HOW TO ATTRACT CANDIDATES IN 2021

2021 was a hopeful year, one where we’d wave goodbye to the pandemic and the economy would be business as usual.

It’s fair to say that we’re not there just yet, however, more and more businesses are choosing to kick-start their recruitment again and start hiring good people, who will positively contribute to the success of the company and see them through these troubled times.

Well, that all starts with attracting the right candidates. And whilst you may be thinking that people will just be happy to have a job, that’s not entirely true. In our last blog, we shared that over a third of people are planning on quitting their jobs post-pandemic, mainly due to lack of promotion, bad management, minimal training and more. So, there may be more candidates on the market, but they’re going to be assessing their next opportunity as much as you’ll be assessing their skills and experience.

With that in mind, here are 5 ways in which you can attract your next employees.

1. Value Alignment

What are your company values?
Do you recruit employees that share them?
How do you measure this?

Attracting candidates that fit your company is hugely important. You may have technically capable staff but if they don’t align with your company culture and its mission, then they’ll be out the door at the next, better-matched opportunity.

If your company is in the public eye as one that doesn’t care for its employees, then you’re going to struggle to find people who want to work for you. It’s simple really, ask yourself; are people going to put their values aside for this job? Some might, but not the people you really want in your corner.

2. What’s in it for the candidate?

This is probably the most important question of all.

How are you going to attract someone with just a list of requirements?

It’s naïve to just think that people need money to live, therefore they need jobs. We need to do better than that. Why are they going to apply for your job?

The pandemic has really shaped a modern working environment, meaning that more candidates are expecting remote working opportunities and flexible hours. If you’re an organisation that is concerned with diversifying your workforce, flexible hours will be extremely important for attracting more women and POC.

It’s always a good idea to check out your competition. Who are you losing potential employees to? Salary surveys are a great way of checking that you’re offering a desirable package. If you’d like a bespoke salary survey, please get in contact here.

3. Are you advertising on social media?

This isn’t going to be relevant for everyone but when it comes to attracting Millenials and Gen Z candidates, it’s the place to be.

Posting jobs on a career portal and advertising them on LinkedIn will only get you so far.

Think about it; where do most people spend their time outside of work these days (especially in a pandemic)? Yep, online.

To attract talent in emerging industries where there’s a larger pool of candidates, you can’t forget about social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. It may be unusual for your company to be active on these platforms, but this could really enhance your ability to attract the right people.

4. Streamline your recruitment process

When working in the world of recruitment, lengthy processes are an unnecessary nightmare.

Ask yourself; how long does it typically take your company to recruit someone? If your answer is longer than 6 weeks, then there’s a problem.

What is it that’s preventing you from making a hire in that timeframe? How will candidates perceive this?

Potential employees want to feel wanted, especially if they’re a suitable match for the role. If feedback is slow and limited, they will feel undesirable and often they’ll drop out of the process or go to a competitor.

Want to learn how to streamline your process? Get in touch here.

5. Active Vs Passive Candidate Attraction

Firstly, let’s clarify these terms. An active candidate is someone that is pro-actively searching and applying for jobs. Passive candidates aren’t looking for work but could be open to a conversation about a new opportunity if it’s attractive enough.

If your recruitment method is to solely rely on the applications of active candidates, then you’re only engaging with 20% of the market. This means that you’re ignoring 80% that is the passive market.

So, how do you attract passive candidates? Well, it’s that age-old method; headhunting.

Certain jobs will require certain methods. If you’re attracting candidates for a job where there is an abundance of talent, relying on a job advert may be all you need to do. However, to attract the right candidates for opportunities where there are skills shortages or for a niche industry/role, then the passive market is crucial for attracting your next hire.


We hope that you have discovered something useful in this blog post, and if you’d like to learn more, please get in touch at +44 (0)1257 268273 or speak to one of our consultants.