the resources necessary for professional development, if they do not want to see high staff turnover.It’s too easy for staff to be taken for granted. To keep people long-term, it’s crucial that employees are helped to play to their strengths.If a business has a strategic thinker who is extremely creative but can’t write with confidence, it makes no sense for the business to use that person 90% of the time producing reports. If people are allowed to do what they are good at, then everyone gains.Recognition & RewardRecognition and rewards need to be both intrinsic and extrinsic. Extrinsic motivation involves doing something because you want to earn a reward like praise, bonuses, or public recognition – or even the desire to avoid punishment. Intrinsic motivation is much more important – it involves doing something because it’s personally rewarding to do. It enables employees to feel they are connected and are important cogs in the wheels, while having autonomy, freedom, and opportunities to grow personally.LeadershipAmbitious candidates are keen to know who they will be working for. This includes senior executives, line managers, or anyone with authority. The companies that come top of the list for being sought after places to work show great leadership and exhibit integrity.In a recent survey held by LinkedIn, a recognisable CEO proved to be a key selling point. Admittedly, not every business leader is going to be comparable to the likes of Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk, but familiarity with a CEO and their thought processes, beliefs and personality traits are all key ingredient for transparency – this makes for a more informed decision by potential candidates.Put Your People FirstThe best way to attract and keep top talent is to create a culture where your employees want to work. A culture in which people are motivated, supported and challenged every day. It’s been proven that happy employees work harder, improving personal productivity by 12%, while unhappy employees can be up to 10% less productive. If your employees are happy, it will radiate through the communications with your clients. Happy employees = happy clients, and that’s good for your bottom line.An issue identified early in the recruitment process relates to the use of a points-scoring system. There will be candidates who can demonstrate their ability to successfully fulfil tasks, or show that they have a particular skill set, but this doesn’t address their behavioural or cultural fit within the business. After all, skills can be fine-tuned and learned if needed, whereas personality traits cannot.

Why it’s important to provide feedback?

When it comes to feedback in the interview process, most people will automatically assume we are talking about the hirers feedback on the candidate. However, feedback should be a three-way exchange between the hirers, recruiters, and candidates. Each party will be able to offer unique and valuable insights that can dramatically influence the interviewing and hiring process.HirersThe hirers main feedback will be focused on candidates, whether this is on an initial CV submission or after an interview. When working with a recruitment partner, the feedback will be delivered directly to them. It is important that this exchange is as honest and detailed as possible, as further information around the requirements of the role and cultural fit will arise that may not have been mentioned previously.Recruiters will use this additional information as assessment criteria for future candidate submissions, therefore the more detailed feedback the hirer can give the more accurate the candidates presented will be.Of course, the biggest irritation for candidates is lack of feedback, so the hirer must ensure that they are feeding back to the recruiter in a timely manner, on all candidates."52% of job seekers said the number one frustration during the job search is a lack of response from employers".Candidates that don’t receive feedback are not only highly unlikely to consider a job with that company again, but they are also 5x more likely to share a negative interview experience with their peers, than a positive one. Not providing feedback can quickly give you a bad reputation in the market.CandidatesThe feedback of candidates is vitally important, not just in the interview stage, but also when the recruiter initially goes to market. This is often undervalued. During the interview stage, recruiters should be continuously eliciting the candidate’s thoughts and opinions on the role and company. This gives the recruiter a better understanding of the candidate’s motivators, concerns, and situation, allowing time to address these and manage the stages correctly.Feedback of the overall interview process is also important. If candidates feel it is particularly lengthy or they dislike the style of the interview, this can be useful for the company to know and potentially take onboard to make changes.RecruitersThe role of the recruiter in the feedback cycle is incredibly important - they will be on the receiving end of fresh and raw reactions from both parties. It is their job to deliver this in a constructive way, but also offer advice, as they can be faced with some hard truths. For example, when initially going to market, recruiters might find they face some challenges regarding the perception of the company. The recruiter will then need to present this back to the company and perhaps help on how to address this at interview stage. Similarly, the feedback from the hirer on the candidate may not be great, so, the recruiter will need to present this in a way they can work on and improve this for future interviews.A hiring process that takes the feedback from each party with equal importance and respect, is undoubtedly going to be most effective and successful. Even if the result is not a hire, everyone will come out with a positive impression and the opportunity to learn from it. Forming a close relationship with your recruiter and allowing them to become a trusted advisor is only going to make the hiring process better, but also strengthen the value and productivity of feedback.

