Vying for top candidates in a competitive job market

In the midst of chatter of an impending recession—Lancaster County continues to have a low unemployment rate of 3.3% as of September 2019. Though job prospects are as good as ever for job seekers, this historically low unemployment rate presents an added challenge to companies looking to fill open positions.

As companies around the county look to sharpen their recruiting efforts, it’s important to remember one vital, yet often overlooked, portion of recruitment strategies: Knowing the company’s recruiting competition. Recognizing where the competition is and what they are doing to attract talent is an ideal recruiting practice. 

Here are several ways to keep internal recruitment strategies sharp and ahead of the competition:

1. Conduct an ongoing analysis of future needs in hiring. Planning ahead can help avoid hasty decisions, limited last-minute options, or overlooking available internal skills.
2. If possible, maintain a pool of applicants and tap into individual and personal networks to find candidates who are the best fit for the role. But don’t get too focused on landing a “purple squirrel” – a staffing industry term for the person who checks every box on the hiring checklist. Always consider whether a candidate with the right personality and cultural fit can be trained for specific skills.

3. When analyzing the competition, examine available options in other industries. Some industries have seen a shift in where their strongest competitors exist. It’s important to ensure competitor research draws from different industries searching in the same talent pool. Then, develop individualized recruitment strategies for hiring from each industry. 

Consider job recruiters at companies like TriStarr to help find top candidates

The key to discovering exemplary candidates in competitive fields is often inside knowledge. Recruiters like TriStarr develop relationships with top professionals in a field well before recruitment even begins in order to find candidates. Our sophisticated online search capabilities further help us identify and contact these top candidates.

At TriStarr, when we assess candidates, we use our rigorous, six-step candidate evaluation process. We assess knowledge and skills, as well as personality and compatibility, resulting in a high placement success rate and overall employer/employee satisfaction. This helps us find the most qualified and suitable candidates to ensure a good fit for all involved parties. And we back it up with our Good People Guarantee. Our guarantee ensures that if our clients are ever dissatisfied with a temporary staff person or a recruiting candidate, our recruiters will 1. Replace the person with another candidate at no charge, or 2. Provide you with an agreed-upon refund. Consult your staffing manager for refunding details.

TriStarr is a Lancaster recruitment agency also serving clients in Lebanon, Harrisburg, Hershey, York, and Reading. Contact us online or call us at (717) 560-2111 for us to assist with employment recruitment services in a tough recruitment market.