Struggling to attract talent? Here are 5 things you should know.

Talent challenges are the number one issue keeping leaders awake at night (KPMG).

Around 20% of Australian workers left their jobs in 2022.

Unemployment reached a 50-year low in early 2023. It’s on the rise, but still low.

Less than 30% of people are engaged at work.

Whichever way you look at it, the employer/employee relationship has changed. Forget the ‘war on talent’. We’re in the era of talent.

Recruitment isn’t about you as an employer. It’s about the people you’re trying to attract.

Why are you really struggling to recruit?

It’s easy to blame hiring challenges on quiet quitting, the great resignation or a talent shortage, but there’s always more to the story.

Are you holding out to find talent that doesn’t exist?

Are you failing to offer the salary or benefits people are looking for?

Is your flexible work policy – or lack thereof – standing in your way?

Is your approach to finding great people focused on you - or them?

Maybe your struggle runs deeper.

Do you understand the value your organisation can offer to people (your EVP), and do you know how to articulate it?

Are you using compelling, authentic content to tell your story?

Are you thinking beyond job boards to reach and engage the right people in your mission?

Don’t do these things

Here’s what we’d recommend you don’t do:

• Post a job ad that starts with ‘about us’ and resembles a shopping list.

• Post the same job ad you used last time you hired.

• Cut + paste from a job description and use this as an ad.

• *Only* post ads on job boards and hope for the best.

• Offer the job to the best of an average bunch.

• Give up and expect the team to pick up the slack.

• Rely on automation to reach a large volume of people on LinkedIn.

You know none of these things are a good idea.

5 things you can do to improve your talent attraction 

It’s time to tackle talent challenges with a new approach. Here are our 5 steps to success.

1. Treat recruitment as marketing

According to the 2022 Recruitment Marketing Report, 59% of employers believe that a recruitment-as-marketing approach has a high impact on talent attraction outcomes. 

When you’re in the market to expand your team, you’re not buying talent, but you are selling a job - and your organisation.

By treating your employer brand like marketing teams do a consumer brand, you’ll be in whole new mindset. You’ll be able to market the value your organisation provides to its people, give talent a reason to buy into your mission and want to be part of your team. 

In a world where 90% of job seekers favour organisations that maintain an active employer brand, you have an easy way to make an impact for incredible talent.

2. Start recruiting before you need to

In the era of talent, you’re always recruiting, even when you’re not hiring. It’s time to consider your employer brand as part of an always-on talent attraction strategy, even when you’re not actively trying to hire. 

In today’s talent market, people are looking past job boards, with 79% of active job seekers putting more stock in community-driven social recruiting channels.

When you put in the work to highlight your employer brand and engage people outside of hiring campaigns, you can attract even passive talent, all while setting your organisation up for long term success.

3. Understand your organisation

Just finding people to fill jobs won’t solve all your problems. One LinkedIn study revealed that 76% of hiring managers found it difficult to find the right people.

In today’s landscape, employers need to understand (and communicate) both sides of the talent equation - what the organisation needs and what they offer. Finding the right match is about serving both parties.

Before you can expect to attract great people, you need to understand your employee value proposition and be able to articulate an authentic, compelling employer narrative. Only then can you showcase your employer brand effectively and get top talent engaged.

4. Be a clear communicator

Most job ads fail to attract the talent they’re designed to reach. Why? Because they rarely speak to the people they’re trying to target.

Effective talent attraction and engagement (like most things in work and life) requires clear communication. Be concise, informative and honest. Give people the insight they need to make informed decisions about joining your team. 

Good recruitment means letting go of buzzwords. Be clear about the role and employee experience you’re offering, and provide information about salary, benefits, growth opportunities - and anything else people want to know.

5. Know the market, and stand out

Finally, effective talent attraction (like any marketing) requires a strong understanding of the market.

What do people want? How much are they being paid? What other benefits matter to them?

Why are they leaving jobs, and why do they stay? Market insights are a powerful way to inform your recruitment approach. Once you have this information, you figure out how to stand out from the crowd.

What next?

If these five steps make sense but you’re not sure where to start, Heart can help.

Looking for more information and insights about talent attraction and engagement? Check out Heart Talent’s employer resources.