The Secret to Recruiting in a Candidate-Driven Market

The Secret to Recruiting in a Candidate-Driven Market I want to share a story with you. Its about a particular pain in the backside who has caused me no end of problems lately.  Here goes. As you might have guessed, this story is about a candidate. Id been working with X  for several weeks; wed covered what salary he was on; what he was looking for;  his ideal role and overall motivations. His type of profile is extremely sought after  in my industry, so naturally hed won numerous interviews, one being with my best client. Hed made it right to the final stage, and when offered the role, decided he wanted more money than wed discussed. Why?  Hed cottoned onto the fact its a candidate-driven market, and thought hed milk it for more money, and vie for an unrealistic pay rise. Needless to say, placement lost. Dealing with divas Many recruiters operate in an  entirely candidate-driven market like I do; a market where a shortage of quality people means, instead of dealing with Fred the mild-mannered Sprocket Noodler from Garstang, you find yourself dealing with Maria Carey-inspired candidates, demanding  every outrageous thing on the  rider (white linen overalls and a fur-lined tool bag, please). Candidate-lead markets can be great  to work in (find someone remotely competent and it’s a probable placement). They can also be a complete nightmare, as salary expectations hit the roof and demands for bigger and better packages spiral out of control. Supply and demand is a phrase used in many circles, yet itll never be  more apt than when talking about recruitment markets. Clients will be desperate for Fred  to join them, either because a genuine need for his services, or  the knowledge that quality candidates are hard to come-by, so better get in early. When clients  go above and beyond to secure candidates, it can have a knock-on effect to the existing candidate-market  (the thought process: well if Fred is worth that much, so am I). This trend can even force clients to re-think their recruitment strategies and possibly suspend recruitment to look at other options, such as graduates or even training school leavers. Its this we want to avoid we want our clients to hire, not be burned by candidates who think they can call all the shots. So then, whats the secret to recruiting in a candidate-driven market? Managing salary expectations Being able to manage a candidates salary expectations is one of the harder aspects of recruiting. Let’s face it; the better the package they get, the bigger your fee will be. Knowing your clients limitations (salary, vehicle package) is paramount in finding a solution that satisfies both parties. Asking the right questions to both client and candidate is an absolute must-do.  Armed with the right information allows you to temper old Fred’s expectations (no, Fred, gold-plated spanners arent on offer), yet still sell the job to him (guess what Fred, you’ll still be working in Garstang and the salary is £3k higher than what you are on now). Your client will be happy in the knowledge they are getting the guy they want, at a salary they can afford, thanks to you having  already schooled Fred about salaries and other opportunities i his new role; i.e. hell finally get that Widget training his current firm has been promising for two years, as well as  being sent on a course to learn the fine art of fettling. Everybodys  happy. In short, although dealing with divas can be stressful, if you can manage the expectations from the start,   it will make your job a hell of a lot easier. Youll also make your  clients love you even more than they do already (if that’s possible). *Sprocket Noodles should be real but are not *Widgets are a thing, usually in the bottom of a can of Guinness or some such *Fettling is a dying art still practiced in the Lancashire and Yorkshire Countryside *Garstang is a place in Lancashire I  once walked into a pub there;  the  music stopped and everyone stared at me like they do in the Old West About the author: Paul Murphy has been working for SER Limited in Engineering Recruitment for over 11 years specialising in the intelligent buildings sector â€" especially BMS (Building Management Systems). He is also it seems a part time keyboard warrior on behalf of recruiters everywhere.