Securing the best people in a competitive market
There are cycles that happen in recruitment, a pendulum that swings between many jobs/few candidates and few jobs/many candidates. Somewhere in the middle there is perfect equilibrium, but oddly the pendulum never stops there...
Currently, it is a sellers market, and to be clear the sellers are the job seekers. The best candidates are finding themselves with multiple options (which can be a good and bad thing) and hiring companies are finding that offers are being knocked back, or preferred candidates pulling out before offer (to accept an alternate). When you get your preferred candidate it is sweet, but when you don't, and are facing into restarting the cycle, it can be a royal pain the ass! Yup, It is a difficult time to be hiring in this hot Sydney tech market.
There are a few things you can do to help yourself, and a few things you can avoid so as not to hinder yourself. These are basic tips, but just like most things if you get the basics right, it goes a long way.
Imagine if you tried them all :)
Do
Have all you ducks in a row -
have your role approved
have interview commitment from all interested parties
have clear criteria for the hire
have your company's EVP ready
Do
Work to a set process -
have your question set ready
know the success criteria
know your target salary and your maximum salary
give feedback when you say you will
Don't
wait 2 weeks before assessing applicant resumes
have long breaks between interview rounds
change the job criteria with every different candidate
fail to gain commitment from other interviewers in your organisation
forget to pitch your company
Recruitment is a fundamental enabler of success in your company, but it is also easy to make it a center of organisational frustration by not doing the basics well.
Some good planning and following the tips above should help a lot.