With a paradigm shift in work culture across industries, candidates’ expectations have also changed from employers. The candidate-centric market has created the need to have a strong marketing strategy to get the right talent.

The critical hiring process demands innovative communication such as the use of video as a medium of communication to convey more than just written text, suggested Ben Eubanks, Chief Research Officer, Lighthouse Research and Advisory while addressing a session during the just concluded Tech HR Singapore 2022.

On why just posting a job and hoping for the best is no longer enough nowadays, Eubanks explained that candidates’ thinking and priorities have changed over a period of time.

“Men, women, and employees of different age groups have their own set of priorities. The one-size-fit approach is not going to help managers when reaching out to candidates. The way they approach and engage them needs to have some different flavors, depending on whom they are talking to,” he added.

Highlighting candidates’ desires and converting them into great hires, Eubanks also suggested managers be creative while posting a job on any platform to stand out in the job market. He reiterated the need to have effective communication, not the traditional document-based one while posting a new job to get the best talent.

Additionally, communication should not just be limited to job postings but structuring career pages on the company’s website, what information you are sharing out there must be taken into consideration. “It would be wise to have content about things that matter to candidates,” he suggested.

According to Eubanks, recruiting is no less than a marketing job. “The more you understand your customers the better you deliver. Similarly, understanding candidates' requirements, expectations, and priorities would help recruiters tap the talent and deal with attrition,” he added.

Listening to candidates also helps craft a better job pitch and serve them in a better manner. Nurturing relationships with job applicants is also helpful in dealing with the issue of ghosting.

How candidates are making decisions

Apart from understanding candidates’ needs, it is equally important to understand how they are making decisions. Eubanks suggested managers be quick in the hiring process. A fast application matters to candidates and they prefer to have it accomplished quickly. “You may end up losing the talent in the competitive market if you have a time taking process to follow,” added Eubanks.

Pay structure, transparency, flexibility, and respect are among a host of other things candidates consider while choosing a job for them.

Last but not least, work-life balance. This is one of the reasons people leave jobs because they feel stress and burnout. “It matters most to them. The ability to balance their work and fit it into their life rather than fitting their life around their work. They want to fit their work around the things that matter most to them in their life,” he concluded.