Why you Should Invest in your Recruiter

Beginning a new recruitment campaign can already feel demanding on your time. The temptation to send a rough brief to multiple agencies and wait for the CVs to roll in is understandable, but taking the time to invest in one or two good agencies will pay you back tenfold. How urgent is your hire and how committed are you to making it?In most contingent recruitment processes, companies do not pay a few until the individual is hired. Sometimes engaging with multiple agencies to deliver the best results. Risk free right?Sometimes. But now you’ve created additional risk and time constraints for all your recruiters. There is a lower % chance of an outcome, reducing motivation and commitment from all your recruiters – diminishing the quality and speed of your service.They will do the same thing that you have just done, and “hedge” on other companies, splitting their time evenly on other processes. You might get the right person, or you might get an expedient person.Invest time to build a partnership.If you have a recruitment strategy that is going to involve multiple hires, you should be looking to build a partnership with your recruiter. Investing in your relationship is more than just finding people.Have you considered the following:They market your message. Approaching the best talent in the market carries risk, if you don’t know how to position the brand, role, team, and key people. Even the candidates you don’t interview/hire are now prospects due to the quality of the approach and message.Consistency. They have the benefit of knowing what you look for and repeating that pattern.The trust has already been built with the recruiter. We know what makes the candidate tick, and why the match is a good one. A specialist recruiter would have spent several years building relationships with their candidates, take advantage of this.Don’t assume that you have a positive employment brand in every part of your business. Recruitment partners may not always like giving candid feedback on your prospects, but if they committed to getting you the people you need, they will help you to overcome the challenges, not just provide you with “who is available” or “who needs a job”.No two hires are the same, and sometimes it will make sense to have a distant relationship with your recruiter. Before starting the process, think about what you are trying to achieve and plan your approach accordingly.

