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If you want to secure the best people, you need to deliver an exceptional candidate experience. Who you choose to work with as your search/recruitment consultancy will directly impact on your reputation and your ability to acquire outstanding finance talent.
This is because how you source and hire talent shapes the candidate’s first impression of your business. Your initial interactions create a ripple effect; candidates tell their peers about their experience, which in turn determines if others will want to work for you.
At Halliday Marx, our consultants understand the importance of first impressions. Specialising solely in finance & accounting search and recruitment, we appreciate the intricacies of how candidates feel and respond to the marketing, sourcing, interviewing, hiring and onboarding experience – so to help ensure you have the best chance of attracting top talent, we’ve put together some essential tips.
Why are you looking to hire? Understanding both the gaps that exist within your organisation and the types of skills a candidate will need to be successful means you can provide a clear picture of the role and its responsibilities. It is critical you seek expert advice on this, especially if the role is a newly created position. Our specialist consultants have an up to date, 360-degree view of the candidate market, can advise you on the talent available and ensure you communicate your needs in an engaging and informed way. Not having this support from the outset will not only leave you struggling to engage with exceptional talent – it will likely block your access in the first place.
This is where working with a finance only consultancy is critical. To attract the best people, you must engage with finance professionals in a language they use and understand. Using a consultancy, just like Halliday Marx, who truly appreciate the complexities of the role will gain you credibility and avoid frustrating candidates.
Andy Halliday, Co-Founder Halliday Marx added, “Understanding their world means we can talk to candidates on a professional level and are therefore more likely to grab their attention. Using a recruiter who is not polished will discourage candidates in pursuing opportunities with you”.
At Halliday Marx, we have an authoritative knowledge and appreciation of the finance professional space, this is crucial in capturing the interest of desirable candidates. Not only do we know how to find the best people, but we consistently put forward talent who we know will accept the role if engaged appropriately. This is because we understand the driving factors behind what motivates each candidate we work with.
Keeping the candidate up to date will make sure they feel valued and demonstrate you have a slick culture. We appreciate this can be difficult when you are fitting interviews into an already busy schedule. This is why our expert consultants spend a great deal of their time ensuring everyone is kept informed with timely, relevant information. This intelligent relationship management means your candidates are less likely to lose interest and look elsewhere.
“Speed is key, we found that tweaking our permanent recruitment process by using client pre-agreed questions in video recordings with candidates has halved the time it takes from inception to placement of each role – go slow at your peril! Excellent candidates get snapped up fast, delaying looking at CVs, booking interviews, giving feedback and making offers will inevitably lead to the best talent going off the market and taking other jobs because you were too slow”, warned John Marx, Co-Founder Halliday Marx.
Regardless of experience or seniority, the majority of candidates find interviews stressful. However, a seasoned recruiter will work with you ahead of the meeting to ensure the candidate has all the information they need to help them feel at ease. This includes details regarding location, time, interview duration, who will interview them and details of anything they should prepare in advance. Where appropriate, we suggest clients provide a summary of the topics they intend to cover. This allows the candidate to offer more thoughtful answers that are specific and relevant to the position.
“We work meticulously with our clients to help them interview with impact. Exceptional candidates buy on personality, it’s not just about money, location, job role or company sector. A lot of what they are looking for is the character of the people they are going to work with. If you come across as uninspiring or unenthusiastic they are unlikely to want to work with you”, commented John Marx, Co-Founder Halliday Marx.
Providing feedback during the interview process will maintain interest and provide you with a better chance of success if you decide to make an offer later on. Failure to give quality feedback when requested can transform a positive candidate experience into a negative one, leaving the candidate to feel like you never fully engaged with their application.
It is also important to note that effective communication is not limited to candidates you are interested in. Forgetting to communicate with unsuccessful candidates can be just as damaging to your company brand, making it harder to attract exceptional talent at a later stage. When you work with our consultants, we ensure productive feedback is captured for all candidates, which we then pass on.
Simply put, choosing a skilled, knowledgeable consultancy will result in an exceptional candidate experience and make certain you attract the best talent. At Halliday Marx, we can help you achieve this through ensuring the candidate journey is timely, informed, smart and engaging – making sure you secure the right people for your company’s vision.
Need advice on how to attract the best finance and accounting talent? Contact us today on 020 7096 8200 or email us at [email protected]. Let’s start the conversation.
For the latest financial opportunities, company updates, recruitment information and career advice, follow us on LinkedIn and twitter@HallidayMarx
