Empty inbox? Applications dried up? Whether you’re agency or internal recruitment it’s pretty much worst case scenario when you have multiple vacancies to fill and nobody is even enquiring. In this post Resume-Library give us their top 5 reasons you’re not getting any hits on your job adverts as well as some ideas to improve application numbers.
Are you struggling to hire right now? If so, you’re not alone. The national employment rate is at an all-time high and this means that more people are in work and less people are out there searching for new jobs; not ideal if you’re hoping to grow your team.
At the same time, it’s not just economic uncertainty that’s putting candidates off from applying to your vacancies. In fact, there are a number of common mistakes that a lot of companies make when hiring, and these could be holding you back.
Below, we’ll take you through each of these in more detail, giving you some food for thought to help boost your hiring efforts ahead of the New Year rush.
1. You Aren’t Perfecting Your Job Adverts
How confident are you about the content of your job adverts? Are you selling the position in the right way and making your company sound like the ideal place to work? Or, are you merely listing out day-to-day responsibilities and not really putting any thought into it?
If it’s the latter then it’s no wonder candidates aren’t applying to your vacancies. This is the first insight an applicant will have of your business. If your job advert is bland, doesn’t make sense, or lacks information, then you’re not exactly painting your company in the best light.
Take the time to understand what makes a great job advert. Start with a strong opening, before listing out some of the exciting parts of the role and of course, any personal specification you have in mind. Finally, highlight any key perks that will make your business sound impressive.
2. The Job Title Doesn’t Make Sense
There’s a fine balance between making the role sound exciting and deterring people from applying. This is where the job title comes into play. While you might be tempted to use a quirky title such as ‘Sales Ninja’ or ‘Digital Guru’, it can actually have a negative impact on your application rates.
After all, you need to put yourself in the candidate’s shoes. What job titles will they be using when looking for a job? It’s highly unlikely that they’ll incorporate the word ninja or guru into their search.
If in doubt, have a look at other job adverts online. What titles are they using? Similarly, if your company uses a more quirky title internally, you might be better off using something more standardised when advertising your role online.
3. Your Application Process is Too Long
Another area to focus on is your application process. This is something you should look at regularly to measure its effectiveness. You never know, asking candidates to fill in pages and pages of forms might result in a serious drop-off.
Naturally, this may vary for each role you’re hiring for, or the industry you’re hiring in. There’s definitely no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to hiring and your application process is no different.
If you’re finding that candidates are dropping off half-way through applying to a job, or you’re getting a lot of views that don’t translate into applications, it might be your application process that needs reviewing.
4. You Don’t Have a Strong Employer Brand
A strong employer brand is extremely important in the current hiring market. After all, it can help you to stand out from other companies and to promote your organisation as a great place to work.
Because of this, if your employer brand isn’t up to scratch then it could be why people aren’t applying to your jobs. It would be very unusual for a candidate not to do a quick Google of your organisation, in an attempt to find out what it’s like to work there and what your current employees say about you.
Think about your presence across social media, employee review sites and your own careers page. What do they say about you? Why should someone want to work for you over anyone else? Take this into account and think about any improvements you can make to boost your brand.
5. You’re Advertising In The Wrong Places
Finally, there’s no doubt that poor application rates could suggest you’re advertising in the wrong places. The right job boards can give your vacancies a massive amount of exposure and platforms like idibu ensure that you can post across multiple sites at once.
The best suppliers will work with you to ensure that your job adverts are getting the results you need; so if you’re finding that candidates aren’t applying to your jobs, it’s worth checking in with them to see how they can help. Feel free to reach out to our team if you want to discuss how you can do this.
Alongside this, be sure to promote your vacancies even further by sharing them on social media, or encouraging your current employees to post them on their own profiles. Get More Candidates Applying to Your Jobs!
We know that it’s difficult to hire right now, but there are some steps you can take to maximize your vacancies and push them in front of the right candidates. Putting the effort in now will help to perfect your process and ensure you’re ready for the January recruitment rush.
idibu’s helping recruiters attract the best talent, quicker, through market-leading tech that integrates seamlessly with your CRM. Click below to arrange a free demo or just to have a chat with our team about your needs.
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