HOW TO HIRE THE BEST TALENT WHEN CONFIDENCE IS LOW

When the economy is experiencing lower growth and investment, candidate confidence is naturally lower and people are less willing to consider a career move. So how do you secure the best senior talent for your team against this backdrop?

Have a vision

Our first piece of advice is to focus on the vision for where your business is headed. Create some excitement about the opportunity and the journey your business is on – and be honest. Senior professionals won’t be swayed by a ‘candy-coated’ vision – they want to know the reality so they can work out how their particular skills and strengths fit into your business and how they specifically can drive value.

Offer flexibility

The hybrid work conversation isn’t going away and at the senior end of the market, it’s still a big consideration that can play to your advantage. It opens up a much wider, potentially international, talent pool if you can offer a flexible approach. So finding out what senior candidates want and what the trade-offs might be can put you in a better position. In leadership roles there’s an expectation that leaders should be visible, however, this can be managed through your digital infrastructure and a balanced perspective on what travel is expected.

Understand senior candidates’ drivers

Regardless of the level you’re recruiting at it’s vital to understand a candidate’s situation and their family set-up. But even more so at the senior end of the recruitment market. This isn’t just about parenting responsibility, it’s about how candidates live their lives and the flexibility they need to preserve this.

Not getting this right is the number one reason why hires don’t work out so you need a skilled person to have this conversation with the candidate so that you draw out their expectations. Hiring directly, or using a junior resource to have these conversations can mean you get to hear what the candidate thinks you want to hear rather than the honest answer – until it’s too late!

Now is a great time to talk to a professional recruiter as more senior candidates dip their toe into the jobs market – 2025 offers a real opportunity for movement and growth.

Chat us today to find out more about the recruitment market for senior professionals.

https://harrisondaviespartners.com/