Glen Callum Associates advises on attracting and engaging staff in the current climate

Date: Friday 24 March 2023

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With 30 percent of businesses increasing recruitment in quarter four of 2022 and 28 percent of businesses planning to grow their team in quarter one of 2023, according to recent statistics released by Total Jobs, Glen Callum Associates (GCA) is pointing to the importance of planning ahead and having a clear strategy when it comes to recruitment.

According to the results, the time to hire on average was 6.4 weeks in quarter four of 2022 – this is two weeks longer on average than in 2021 – so with candidate availability currently tight, recruiters are having to work harder to find and engage candidates.

With 52 percent of jobseekers reading company reviews and researching company performance before applying, making your business attractive to new talent is essential, says GCA.

One way to achieve this is by streamlining your job adverts, with 62 percent of people reported to overlook a job advert with no salary.

Kerrie Richards, director of GCA advises:

“Keep adverts short and ensure you only include the key deliverables – in descriptions keep the critical needs only and drop the ‘nice to haves.’

“You should also ensure you showcase company aims and growth plans and be able to clearly demonstrate job security. By being open and honest with candidates, you build their trust and it enables them to make an informed decision – it is futile to sell a role to a candidate when it may not be right for them, forcing you to re-recruit down the line. Asking non negotiables is key here.”

The survey also highlighted that there are an increasing number of passive candidates ready to be ‘activated’.

Richards continues:

“Now is the perfect time to approach potential new recruits as although they won’t actively job search, they are more open to being approached. Candidates have stayed in roles through the pandemic, and through the climate of uncertainty, who would usually have changed roles.”

What’s more, the survey revealed that 49 percent of employees are seeking a higher salary due to the cost-of-living increases, 57 percent of those looking for a job desire a higher salary and 68 percent are considering the benefits offered.

With this in mind, GCA is offering top tips to their clients on how to develop an employee brand to attract new talent.

Kayleigh Bradley, senior recruitment consultant at GCA commented:

“Although work-life balance and culture are now more of a consideration than ever, such as flexibility, career development, performance reviews, social events and wellbeing, it’s clear that money is still a major factor in changing jobs. This would suggest that, although it’s important to consider these other factors for a long-term approach, in certain circumstances, a one-off payment is a good motivator to secure a candidate.”

GCA continues to work to present suitable jobs to candidates, amid the challenges posed by the UK job market. Roles continue to grow, and to ensure its clients are at the forefront of this new recruiting age, the specialist aftermarket recruitment agency is working alongside companies to make their businesses more attractive to potential future staff, helping them with their marketing strategies and their candidate offering.

The team is also taking more time to engage candidates, believing the recruiter’s role of today isn’t just about finding candidates, but that it is also explaining the offering and ensuring the candidates who they speak to are aware what potential there is within any role and how this can improve their career expectations.

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