Candidates' desires and demands, and consequently how they should be approached, have shifted dramatically in the matter of a few years.
Gone are the days of simply writing a job description, sending it out en masse and receiving a plethora of strong applications. With a more limited and passive talent pool, the onus is on the employer to effectively communicate what makes them so attractive to work for.
The antiquated recruitment practices where candidates were seen as a number, with unsuccessful applicants ghosted when they were seen to have no immediate value, will no longer wash in an era that demands a more relationship-led approach.
With candidates now holding all of the cards in the job market, employers need to be far more flexible to the needs of the candidate rather than the other way round.
Money is no longer the only answer.
Candidates are increasingly looking for greater work-life balance, and after many businesses were forced to accommodate more flexibility in the pandemic, this has become a non-negotiable.
With a vastly reduced talent pool, recruiters have been wise to focus more of their efforts on the passive candidate market. This is whereby candidates are relatively content in their current position but would potentially entertain the idea of a new role if it seemed like a good fit, as opposed to actively seeking out new opportunities.
