There were 44.7% more job ads listed on SEEK in October 2022 than in October 2019.

In the entire history of SEEK, there have never been more job ads listed than in 2022, and job ads remain 44.7% higher than before the pandemic. Site visits to seek.com.au had remained steady indicating that job seekers’ interest in work had not changed but their preferences have. In other words, job seekers are pickier about the roles they apply for .

And, they have every reason to be!

The pandemic shifted job seekers’ priorities towards self-care. More companies are making hybrid work the norm and some are offering benefits that are too good to turn down. These are the employers that job seekers are looking for. You can bet that companies who don’t express benefits they offer will not see the volume of applicants they’re expecting.

So, if job seekers are more selective and job ads are receiving less applications, what do employers need to do to successfully hire in this market?

Let’s have a look at ways to find and attract quality talent.

How to find and attract top employees in the new financial year

Develop your employer brand

Whether you like it or not, people have an idea of what it’s like to work at your company. If a job seeker asked one of your current or former employees what working for your company looked like, what do you think they would say? If it’s positive, you would have attracted a prospective employee. If it’s negative, the person would instantly look elsewhere for work.

Word of mouth spreads fast and is one of the most trustworthy sources for job seekers when considering a new workplace. For this reason, it is crucial to uphold your employer brand to win new employees. You can’t grow your organisation if no one wants to work there.

In the 2023 financial year, job seekers will look for workplaces that cater to their highest priority – self-care. They don’t want to work companies that have terrible culture or where they’ll be treated poorly. According to Employment Hero’s 2022 Wellness at Work Report , employees 63% of employees who rated their employers’ commitment to wellness as good, were more likely to say they were loyal to the business as a result. Your employer brand should be developed with this in mind. Ask yourself how you want to represent your business as an employer to the eyes of the public.

Create your employee value proposition (EVP)

Once you’ve considered how you want your employer brand to be represented in the market, take steps to make it happen. What benefits will you offer your employees to shape your employer brand?

Ask yourself why someone should work for you and not your competitors . This might be confronting, but it will help you identify your strong and weak points as an employer.

Once you know the areas you’re doing well in and the areas where you need improvements, you can think about how to showcase your strong points and create initiatives to improve your weak points.

For example, at Fuse, we give our employees a paid day off on their birthdays to spend time with friends and family. This benefit was designed to take care of our employees’ wellbeing and promote our family like culture.

Benefits don’t have to be something new. Think about things you already offer such as training and development opportunities or flexible work.

Ask your employees for ideas too! After all, it’s them you should look after to increase retention and spread positive word of mouth.

Communicate your company culture on social media, in your job ads and on your website

Word of mouth is powerful but it’s out of your control. So, instead of relying on others to promote your workplace, do it yourself!

Job seekers will check out your company’s social profile like they would if they were checking out a new date. Do they want to be in a committed relationship with you after looking at your socials?

What about your website?

Have you mentioned the benefits you offer in your job ads?

Consider all possible touch points a job seeker may research when they’re trying to learn more about you and make sure you’ve showcased your most attractive qualities as an employer.

Show photos from company events to promote your culture, share new promotions to show that you have pathways for career progression and introduce your new starters to show you’re serious about growing.

Attraction aside, increase retention by giving your employees something to show their friends when they talk about how proud they are to work for your company!

Sell yourself and sell the role too

When posting a job ad, put your sales skills into action to sell the job and your company . Your job ad should convince the job seeker to apply. Include all the information they need to understand who they will working for, what they will be doing and what they need to be successful in the role.

Job seekers want to know if the role will be right for them. If you can give them the appropriate information to decide, you’ll attract people who will be more engaged in the role. Not to mention, you’ll save yourself from looking at too many resumes from unsuitable candidates.

Engage the passive candidate market

If someone cold called you and offered you a better position than your current role, would you consider taking it?

If you considered the offer, you would be a ‘passive candidate’. Passive candidates are those who are not actively seeking a new role but would be open to a new opportunity if they were offered something better.

There are multiple ways you can find and reach out to passive candidates:

• Reach out to people in your network
• Cold message suitable candidates on LinkedIn
• Find people on company websites
• Although expensive, you can utilise job board databases, such as SEEK or Indeed
• Express you are hiring to people you meet at networking events

Using multiple touch points and multiply the results

Remember, simply posting a job ad is not enough to attract the talent you need. In March 2022, Indeed saw a 121% increase in job postings since February 2020 in Australia. The market is saturated with job vacancies with little candidates applying to them.

Your best bet is to cast your net wide rather than wait for a bite on one fishing line.

Use the strategies above in combination to increase your chances of attracting new talent.

Each of the points mentioned above take time. So, be patient and think creatively. You’ll be glad you did when you start noticing more applicants. You will also see your company culture blossom as a result of the benefits you implement.

Reach out for assistance

You might be wondering how you could implement all the above AND attract a new person as quickly as you need them. Fortunately, many hands make light work and our teams have lent their expertise to many businesses much like yours.

Fuse consultants are specialists in their industry so you can be sure they’ll find the right fit for your business. What does this mean?

It means they:

• Understand your industry and have a network to reach out to passive candidates on your behalf
• Know what type of people will excel in both your industry and your business
• Will thoroughly understand your business’s needs and objectives, as well as role requirements

With our recruitment platforms, AI and automation technology, our consultants are equipped with the tools to put your company in a positive light to prospective employees. You can rely on us to give your business the exposure you need to attract top talent.

If you’re looking for talent management solutions, fill in the form on this page and one of our consultants will be in touch.