Global resourcing challenge? Maybe, so invest in the talent of the future!

Posted by Charlie Lambert | Posted 28/07/2022

From Cabinet Ministers to Catering staff, from Skegness to Southampton, we all know there is a massive resource challenge across the UK. But what is the best way to solve it?

There are too many companies, of all shapes and sizes, looking for the perfect match. We all know it might be easier to make a hire of an individual that can hit the ground running, has done a similar role for a competitor or across the same industry. However, in reality there are multiple examples of positions remaining open for many weeks, months, or in some cases years. The average mid-level technology vacancy is currently taking upwards of 3 months to fill.

So, what steps can companies take to solve these challenges long term? Well, stop thinking about the here and now, and start thinking about the “tomorrow” by investing in the talent of the future.

Worry less about the qualifications, skill set, years of experience they’ve had, or how well they score on a generic off the shelf technical test. Instead start looking at applicants for their long-term worth to your business. Understand junior talent and learn what their drivers, motivations and aspirations are for the future.

Our view here at Sanderson Government & Defence is that the current market is set in for many months to come. And companies that begin to readdress their hiring strategies now, are the ones that will win long term. As such my high-level overview of some simple steps to take are:

• Meet more candidates – It might sound simplistic but look for reasons to interview, it’s always easy to find a reason to not meet an applicant, however, be more open minded when reviewing a CV. Some of the best candidates get overlooked because their CV wasn’t the strongest.
• Candidate experience is key – Put yourself in the candidates’ shoes. If someone attends five interviews then so much has to line up for the candidate to accept your role. One poor experience during the recruitment process could end the process. An applicant needs to leave your interview really wanting your opportunity. Being positive and promoting the opportunity and the company, doesn’t mean you have to offer. Think about the applicant’s wider network post interview, poor experiences will be shared and could impact you further down the line.
• Listen to the candidate’s needs – Post pandemic, the need for flexibility is key. The reality is the future worker is different. Yet so many companies and hiring managers have done little to change their interview approach to adapt to the market. Think about Hybrid / remote working, part time, flexible hours, personal circumstances, work-life balance, and then adapt the interview to bend to the candidate’s needs.
• Hire for personality and train for technology – A CV will tell you what a candidate has achieved so far in their career, but nothing about what they can achieve in the future. This comes down to them as an individual and can only be identified by meeting face to face an interviews and understanding their desire and ability to learn new skills. It’s very common that adopting this approach will give any organisation a stronger more rounded work force 12 months down the line.
• Look to adapt the interview/process to suit the candidate – No two candidates are ever going to be the same, so rolling out the same process time and time again will often mean you only ever hire a certain type of individual. This is especially true of the entry and junior level applicants. Think about a few aspects ahead of interview, what can your role/company offer to resonate with the applicant. This goes far deeper than money. If the candidate’s passion is tech then talk about it, if the office and cultural environment is of interest, then invite them in and give them a tour, meet the team, and give them a genuine feel for the environment. If it’s about the progression and learning, then showcase how the training works and courses available to them (ideally with case studies of recent joiners who have been a success). It’s all too common that the biggest reason a person should accept an offer is found out once the person has started, or worse still comes to light after they have accepted elsewhere.

So, in summary, a hiring manager will often find recruiting for their team as one of the most time consuming and stressful aspects of their role. However, at Sanderson G&D, we passionately believe that by adopting the above simple techniques, will help us go a long way to securing some fantastic talent to future proof your business.