How to Appeal to Hesitant Job Seekers in an Uncertain Market

In a post-pandemic era on the verge of recession, job seekers are rethinking their career priorities. With global economic uncertainty, job security has become top of mind as job seekers are hesitant to make a move.

As professional recruiters, we connect every day with passive job seekers. These individuals are open-minded to hearing about career opportunities but very selective about where they submit their applications. The role of the recruiter is to share information and get them excited. However, more and more candidates are responding with, ‘yeah, that sounds great…but are they a stable company?’

How can companies address this issue during the recruitment process? While no one can predict future success, there are three things that organizations can do to ease fears around instability.

Know your metrics

Interviews are two-way, and suitable candidates will come prepared with questions. How many people (if any) did you lay off during the pandemic? How many people are you hoping to hire in 2023? Having recruitment metrics at your fingertips will allow you to answer these questions thoughtfully. If your business thrived during the pandemic, this is your time to highlight organizational successes. If it struggled, share with the candidate how you adapted and why you are in a solid position to hire today. Hearing candid answers supported by metrics will paint a clearer picture of where the company is heading.

Use testimonials

Real-life employee testimonials are a fantastic way to attract new talent. Ask your employees why they like working for you and capture these authentic stories to showcase your corporate culture. Share this information on the company website and social media channels, and your new candidate will be sure to uncover it while researching the organization. Hearing these stories helps job seekers visualize themselves working for the organization and alleviates hesitations about the unknown.

Remember the whole package

Communicating a robust Employee Value Proposition is more important than ever. In addition to job security, candidates are looking for organizations with a strong commitment to social responsibility, a comprehensive DEI strategy, career development opportunities, and creative employee recognition programs. According to a 2019 survey by Gartner, organizations that effectively deliver on their EVP can decrease annual employee turnover by 69%. And we all know that less turnover = more stability.

In the recruitment world, many things drive a candidate’s motivation to consider a job change. And no company is immune to contractions in the market. Ensure that your talent acquisition team (in-house or agency) has the right tools to answer questions about turnover, real-life employee stories, and a top-notch EVP. The candidate question will change from “are they stable” to “where can I submit my resume?”

When the market presents real hiring challenges, companies need to look inward and focus on being the organization that top talent wants to work for.