We couldn’t let Christmas pass us by without mentioning the 12 days of Christmas, in the guise of 12 jokes and some tenuous links to recruitment data!
Day 1 - the importance of racial and ethnic diversity
How did Mary and Joseph know that Jesus was 81b 2oz when he was born?
They had a weigh in a manger
Companies who weigh heavy in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to enjoy better than industry average financial returns. (McKinsey)
There’s lots you can do to attract a more diverse range of candidates, such as considering which job boards to post to, how easy it is to apply, and a having a great EVP. Use the career’s section on your website to share your approach to diversity and inclusion in the organisation.
Day 2 - remote hiring isn't going away!
A Holly Davidson.
Remove the need for a ‘Holly Davidson’ - 79% of Talent Acquisition Professionals believe remote hiring can help improve diversity in their organisations. (TALVIEW)
We all know that Covid brought about a rapid change in where we do our work. And now that we’re carefully emerging, keeping the option of remote working on the table for candidates will hugely expand your reach for talent. For more tips, read up our article on how SMEs can adapt to virtual hiring!
Day 3 - What about flexible working?
Why did the turkey join the rock band?
Because it had drumsticks.
Workers are banging the drum about flexible working - 42% would resign if they didn’t get flexible hours/location (Yoh)
Did you give workers flexible hours and remote working during the height of the pandemic? Covid brought us some dark times but consider keeping some of the positive changes the pandemic brought to the workplace to help retain them.
Day 4 - where are candidates coming from?
I got a universal remote control for Christmas.
This changes everything.
Do you stick with one advertising source for all your jobs? What are the leading job board sources for candidates – Indeed (68%), company website (16%), LinkedIn (6%) - JobBrain™
When it comes to attracting the best calibre of candidates, don’t just advertise where you’ve always advertised. Look at where your best hires saw job adverts and use data to make informed choices on where you should advertise next. For more tips on advertising, read our webinar write up with programmatic advertising expert, Thomas Prince from Talent Nexus.
Day 5 - what's the best way to find candidates?
Water.
A modern, mobile-friendly, intuitive ATS has shown a 118% increase in applicant volume – JobBrain™
We’re always going to shout about how effective our ATS works for our clients. But seriously, by having a modern and intuitive applicant tracking system like Jobtrain, you should see a huge increase in the number of applicants to jobs. Could your ATS do better?
Day 6 - building employee relationships
Who does Santa call when his sleigh breaks down?
The Abominable Towman
Don’t let the relationship with your employees’ breakdown. 77% of candidates don’t have to move job, they do just to find the ‘right’ job for them (JobBrain™).
Retaining your current workforce is incredibly important, and that’s where EVP can play a big part. Are there clear pathways for your employees to progress upwards within your organisation? Check out this article on EVP from our webinar with employee engagement experts, DNA.
Day 7 - how easy to use is your ATS?
Who tells the best Christmas jokes?
Reindeer. They sleigh every time.
Do your candidates ‘sleigh’ you with the experience they have applying for jobs with you? 90% of candidates using Jobtrain found the application software easy to use (JobBrain™).
If you’re sure your candidates love the experience they get when they apply for jobs with you, then read no further - but honestly, we should always be thinking about how we can improve it. Do you know how candidates feel about the experience they have with you? Run surveys throughout the process and get real life feedback on what you can improve on. For more tips on delivering a great candidate experience, read this article.
Day 8 - is the great resignation upon us?
Why did Santa have to go to the hospital?
Because of his poor elf.
Recruiting to replace a leaver is the most common reason for recruiting making up 78% of vacancies (JobBrain™)
The simple answer to reducing unnecessary recruitment is to work harder to retain your current employees.
Day 9 - never forget the importance of videos!
What do donkeys send out near Christmas?
Mule-tide greetings.
What about a ‘mule-tide’ video greeting? Job adverts with a video see only 20% of applications rejected, compared to 60% rejected when no video is included.
We live in a society where there’s a constant fight for attention online - the average attention span is around 8 seconds! So making your job advert look different to anything else, will make it stand out from the rest and win the battle for attention. That’s where including videos and images can make a huge difference. Check out this article on how using media in adverts can transform your quality of hires.
Day 10 - How are you filling your vacancies?
What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?
Frostbite.
Don’t get bitten! With a record 1.2m job vacancies across the UK (ONS), look at what more you could be doing to attract and hire more candidates.
There are a number of things that could be going wrong if you’re struggling to fill vacancies. Job adverts are too wordy and ugly, your online presence has been neglected or the application forms are way too long and putting people off. Think about your entire recruitment process then take a look at our article on 7 reasons why you’re struggling to fill a vacancy.
Day 11 - mobile vs desktop applications
Why did no-one bid for Rudolph and Blitzen on eBay?
Because they were two deer.
If they weren’t too ‘deer’, most bidders would have bid using their mobile. 46% of job applications are made on a mobile (JobBrain™) – how easy is it for your candidates to apply like this?
Have you ever tried to apply for one of your jobs using your mobile? How easy is it? We’re guessing for the majority, not very. In 2020, applications made on a mobile surpassed those done on a desktop – but only 13% of companies are investing in mobile recruitment. Improve your mobile recruitment with our top tips in this article.
Day 12 - How does your time-to-hire stack up?
Did you hear about the man who stole an advent calendar?
He got 23 days.
Can you beat 23 days for time to hire? The average time to hire across these industries is: