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How do you sell your business to future employees?

14.04.2015

How do you sell your business to future employees?

If you truly believe people are your biggest asset, then you need to take the process of recruitment very seriously…

If you believe people are your biggest asset then you must take the process of recruitment very seriously.

Finding good candidates has always been hard, regardless of sector, but as business confidence grows and employment levels rise, a shortage of highly skilled people means we’re all working in a candidate-led market.

The final decision to accept a job will always sit with the applicant, but for now at least, the balance of power seems to have noticeably shifted in their favour.

So are you prepared to compete for the best employees? Because whether you like it or not, right now you’re going to be faced with strong competition if you want to recruit and retain the top talent.

As a business that means you need to be prepared in order to get ahead. You’ll no doubt already have a detailed strategy in place to attract and look after clients, but do you have one for staff?

When was the last time you reviewed your recruitment process? If the answer isn’t recently, then this is something you need to seriously consider as it may well be too one-sided and no longer fit for purpose.

My focus as a recruiter is on supporting the tax and accountancy markets and increasingly I see excellent candidates who are searching for a new challenge end up with multiple job offers because of the high level of demand.

How many people have turned down offers to work for you recently? If that’s the case, do you know why?

We all know first impressions count and throughout the entire recruitment process while you’re assessing them, prospective employees are forming opinions about you and your business. They’re judging you at every turn.

If you’re aiming to attract the best people then you need to ensure you give them clarity of purpose and demonstrate a clear vision for the business from the outset; and that begins with a well-crafted advert and job description.

The way you respond to each enquiry is critical; as is the time the recruitment process takes. This all creates an impression of your business and in a fast-moving market it pays to be decisive and to communicate regularly if things change. There’s nothing worse than leaving an in demand candidate unsure of where they stand.

Who is the face of your company? Who meets prospective new employees the first time they enter your office? From the initial reception greet to the interviewer themselves, you must make sure they all create the right impression and are capable of selling your business.

The interview itself should be treated as a two way process – a meeting to establish a common interest. It will give you the opportunity to assess the candidate’s suitability, but you must also make an effort to sell your company.

No one buys from people who don’t believe in what they’re selling, so you need to have the right individuals in the room; those who embody your brand values and can explain simply why someone should want to work for you and what the benefits are.

Like any sale, if you know what they want it’s easier to become the solution, so it pays to be prepared. You’d expect prospective employees to research before an interview, so you ought to do your own due diligence too.

You should carefully plan your interview technique. A scripted list of questions is useful, but to truly sell your business you need to take care to listen and be fluid in terms of asking probing questions that will help you to tailor the benefits of working at your company to the candidate’s motivations.

There are many potential touch points and it often feels difficult to find the time to manage them all, but if you can qualify your applicants thoroughly you shouldn’t need to interview lots of people. That way you can spend your time more effectively, ensuring you make the most of the opportunity you have with each candidate. After all, the better the people you recruit, the more successful your business will become.

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