Why is that when you post a job ad on LinkedIn or Indeed, they frequently seem to get little traction with the quality candidates that you’re seeking? There are many answers to why this seems to happen in the heavy civil industry, but first we need to have some understanding on the context of acquiring talent with regards to active and passive candidates.
The general rule of thumb across all industries in talent acquisition is that around 70% of candidates are passive, meaning that they are not seeking new employment, while 30% are active, meaning they are seeking new employment. Due to the overwhelming nature and number of posts on forums like LinkedIn, candidates are often overwhelmed with the sheer number of postings, meaning that only a small fraction of the 30% actually ended up even seeing your ad.
These issues are further compounded by the very nature of work in the heavy civil industry. 50+ hour work weeks are extremely common, with extended travel or long commutes being a common occurrence. Many active candidates simply don’t have the time to sift through the overwhelming volume of job postings (most of which aren’t relevant to them in the first place, adding frustration to their lives) in order to find your job posting.
Sometimes, however, an exemplary candidate may come across your job posting, they will more likely than not pass on the opportunity. Why is this? Simply put, job postings are usually lacking or include subpar Employer Branding, Employee Value Propositions, or even a message at all. Frequently, job postings are merely a list of qualifications and responsibilities. For a candidate, this makes the job look about as interesting as watching concrete set, but we’ll get more into how to improve your hiring message in Part 4.
The end result of all of this is that frequently your job postings are only met with response by the desperate or unemployed candidates, who frequently falling short of the minimum expectations of experience for the job. Not only does this mean that you aren’t able to easily fill the position, but it also means that you spend valuable time and resources on sifting through candidates that won’t pan out. If you haven’t already, please download the Talent Capture Blueprint, and be sure to check our next video to find out where your qualified candidates really are.
