Why Am I Not Getting Quality Applicants?

I’ve had numerous conversations with clients lately who are not getting applicants for their job postings. So, my first question is “why not”? They typically think that their facility is just not offering enough money, or they have an inadequate recruitment team. Honestly, this might be the case for many of them, but for others, it’s not.

How Many Job Opportunities Do Candidates Receive Each Month? Insights from Our LinkedIn Survey

In a recent survey we conducted on LinkedIn, we asked technologists, “On average, how many recruitment solicitations do you estimate you get each month?” After weeding through the tongue and cheek responses, the average seemed to be seven. We wanted to know this, because frankly, we need to change up our recruiting strategy a bit and gather ideas on what makes a person respond to our (your) jobs, and tweak things accordingly. Frankly, the response rate to our job postings are way down too, and this number of seven tells the story of why. Why should a candidate respond to an average job offer when another seven job opportunities will be presented next month?

What Candidates Really Want: Guaranteed Improvement and Opportunities

Honestly, we are only as good as our clients’ offerings. I screen at least five to ten technologists daily, so I hear their stories. If they are not offered something substantially better, then why make a move? Mortgage rates are up, so selling a home and finding a new one is not at all optimal. I also try to put myself in that same position. Would I change jobs? Well yes, I would. But it would have to be a better situation, not a lateral move, not lateral pay, not “potential” opportunity, but guaranteed improvement on day one. My guess is you might feel the same way.

Why Standard Job Postings and Offers Don’t Always Work

So here is what is not working very well right now. Posting ads on your website, LinkedIn and Indeed.com. Sorry, but your job post probably looks just like the last fifty they saw. “But we’re offering a $10,000 sign-on bonus”, you say. So is the competition down the road. “Our place is family oriented”, you say. Well, so does your competition.  These things don’t sell because candidates have seen it and heard it before, and they will likely hear it again seven times next month.

How to Attract Quality Candidates

So, what do you do? First and foremost, you need to be offering them what they don’t already have; more money, title change (Lead Tech, Supervisor, Manager, etc.) less call, and a better schedule, for example. Sure, a big bonus helps get attention too, but we’re talking $20,000 bonuses these days, not $5,000 or $10,000. These amounts are so common right now that it’s almost expected.

Strategies for Reaching Quality Candidates Proactively

Finally, you must be proactive in reaching the right person, with the right content. How many direct mailers do you get from Kohls, or from your local roofing company each month? Some call this junk mail, but in this business, we call it strategic marketing. Do you offer cross-training? Can you offer someone advancement opportunities? Even though someone might not be looking for a job, if you put something in front of them that catches their attention, they might just change their mind. One thing is for sure, they are not going to go to your website or Indeed if they are not looking. By comparison, they have no choice but to see your job opportunity if you put it in their mailbox. If you need a certified (CT) tech, we can specifically target each one of them in your city and/or state. Do you need a Sonographer who is certified in breast (BR)? We can specifically target those individuals too. This also goes for most specialties in radiology, cardiology and laboratory. By being strategic about how you spend your marketing dollars, you can hit the right audience and get results. Why continue spending money on ads hoping candidates will see it? It’s time to reallocate those resources and get better results.

Call us, we will discuss exactly how we do this.