The War for Talent refers to the increasing competition between recruiters in the search for ‘top talent’ – a term given to highly skilled, educated or otherwise desirable workers who will aid to the future success of a company. The lack of so-called talent can be attributed to a shift in demographics, which has left a gap in the employment market. Put simply, there just aren’t enough skilled employees to fill the gaps left by their retired predecessors.

With fewer desirable employees available, and a growing number of open vacancies to fill, there is increasing pressure on recruiters to find skilled candidates – thus leading to the war for talent. Many employers have optimized their recruiting techniques in order to gain the competitive edge; this applies to everything from the job advertisement to the on-boarding process.

Employer Branding

The battle begins with the job advertisement. Today’s recruiters understand the importance of employer branding in the war for talent, and are putting increasing importance creating attractive, eye-catching job ads. Asides from an emphasis on design, some employers are also hiring professional photographers to showcase their company as a whole. By advertising a positive brand image employers are more likely to win over their target audiences.

Planning ahead in the War For Talent

Instead of waiting for a position to become available, modern employers are collecting resumes for future use. Many career sites now encourage unsolicited applications. As for applicants who fall short of an offer, they can also opt for their profile to be stored for future use. This way recruiters ensure a steady supply of skilled candidates, putting themselves one step ahead in the war for talent.

The War For Talent and Recruitment Services

The war for talent has produced new solutions to help employers gain the competitive edge. Professional online services and recruitment software companies offer state of the art systems to optimize their selection process. This allows, for example, simultaneous multi-posting to mainstream job boards, career sites, college sites etc and sophisticated selection tools to then filter out the cream of the crop.

Social Recruiting in The War For Talent

A modern day solution to a modern day dilemma: With most young professionals actively using 1-3 social networks, it makes sense to attract them via social channels too. Savvy employers are winning the war for talent by advertising jobs via social platforms, and encouraging existing employees to spread the word via their own social networks.

Pre-Selection in The War For Talent

These days there are a number of pre-selection services available to aid a company in the war for talent. Outside Assessment firms can accurately test and rate applicants to filter out the best possible candidates for a role. Other techniques include professional questionnaires to accurately assess which applicants are best suited to a position.

Interview Techniques to Win The War

A common mistake in the war for talent is to extend an offer based on nothing more than a ‘gut instinct’ in the hurry to fill a position. The employers coming out on top are those who thoroughly research their techniques, take time to interview all of their candidates and where possible, collaboratively decide on a new hire with their HR team.

Onboarding and Staff Engagement

The war for talent isn’t necessarily won when an offer is extended. In order to keep their new hires, today’s employers are focusing more and more on successfully integrating and engaging their new staff member to ensure that their hard earned win stays put. See our blog articles for more info on modern day engagement techniques.

The War for Talent and softgarden

softgarden recruitment software can dramatically help employers in the war for talent, beginning with professional ads; softgarden software allows its users to easily design attractive ads, using company logo’s and colours as well as the option of professional copywriting and photography services. These ads can then be simultaneously, multi posted to the company website, mainstream career boards, university career sites, social media channels etc. Plus, softgarden offers companies the ‘jobs for friends’ tool, which actively encourages employee referral via existing staff, through their social networks.

Asides from the above, softgarden can further assist in the war for talent by streamlining the application process for candidates, and optimizing the selection process for employers. Applicant’s can apply online with the click of a button via PC, laptop, tablet or even smartphone, plus they are kept informed with automated friendly emails.
Employers can create pre-defined criteria to organize their applicants, making it easier to select the right candidates for interview. Additionally, collaborative tools allow recruiting teams to discuss and choose the right candidates together. See the softgarden website for more information on our recruitment software.