Train Top Candidates Yourself
With all three options, you as an employer must be willing to do your part in order to recruit successfully.
If you choose the first option and train your skilled workers yourself, you benefit from a strong reputation, because most employers demand professional expertise but are unwilling to invest the necessary time and money.
From trainee programs that develop young professionals into specialists and leaders, to training for management, you have many options – once you recognize the added value.
At this point, some ask themselves:
“What if I give my employees the best possible training and then they leave the company? Then I’m wasting my resources!”
You should drop that line of thinking right away, because the real question is:
“What if I give my employees the best possible training and they work for the company for years?”
Out of fear of investing too much and merely playing into the hands of competitors, employers tend to offer only a small range of training – or none at all. In that case, you have clearly lost, because if you don’t invest in your employees, you shouldn’t be surprised when they look for new employers or simply underperform. In the second case, you can only win: a wide range of professional, methodological and personal development opportunities that employees can freely choose from shows appreciation and genuine interest in the well-being of your workforce. That way, you don’t just train – you retain!
More Benefits of Developing Your Employees
- The knowledge and specific know-how your employees gain is not only applied in their daily work but also passed on to successors and colleagues.
- Greater competitiveness - The more qualified the staff, the greater the success and competitiveness
- Enhanced reputation - Qualified employees = quality work
- Greater employer attractiveness
- Higher commitment and loyalty among employees
- Increased employee motivation
- Higher productivity - Daily challenges are handled better, improving the efficiency of workflows.
Which training should you offer? Ask your employees! They know exactly where they need support and which training interests them. You’ll be surprised how much input you receive.
Poach Them from Your Competitors
If you prefer poaching, you need to know your target group very well. If your ideal candidates are actually satisfied with their employer and are only passively keeping an eye on the job market, you have not chosen an easy target group. You should also make sure not to poach candidates unlawfully – in the worst case, the matter could even end up in court. To avoid such risks, do your research thoroughly beforehand.
So you have decided to pursue active sourcing and now need to find the right channels and methods. You can search for suitable candidates on professional networking platforms such as Xing and LinkedIn and approach them directly. Another approach is to network actively offline, for example by attending events that interest your target group. You can also leave this task to headhunters or recruitment agencies who deal with it every day. However, this option carries some risks: if you want to attract top talent, you need to engage with candidates yourself to underline the importance of the relationship and your own professionalism.
A Stroke of Luck: Your Ideal Candidate Is Job Hunting
In the third case, you’re in luck: there are plenty of professionals looking for jobs that match your open positions! Naturally, this is the best starting point for your plans, and you can shine with a candidate journey tailored to your target group. Don’t have one yet? Then you should create one! A targeted candidate journey covers every point of contact (so-called touchpoints) you have with your candidates – from the job ad on Stepstone or similar platforms to a trade fair appearance to the job interview. Every touchpoint counts if you want to stand out from the competition and win over your ideal candidates. This is how your candidate journey could be structured: You may well consider all three options – and you should, because the skills shortage in Germany is on everyone’s lips for good reason. Companies across many industries are already short of skilled workers, and the gap keeps growing. Don’t wait – take action!