With so much competition to win top talent within a candidate-short market, and organisations desperate to grow their revenue, there has never been a more important time to sell your company to prospective candidates. In a candidate-driven market, businesses will do well to understand the main starting point in attracting top-level candidates for the positions they have advertised. Candidates are not necessarily driven solely by salary, they are interested in the full package, which includes the benefits.

Benefits package

A comprehensive benefits package can play a major part in securing a candidate. If the benefits include flexible working, childcare vouchers, private healthcare, etc. then the company needs to highlight this when a conversation takes place. They can be key selling points and other benefits such as free car parking or reduced-cost travel are also very attractive. Candidates are interested in the ‘environment’ on offer too, such as dress down days, office/team events, etc. On top of this, any available progression opportunities should be highlighted. 

Application and interview process

It is important for businesses to have a streamlined application process in place for candidates, otherwise, they may find themselves encountering difficulties. There needs to be an equal playing field across the board. If candidates are asked to apply for a role, they need to know that other candidates are going through the same process. If the role is being recruited via an agency, the agency will work with the candidate to ensure that they are represented correctly. 

From panel to competency-based, there are many different interview types to choose from. To find out what types work best when trying to secure the services of top-level candidates, it depends on the business itself. However, in a candidate-driven market, the speed in which a company can interview and then subsequently offer a role can ensure they secure the best candidate. Panel interviews usually take a lot of time to arrange, and this can cause the candidates to take another offer by the time they are required to interview. Therefore a quick turnaround is essential. 

Key stages in successfully selling a brand 

Businesses must fully take advantage of the opportunities that platforms like social media bring. It’s true, many companies use social media to attract candidates to their brand, because many candidates are keen to understand the environment and what the company can offer. Using social media as a way of highlighting team successes, events, etc. can give a positive impression about the business.

An informative website that has employee testimonials, example career paths, and that showcases the benefits on offer, can help sell your organisation’s brand and company culture. With the use of sites such as Glassdoor, candidates have access to reviews on prospective workplaces, and in such a scenario, it would be useful for the company to have testimonials on the website alongside the reviews to help sell the value of their company and make working there an attractive proposition. 

Companies should consider actively selling their corporate social responsibility frameworks, workplace flexibility, and the core values, to appeal to a new generation of workers as these are some of the most common ‘desirables’ when looking for a new role. 

If you are interested in hiring top professionals to your organisation, please get in touch with one of our specialist recruitment consultants for a confidential discussion. Alternatively, if you are a professional looking for your next opportunity, why not create a MyPage account to find the opportunities best suited to your skill set.

Emma Gregson
Operating Director, Page Personnel