Identifying and Retaining High Performers

Studies have shown that one high performing employee can deliver as much productivity as up to four average employees.As a Hiring Manager, it‘s vital to know how to identify these individuals, how to attract them to your organisation, how to manage them and most importantly, how to retain them.How do you identify a high performer?Over the years, researchers have tried to identify the key traits of high performers, with numerous demographic information linking high performance to gender and social expectations. Artificial Intelligence has been used to try and pre-determine high performers from their career background; but of course, the reality is that high performers are individuals that cannot be identified from normalised data analytics.A high performer will be self-motivated, empathetic and driven. They will want to align an organisation to their life, their needs and their goals. They will ask questions around flexibility, autonomy, and trust. Not because they want to take advantage of these things, but they want to be able to continue to perform in all aspects of their lives whilst not being restricted to the traditional norms of a 9 - 5 work environment. They will expect to be paid at the level that they are worth, but it will not be the motivator that keeps them within a business.What are high performers looking for?A high performer will need to know they are trusted to be creative. They will want to have the authority and autonomy in their roles to do this and be respected for looking for options. They may come back to an original option, but the creativity will build innovation within an organisation, and that is what will motivate them.They may not want to necessary lead others, but they want to be a driver and motivator of others. They will seek to be in a role that challenges their interests, builds their capabilities, provides them learning (and they will seek this out within and outside of an organisation’s structure) and they will want to network. They will seek out a mentor, they will look for someone to aspire to be like, and they will look for others that they can access to learn from and understand things that they wish to learn about.High performers generally want to have a family and a career, and not work in an environment that requires them to prioritise one over the other. They will surround themselves with people that are also high performers, which means that they may have a partner that also is in a high performing career and they want to share in the parenting and life duties that predominantly use to be left to a full time “homemaker” role. This is an important new area of focus for organisations, so they can understand how to support a high performer across all aspects of their life.Lifelong learning is vital to a high performer and they will want to be supported in this. A key difference, however, is that they do not always rely on their organisation to actually provide this. High performers seek out learning to suit their own current priorities and needs but will seek an environment that provides them time to achieve this.A high performer will not excel in an organisation that blocks their performance. They generally don’t always want to stand on ceremony and be rewarded in a very outward way, but they would need to work for a leader that is not seen as a blocker, or someone that does not provide the visibility of their skills and capabilities within an organisation.How should you manage high performers?Retaining top employees requires managers to truly understand the best practices for dealing with high-performing employees.1. Allow flexibility, not micromanagement.Trust top performers to get the work done, as these self-starters crave the autonomy to operate in the manner they prefer. That flexibility extends to managers staying open to learning from top employees as they discover more efficient, innovative ways to get things done.2. Give consistent, constructive feedback.High performers are always looking to improve. Actionable feedback is essential.Establish regular meetings, whether it be weekly or monthly, to review their work, offer feedback and to discuss their goals. The frequency is not as important as the consistency.3. Give them what they need to succeed.Use your one-on-one time to learn how you can best support your high-performing employees. Use email or internal messaging for regular reporting.Focus on learning about their obstacles, resource needs or changes that might impact their priorities, so you can help provide your top performer with what they need to succeed.4. Tell them how they can contribute and benefit.Assigning special projects can help keep high performers interested and motivated. Don’t forget to tell employees what new skill they will learn by completing the task. Letting people know you’re looking to challenge them with a task can motivate performers to stay.5. Provide opportunities for personal and professional growth.Lack of growth is often a top reason why high performers leave.Help them identify a career path at your company that’s aligned with metrics and your HR policies. That way, you’ll have support internally when the time comes for their promotion.Encourage their learning with opportunities for online courses, conferences, networking events or connecting with high performers at other organisations.By demonstrating that you’ve developed their upward trajectory, you can keep them engaged in their current role.6. Group your top performers with like-minded employees.A major reason why people stay at companies like Google or Amazon is the ability to work with other high performers. If you can’t build a high-performing team, match the employee with a senior mentor who can inspire them.Also, invite your best people to help with recruiting and interviewing potential candidates. They can learn new skills while assisting in identifying top talent.7. Recognise and reward them.Delegate important assignments to your high performers. Let them know you recognise the value of their contributions by highlighting their achievements and rewarding them for their hard work._____________As an organisation, if you are wanting to look at how you are recruiting and retaining high performers, the challenge will be looking at how you build a culture and work environment that can support these base needs. Trust in their capabilities, respect their commitment and expertise, and understand their life needs - these are all key to becoming an organisation that attracts high performers.

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How Much Does Your Recruitment Cost?

Momentum is Key – Seems Obvious Right?

Do Not Damage your Employment Brand with a Poor Candidate Experience!

Turning Unsuccessful Candidates in to Marketeers

How do the Best Companies Attract and Retain Top Talent?

Why it’s important to provide feedback?

Why you Should Invest in your Recruiter

Identifying and Retaining High Performers

Cloud & Digital Recruitment Specialists​

TEST JOB

A Few of Our Clients

How Much Does Your Recruitment Cost?

Momentum is Key – Seems Obvious Right?

Do Not Damage your Employment Brand with a Poor Candidate Experience!

Turning Unsuccessful Candidates in to Marketeers

How do the Best Companies Attract and Retain Top Talent?

Why it’s important to provide feedback?

Why you Should Invest in your Recruiter

Identifying and Retaining High Performers

Cloud & Digital Recruitment Specialists