Last Wednesday, more than 40 talent acquisition professionals gathered at MMAC's offices for the first in a new series of Recruiters Roundtable discussions.
Two industry experts from Circa, Talent Manager Joanna Mesirow and Partnerships Business Development Manager Dr. Jim Kanichirayil, provided perspectives from the field and helped facilitate small group discussions on challenges recruiting in the Milwaukee region as well as successful strategies to attract and retain top talent.
Kanichirayil suggested employers review processes at the entrance of the candidate funnel - including the wording of job descriptions - to widen their talent pool and increase the number of applicants. He shared that candidates from under-represented populations won't apply for a job unless they see an 80% match to their experience/skills.
In small group discussions, recruiters from large and small companies across industries were encouraged to identify their top two to three challenges when it comes to attracting and hiring top talent.
Recruiters in industries that experienced layoffs or furloughs during the COVID-19 pandemic spoke of unique challenges -- especially in hospitality -- where employers have to work against negative public perceptions about wages and career advancement potential.
Recruiters shared best practices to optimize the candidate experience and increase the likelihood of an accepted offer. Top talent clearly recognizes their bargaining power and asks tough questions. There was consensus around the importance of transparency - about the company and where it stands on its journey related to diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging -- and transparency about the position - the good and the bad - so that there are no surprises when a new hire comes onboard.
Are you a talent acquisition professional who wishes to build a network of peers in the MKE region? Your input is valuable as MMAC and community partners explore ways to support your efforts. Please join our Recruiters Network by providing contact information to Susan Koehn and receive information about future programming. Register today for the next Recruiters Roundtable discussion on December 14!
Original source can be found here.
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