The Post Covid Candidate Conundrum: How To Attract Finance Candidates In The Current Marketplace

Attracting amazing finance candidates has always been a challenge for employers.  

Unfortunately, the complications of the global pandemic have now made recruitment even tougher. Today’s most in-demand talent has unlimited options to choose from when it comes to deciding who to work for. With cloud-based tools and remote working on the rise, your ideal finance manager could already have offers from companies anywhere in the UK.  

In this competitive environment, it’s crucial to have a strategy for attracting and engaging the right talent. So, how can you improve your chances of recruiting the ideal candidate when the quest for talent is tougher than ever? 

1. Work on Your Employer Brand

For years, financial specialists have been gravitating towards roles that offer the best possible job experiences. Your employer brand is the culmination of everything that should make your business more attractive to potential employees.  

Today’s candidates are drawn to companies capable of demonstrating empathy and respect for their staff. Proving you have what it takes to deliver a fantastic workplace will make your business stand out to candidates looking for a new opportunity.  

• What does your current employer brand say about you? 
• How do your employees describe your business when talking about their role online?  
• What do reviews on job boards say about your ability to care for your teams and support your staff?  

A great way to capture candidate attention post-pandemic is to highlight how you helped your employees during the COVID pandemic. Did you ensure teams were equipped to work from home? Did you offer time off for employees struggling with their mental health and start new initiatives to keep your financial teams connected and engaged when working remotely? Tell your pandemic story on your website and social media to help your brand stand out. 

2. Know What Candidates Want

Priorities have changed for everyone in the last couple of years. The ideal financial candidate still wants a good salary and benefits. 

Remember though that now they’re also looking for more flexibility, greater transparency from employers, and plenty of opportunities for development.  

Take some time to find out what the top accounting and financial experts in your industry are looking for in a job role. Many companies are now offering “hybrid” working opportunities to staff, so they can continue to work comfortably from home, and within the office, depending on the tasks they need to complete. Giving your candidates a chance to choose a more flexible schedule could be enough to seal the deal when you deliver your job offer.  

Financial candidates are also looking for things like training and development opportunities, so they can build their skills and embrace new opportunities in your business as they arise. If you’re not sure where to start on making your roles more appealing, consider looking at the kind of benefits and scheduling opportunities your competitors are already offering.  

3. Update Your Hiring Strategy

Since the events of 2020, the way companies find and interview candidates has changed drastically. Going forward, there’s a good chance you’ll need to continue adapting your recruitment efforts. For instance, ask yourself: 

• Are you casting the net wide enough? Searching for the ideal financial candidate used to mean narrowing your focus to a pool of candidates with the right talent located in a space close to your office. Now, you can hire financial professionals from anywhere. Branching out to attract remote workers to your team could be a great way to diversify your staff.  
• Are you using the right technology? Technology is a huge part of the hiring process today. You can use video tools for interviewing staff at a distance and online services to test a candidate’s skills before moving to the next stage of the hiring process. Leverage the technology available to help speed up the hiring process.  
• Are you writing the right job descriptions? Clients are searching for different things as they look for roles in the modern world. Do your job descriptions highlight the right benefits, like flexible working, opportunities for development, and company culture? 

The best way to update your hiring strategy is to work with a specialist financial recruitment company. A recruiting partner experienced in finding financial talent will help you attract candidates that other organisations might miss.  

4. Listen toyour Existing Employees

Listening to your existing employees is one of the most useful resources you have.  

Staff members can improve your employer brand by writing reviews online that praise your current company culture and commitment to employee engagement. Your existing team members can also give you an excellent insight into where you might be missing out on attracting new talent.  

Ask your staff members: 

• What they like about working with you: Find out what causes your existing employees to stick around and highlight these factors in your financial job description.  
• What they want to change about working with you. It’s important to look for issues you can address by asking what employees don’t like. Finding out what your staff would like to change about you can help you eradicate problems that would scare off new talent. Plus, it’s a chance to improve existing employee retention.  
• What they need most from you: As the workplace continues to change, your employees might have new needs for things like coaching, extra support, and development tools. Speaking to your employees about your needs will help you better understand how their roles are changing and how you might need to change your hiring strategy accordingly. 

You can even collect information from candidates who decide to join your team, to help determine what convinced them to accept your offer.  

How Can We Help? 

It’s time to get out there and start searching for the ultimate financial candidate.  

Start by reaching out to a financial recruitment company who can help you build the perfect hiring strategy for your post-pandemic talent search. You can connect by emailing us here or calling our direct line on 01282 930 930 

Thanks 

Rachel Mitson 

About Rebus Financial Recruitment     

Rebus Financial Recruitment provides a specialist and focused recruitment service to its customers, which historically range from various organisations, including SMEs, to large PLCs.     

We strive to offer both the client and candidate a seamless recruitment experience. Using our expertise, we get to the heart of employer and employee needs, and, in doing so, we match the two perfectly. To find out more, get in contact with one of our team today, or you can call us on 01282 930930.