5 proven ways to attract more talent to your jobs

Imagine being able to influence more of the right people to work for your company. It’s not as hard as you might think.

If you’ll be kind enough to share your next three minutes with me, I’ll share five proven ways that can attract more talented people to your jobs, and your business in the long run. 

But, please, before you do anything... 

Start with some research 

To date, I’ve gathered data from speaking with over 350 mining professionals. There’s a noticeable disconnect.  

Employers promote salary, bonuses, rosters and site facilities to attract people to their jobs. That’s because they believe they’re the most attractive selling points. 

They’re still important. However, my research also shows that candidates are motivated by a completely different set of needs.  

They care more about growing their expertise, career progression, quality of leadership, team, culture and long-term job stability. 

When you compare the two, there’s a distinct gap between what employers think people want, and what people care about. But it’s a gap that’s easy enough to narrow. How do you give more people a good enough reason to choose you over your competitors? 

Start with these five tweaks. 

Your careers page

Before we make big purchases, we like to explore offline and online. It’s no different for somebody making a significant career decision.  

What does your career page say? Is it wall-to-wall jobs like most, or do you make it all about potential employees? When you know what people care about, there’s an opportunity to highlight what people can expect when they work for you.  

The perks, benefits, how people work together, how people are supported, what training and development is offered, how people are promoted, a host of things. 

Highlight them and you’ll already be different to 90% of your competitors.  

Job adverts

One of the first interactions somebody has with your company is when they read one of your job ads.  

How are they written? Do they lead with what’s important to potential employees? If not, they should. Why? Because it’s the first thing they’ll look for. If your benefits are hidden 600 words into your ad, they likely won’t be seen. 

What benefits can you talk about? Here’s a short list: 

• Who the role reports to and how they support their team 

• Who they’ll be working with and how everyone works together  

• How someone can grow their skills/ expertise 

• Realistic and specific career pathways and promotions 

• How long people stick around  

• What autonomy someone would have in their role 

• Your tech and how it can help employees stay ahead in their field 

• Your perks, rosters, working from home, salary and all the usual trimmings 

People care about what’s in it for them. They don’t need a reminder of their duties, which is how most job ads are written. 

The job application experience

Arguably, the most frustrating part of job hunting is applying for jobs. The clunky application process and then the wait. Or no response at all.  You can stand out from most employers by making your jobs easy to apply to. Whether that’s at a desk or on a mobile. 

Do you need to ask somebody to explain their experience when they’ve uploaded their resume? Does your application process take less than a minute? Will you send them a reply and keep them engaged? 

Make your application process as fast and as simple as possible. Then send people a reply. Bonus points for making the reply engaging. Two bonus points for giving people an idea of when they can expect to hear again. 

The interview

Everything on your careers page and in your adverts can be backed up in an interview. It’s your best opportunity to show people that you can offer them the things they care about. 

It’s a two-way street, of course. The candidate is there to demonstrate their value. It’s good to reciprocate yours. Pull them in. 

By this stage, good candidates usually have their multiple irons in the fire. 

If your process involves multiple interviews or uncertainty around what happens next, there’s a much higher possibility of losing them at this stage. They’ve committed. They’re likely weighing up options. Time slows for nobody, so it’s in everyone’s interest to be clear and sharp.  

That doesn’t mean rushing your decision. Let candidates know how your interview process works. Share feedback quickly and keep them updated. If something changes, tell them. Never ghost people throughout your hiring process. 

You don’t need to have answers immediately. Clear communication is an excellent way to show people how your business operates. 

Work with a recruiter who knows your market

No surprises, you knew this was coming. I’ll keep it short.  

Not everyone considering their next move is browsing career pages and applying for jobs. However, plenty of people are open to hearing about opportunities. A recruiter working in your market should already be having those conversations. 

They should know what's important to candidates, and what’s stopping them from considering certain roles. They can also tell you when your message isn’t landing. 

Market feedback is important. Recruitment isn’t all about sending resumes. It should help you reach people you may not know about and understand what you might need to attract them. 

That's your five. Every one will work in your favour. Which one will you tweak first?

 

If you’ve been finding it hard to attract more of the right people, get in touch. Don't expect any sales pitches. If you’re open to some advice, I’m more than happy to share some with you. Completely gratis.

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