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

In recent years, the war for talent has been declared. In certain sectors, such as catering or personal assistance, companies are struggling to find candidates. In short, they're on the lookout for penurious profiles.

But this situation is not inevitable! 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 penuric profile?

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

👉 There are different types of penuric profile:

• highly specialized professionals, with cutting-edge know-how at a time when market demand is on the rise. These include technical professions such as IT (engineering, programming, data science, etc.);
• seniors, highly sought-after for their expertise. They are difficult to recruit, however, as they are often already on the job and don't always intend to move;
• workers in sectors for which working conditions no longer seem sufficiently attractive by today's standards (catering, for example).

💪 In the case of a penurious profile, the balance of power is reversed: it's up to the company to seduce the candidate, not the other way around!

What are the most sought-after profiles?

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

• Medical and paramedical professions. There are many reasons for this, such as :
  • the aging of the population, which increases the need for, and therefore the tension 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 know-how. But it's hard to find candidates, even though these professions are often invisible and have a reputation for being hard work.
  
  
• Catering professions. The catering trades are also suffering from a glaring lack of personnel. Various factors are at play. But it's true that 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, and boosting training (in artificial intelligence, for example) at a time when demand for highly-qualified profiles continues to grow.

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, helps you stand out from the competition and remain memorable in the minds of job applicants.

But what exactly is an employer brand?

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

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

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

☝️ Of course, no more empty promises! It's up to the company to embody its brand image, to retain existing talent and protect itself from a bad reputation.

Tip 2: Optimize the candidate experience

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

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

With this in mind, we recommend that you :

• make your job ad as clear and attractive as possible;
• perfect your career site, as a showcase for your company;
• be transparent in your communications (processes, status of applications, etc.);
• be responsive and answer applicants' questions within a reasonable timeframe;
• provide applicants with constructive feedback, especially when they are unsuccessful. In this way, you encourage them and help them to improve;
• personalize your messages as much as possible, to show applicants that they're not just another number.

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

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

For example, while Tool4staffing enables you to effectively manage the recruitment process from A to Z, it also includes a number of innovative features. These include its immersive candidate portal, including interesting tools such as the ability to automatically import CV information in three clicks, collaborative appointment scheduling with the recruiter or the chatbot. 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 take advantage 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 boards,
• 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 best suited to creative and marketing professions. 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 objective? Spark their interest and get them to spontaneously apply for your job offers, 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 already identified, ready to be mobilized when needed.

The advantage of this approach is that it greatly reduces the time needed to fill a vacancy, thus minimizing potential disruptions to the smooth running of business, as well as recruitment costs.

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

Tip 5: Think cooptation

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 trusted people with the necessary skills. 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 in the field!

Sometimes, to unearth a penurious profile, you have to get out in the field!

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

🌟 We advise you to attend events related to your company's vacancies, to make direct contact with interesting profiles:

• job fairs,
• school events,
• trade shows,
• 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 many ways in which you can stand out in a tight job market. But in the end, it's all about treating the candidate as you would like to be treated.

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