Are you in desperate need of people for your open positions?

Well, the marketing of those open positions matters. Get the word out. Advertise. Tap professional networks. Offer incentives. All great. But, something else matters just as much. 

How easy is it for someone to apply for your open position?

In an employer market, it’s (somewhat) fine for you to create a laborious application process. An application. A resume. A cover letter. The submission of essay answers to your “additional questions.” Make them submit letters of reference and their high school transcripts. Send them a multiple choice questionnaire to complete. After all, the people that make it through that gauntlet must really want to join your team…. I don’t like think this is ever the right approach, but I get why some companies choose to go this route. 

But, in an employee market–which is the market we are in, and a market we likely won’t leave for some time, if ever–then we must rethink the process from the ground up. We rethink the process because this is one small way we can better compete for the best talent. 

Look at your process from the candidate point of view. Is the website clear about how to apply? Can we drop the third party portals that make you create an account and then fill out tons of unnecessary information just for this one position? Do we have people reviewing application materials who can read between the lines? Do we respond quickly to candidates? How fast are we getting candidates to preliminary conversations? Identify the points of friction no matter how small.

Does this feel expensive and time consuming? It’s because it is. And because it should be. If people are indeed your greatest asset, it’s because they are your greatest investment.