Recruitment is evolving with the requirements of employers, candidates, the state of the labour market and the socioeconomic environment in general. This article shows how to improve recruitment by properly applying the strategies and techniques of sales to recruitment.
Recruitment is facing new challenges with a scarcity of qualified resources available on the labour market. Experts predict that there will be a shortage of over 350,000 workers available to fill openings by 2030. Recruitment professionals therefore have every reason to be open to new out-of-the-box practices such as sales to fill openings.
Selling is often perceived negatively, as an intrusive activity where the seller is trying to manipulate his client to conclude a transaction. Many of us, as human resources professionals, have developed an aversion to selling. However, selling is a much broader discipline, encompassing concepts of marketing, communication and human relations. Carried out in a professional and ethical manner, selling is first about meeting clients' needs.
Mastering specific selling techniques helps recruitment by putting favourable conditions in place for better recruitment, developing realistic recruitment strategies and optimizing recruitment activities.
Knowing how to convince senior management and other managers about the impact staffing has on the company's success creates an optimal framework for successful recruitment.
- A recent survey conducted in 60 countries shows that the majority of business leaders consider shortage of talent as the leading issue organizations have.
Yet, every day, the idea that the recruitment is at the heart of the company's success continually has to be sold. In this respect, two main sales techniques can be used: persuasion and negotiation.
- Persuasion aims to convince the person you are talking to of the merits of your idea and to move them to take action. For example, you persuade one of your managers to block out timeslots in advance, set aside for interviews with candidates.
- Negotiation can let you convince your managers to make the positions to be filled more attractive for candidates by changing salary levels and the features of the job.
In addition, some concepts related to sales strategies can also optimize recruitment. In recent years, the concept of recruitment marketing has developed.
- The employer must target clientele, especially to determine the profile of potential candidates for the position to be filled and to find out where they are located.
- The employer must develop an attraction strategy using sales and marketing tools. Among others, displaying attractive postings to encourage potential candidates to apply is an example.
Finally, applying certain selling techniques can help the recruitment selection process. As in selling:
- During a meeting (here the selection interview), you present your company and what you have to offer. Your presentation will be even more powerful if you have prepared your selling arguments and found brilliant ways of handling objections.
- You offer, hopefully, a range of services with terms and conditions, in this case a job offer to the candidate for the position… which is bound to be negotiated!
All of these strategies and selling techniques thereby strengthen and facilitate recruitment, and, by putting favourable conditions for recruitment in place, present a proposal of value for the candidate and develop a relationship mode that is directed toward action. Acquiring some selling skills is within the reach of any human resources professional. Why deprive ourselves of strategies and techniques that will help us fill our openings?