15 Feb, 2018 / BY Jessica Plank

How creative are you being in your search for talent?

JJS Manufacturing InsightsThe extract below is taken from Sandra Beale's article on LinkedIn 'HR Trends in 2018' and highlights the difficulties employers are experiencing in finding talent. So in tough times how creative are you being in your search for talent? And how do you get closer to the people you really want in your business?

One useful way is to create a 'talent persona' document for each role you are looking to fill. A talent persona document is a 'virtual' representation of the real people you want to attract to your business. Talent personas are based on what you have learned through past experiences. This may involve talking to existing staff or thinking back to interviews with previous candidates.

You need to ask yourself what you want from this person and then dig deep into what you think their goals and ambitions are.

Once you have created your talent persona document you can then start to determine the best way to engage with potential candidates from a recruitment perspective. This will also allow you to scope the right recruitment campaign and then decide on the best platforms to use in order to promote the positions you are recruiting for.

Without doing some of this work upfront and thinking differently about who and how you are trying to attract your recruitment process simply won't be as effective as it could.

The latest unemployment figures show the rate is 4.6% which means there is very little wriggle room for employers to find new staff. The skills shortage trend in the UK will continue and may get worse. This is a phenomenon that has been around for quite a while in the UK with many industry sectors suffering and competing for staff. The skills shortage may get worse in some industry sectors with Brexit causing an impetus of skilled staff returning to their homes elsewhere in Europe. To beat the skills shortage trend employers need to get creative to recruit and retain talent.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hr-trends-2018-sandra-beale-fcipd/

Written by Jessica Plank

Based in Switzerland, Jessica holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and has day-to-day responsibility for strategic marketing tactics including blog management, social media marketing, e-mail marketing, and European event management. Jessica’s dedication to maintaining a strong online presence has significantly contributed to the success of ESCATEC's marketing initiatives since she joined the team in 2021.