Looking for that rare gem? Discover 6 tips for recruiting penurious profiles

The war for talent has been raging for some years now. In some sectors, such as catering or personal assistance, companies are struggling to find candidates. In short, they are looking for profiles that are hard to fill.

But this doesn't have to be the case! Like a brand in the face of its competitors, recruiters need to be skilful in differentiating themselves and attracting the right talent... and then keeping them!

How can they do this? By following the 6 tips revealed in this article.

But first, a brief definition of a penurious profile.

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What is a penurious profile?

The expression " penurious profile " simply refers to a profile whose skills are both rare and sought-after.

👉 There are different types of penurious profile:

• highly specialised professionals, with cutting-edge know-how even though demand is increasing in the market. These include technical professions such as IT (engineering, programming, data science, etc.);
• senior staff, who are highly sought after for their considerable expertise. They are difficult to recruit, as they are often already in post and do not always intend to move;
• workers in sectors for which working conditions no longer seem sufficiently attractive by today's standards (catering, for example).

💪 When it comes to penuric profiles, the balance of power is reversed: it's up to the company to seduce the candidate, not the other way round!

What profiles are in short supply?

Why has there been a shortage of candidates for some time? In reality, the reasons vary depending on the field. Let's look at a few cases in point 🔎 :

• Medical and paramedical professions. There are many reasons for this, including
  • the ageing of the population, which is increasing the need for, and therefore the pressure on, these professions ;
  • a heavy workload for salaries that don't always keep up;
  • the lack of attractiveness of certain rural areas, leading to the phenomenon of "medical deserts".
    
    
• Manual trades (carpenters, joiners, boilermakers, roofers, etc.). These require very precise skills. But it's hard to find candidates, even though these professions tend to be invisible and have a reputation for being hard work.
  
  
• Catering professions. The catering professions are also suffering from a glaring shortage of staff. Various factors are to blame. But it's true that the difficult working conditions, combined with low pay, don't encourage young people to take the plunge, while some established professionals end up changing career paths.
  
  
• Tech professions. Here, it's all about developing new skills, requiring a boost in training (in artificial intelligence, for example) at a time when demand for highly qualified profiles is growing all the time.

How do you recruit rare profiles? Our 6 tips

Tip 1: Work on your employer brand

The concept of employer branding, inspired directly by marketing, enables you to stand out from the competition and remain memorable in the minds of candidates.

But what exactly is an employer brand?

It is the image that your company projects to candidates and employees, encompassing components such as its culture, values and working environment.

To attract penurious profiles, it needs to be as attractive as possible and express your differentiating advantages. For example

• flexible working conditions (teleworking, flexible working hours, etc.),
• more attractive salaries and other financial benefits such as bonuses,
• real prospects for career development,
• a pleasant working environment, conducive to personal fulfilment, etc.

☝️ Of course, no more empty promises! The company needs to embody its brand image, to retain existing talent and protect itself from a bad reputation.

Tip 2: Optimise the candidate experience

Your values should shine through right from the recruitment process. In other words, make the most of your candidate experience.

This concept, also influenced by marketing and its famous customer experience, refers to how an applicant feels when interacting with your organisation throughout the recruitment process.

With this in mind, we recommend that you :

• make your job advert as clear and attractive as possible;
• improve your career site, which is your company's showcase;
• be transparent in your communications (process, status of applications, etc.);
• be responsive and answer applicants' questions within a reasonable timeframe;
• provide constructive feedback to applicants, particularly if they are unsuccessful. In this way, you encourage them and help them to improve;
• personalise your messages as much as possible, to show applicants that they are not just another number among many.

💡 All this takes time, and many companies prefer to be supported by specialist software, such as ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) developed with the aim of optimising application management.

Some solutions go even further, positioning themselves as genuine talent acquisition platforms.

For example, while Tool4staffing provides effective management of the recruitment process from A to Z, it also includes some innovative features. These include its immersive candidate portal, which includes interesting tools such as the ability to automatically import CV information in three clicks, the ability to make collaborative appointments with the recruiter and the chatbot. It's the perfect way to offer talented people a unique and differentiating experience with your company!

Tip 3: Exploit digital channels

The world of recruitment has also undergone its own digital revolution! So you need to make the most of the internet and new technologies in your search for the rare pearl.

We recommend that you explore all the digital channels available to you:

• online job sites
• social networks
• professional forums or groups
• candidate databases, etc.

Of course, remember to choose the right channel for the type of profile you're looking for. For example, sourcing talent via social networks is better suited to creative and marketing jobs. Technical sectors, on the other hand, prefer job boards.

💡 Are you familiar with inbound recruiting? It involves actively attracting qualified candidates by creating tailored content and using marketing tactics. The aim? To pique their interest and get them to spontaneously apply for your job vacancies, since they're already convinced by your value proposition!

Tip 4: Maintain your talent pool

Maintaining a talent pool means keeping an active group of potential candidates who have already been identified, ready to be mobilised if the need arises.

The advantage of this approach is that it greatly reduces the time needed to fill a vacancy, thereby minimising potential disruption to the smooth running of business and recruitment costs.

What's more, this strategy reinforces the corporate culture, as individuals who have had prior contact with the organisation will fit in more smoothly.

Tip 5: Think about co-option

Co-optation involves encouraging current employees to recommend potential candidates to fill vacancies.

Companies have everything to gain from this approach, since every employee is likely to know people they can trust with the necessary skills. So why not make the most of it!

✅ What's more, co-option strengthens employee commitment by involving them in the recruitment process and fostering a sense of belonging to their company.

Tip 6: Get out there!

Sometimes, to find a penurious profile, you have to go straight out into the field!

Street sourcing comes to mind. How does it work? Actively seeking out candidates in public places or at professional events, rather than through traditional online recruitment channels.

🌟 We advise you to go to events related to the vacancies in your company, to make direct contact with interesting profiles:

• job fairs
• school events
• trade fairs
• conferences, etc.

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Recruiting penurious profiles in a nutshell

You now know how to attract penurious profiles to your company.

There are a number of ways in which you can stand out in a tight job market. But at the end of the day, the most important thing is to treat the candidate as you would like to be treated.

So work hard to provide a caring recruitment experience for your talent... and to keep your promises about working conditions once they're in place! Bear in mind that, if need be, they won't hesitate to look elsewhere for greener pastures.