Across the board, industries in New Zealand are currently dealing with the challenges of recruiting in a competitive market, and the construction, industrial and manufacturing sectors are among the hardest hit. As has been the case for a long time now, there’s a huge demand for candidates but not enough to go around, and with employers in a race to secure great talent, these candidates have their pick of opportunities.
When hiring in a candidate short market, it’s important to find ways to stand out and gain that crucial edge over your competition. While this involves moving quickly, it’s also about understanding how to make a role attractive. Here are our top strategies to help you secure quality talent when the candidate is king.
Be Flexible with What You’re Looking For
In a competitive market, finding the right people can be tough, but a bit of flexibility can open up a much wider talent pool and drastically expand your options.
Look for candidates who may not have direct experience, but do have the right attitude, plenty of potential and an eagerness to learn and grow their skills. Once hired, you can provide them with any training they need to get up to speed and able to start contributing to your team as soon as possible.
Of course, we know how important reliability is in a worker, particularly when it comes to temp staff. When you work with a recruiter, you can rely on them to put forward reliable, hardworking people who will be an asset to your business (learn more about how to hire reliable temp staff, here).
Focus on Ways to Attract Candidates
In the current climate, it’s essential your employment offering is enticing enough to attract the best candidates on the market. This means having the right pay rates, at or above market value if you can afford it (to benchmark your rates against those that other employers in your industry are currently offering, click here). It also means providing appealing shifts, opportunities for further work, as well as benefits such as development and training opportunities (it might be upskilling on the job, the chance to study for new licences or additional qualifications).
If you’re not sure where you stand in your employment offering, a good option is to connect with a specialist recruiter, like us here at OneStaff. We actively stay up to date with the latest industry standards when it comes to remuneration and benefits, and we thoroughly understand what top candidates want in a new role, whether it’s a labour hire position or a permanent one.
Move Quickly Through the Process
At the best of times, the construction, industrial and manufacturing job market moves quickly, with candidates’ availability shifting at a moment’s notice. Given the current competitiveness for great people, it’s more important than ever that you act fast to secure that top candidate before someone else does. The following steps will give you the best chance of locking in your first choice:
- Simplify the way you hire
Review your current process and remove any unnecessary steps that could hold things up. Ensure you have secured all the relevant approvals ahead of time and know how much you can pay so that you are ready to move as soon as you find the right person. - Maintain communication
Keep up communication with your recruiter so the candidate understands your timeline and next steps. If you’re really keen on a particular person, be sure to let your recruiter know as soon as possible before the candidate is placed in another temp job. When hiring for a permanent position, it’s important to avoid ending the interview on vague terms, as this leaves the door open for that great potential staff member to consider other opportunities before you get back to them. - Be decisive
Move quickly through the process and try to make a decision as promptly as possible. A good option to consider when hiring permanent team members is to make a verbal offer that is conditional on satisfactory reference checks so that you can be first in line for your ideal hire.
Use Specialist Support to Get a Leg Up On Your Competition
To secure the people you need in New Zealand’s current employment market, speed is the name of the game. That’s why working with a recruiter who already has best practice hiring processes in place is so beneficial.
Here at OneStaff, we specialise in construction, industrial and manufacturing recruitment and possess unmatched industry knowledge, extensive networks and a deep talent pool you can draw from. Whether you’re in need of labour hire or are looking to expand your permanent team, we’ll manage the entire process for you, maintain momentum with candidates and ensure we only present you with the most dedicated and reliable people.
Reach out to your local OneStaff branch today to discuss how we can help you win the war for talent.
