How to recruit profiles that are in short supply?

In today's recruitment market, recruiters and HR managers are facing a unique challenge to attract and recruit rare profiles. These individuals, equipped with particularly sought-after skills, are essential to the success of a business. Due to multiple reasons — high demand from employers, the lack of attractiveness of certain jobs, too high expectations in relation to the salaries offered, etc. -, they are becoming more and more discreet. This article will guide you through the recruitment landscape, addressing the essential components of finding, attracting, and maintaining profiles in need.

Talent shortage: what is it?

Before we get into recruiting techniques, let's define what we mean by talent shortage. A shortage profile, It is a profile with rare skills, diplomas highly sought after by companies, or specific or unusual experiences. They are people who can have a significant influence on the trajectory of a business. They are by definition difficult to recruit, because there are few and with high requirements.

Concretely, think of back-end developers, data scientists, specialized lawyers or even artificial intelligence experts, considered to be the elite in their respective professions. But also think of people working in jobs that are still little-known and that regularly appear with new technologies, or jobs that are becoming rare, such as manual jobs.

How to recruit profiles that are in short supply?

Let's get to the point and the reason why you're going to this article: the answer to the question “How do you recruit these rare candidates?”.

Several steps are taking shape, first of all, identifying the reasons for the shortage of talent in your sector or your vacant job. Then, the implementation of a long-term strategy is relevant: the development of a perfect employer brand, in order to no longer chase after potential candidates, but that they run after you.

Another solution is to get off the beaten track to conduct effective recruitment campaigns and attract the attention of candidates. All recruiters post on job boards, on their career site, wait for the right candidate while praying. But only a small number are making the effort to look for new and effective recruitment methods, such as the programmatic recruitment. This is what will differentiate the recruiter from the good recruiter.

The candidate experience is also particularly important. Talent being very sought-after, it is necessary to work on your employer brand and to provide an impeccable candidate experience so they don't abandon your hiring process.

Finally, it is sometimes necessary to admit that recruitment is not feasible internally, or at least within the correct time frame. Outsourcing can then become the solution.

Steps and strategies for hiring shortage profiles

Identify the sources of shortage

To successfully recruit a profile for a job in a shortage situation, first identify the underlying problem. Evaluate your current methods of recruiting and sourcing. Why are these profiles in demand? Is there a gap between the talent pool and the positions available? Are there too few candidates? Are the job offers not attractive enough? Identify the difficulties specific to your sector, this is the first step in being able to respond to recruitment problems.

These candidates, although rare, do exist. You then simply have to find what attracts them. Find a way to convince them to join you: better pay, extra time off, corporate culture, etc. Everything is good to make sure you attract talent.

It is also crucial to optimize your procedures. Processes that are too long, too complex, will repel candidates, even more so if they are in high demand. Attracting the right profiles from the start requires a planned strategy. The cornerstone here is your employer brand and your presence in new ways of recruiting — stand out, be attractive and differentiate yourself. The culture of your company, its values and the commitments of your employees must be highlighted.

Creating an irresistible employer brand: or how to seduce candidates?

By dealing with scarce profiles, reverse the traditional recruitment process. Instead of waiting to be convinced, capture the candidate's attention. That's where the employer brand intervenes, the engine that makes your organization desirable. Show a true corporate culture and highlight what makes your business unique, starting with taking care of your career site. Originality is important, but keep in mind that it is only a means to achieve a goal. Shortage candidates are aware of their value in the market, so adapt and be bold in your recruitment methods.

Not every business can claim to be Apple or Google. These companies now almost no longer need to make an effort to recruit, and now rely as much as possible on the appeal of their brand to attract talent.

Consider alternatives to job portals: Expand sourcing options

The web is no longer just a tool in the age of digital transformation, it is a philosophy. It is no longer just a space where information is shared, but a dynamic universe where profiles in shortage thrive. Go beyond traditional job portals and resume databases. Profiles in a shortage situation are widely present on social media. If you don't use them, you're going straight into the wall.

Use automated sourcing tools And of HR programmatic to save you time and directly target the most qualified potential candidates: Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, Google, YouTube... and even aggregators and jobboards. No place should escape you, or any candidate, whether they are looking for a job or not.

Outsource your recruitment

It is sometimes necessary to understand that the skills to hire effectively are not always internalizable. Identifying unique skills requires careful preparation in your recruitment approach and precise processes. Outsourcing your recruitment to specialized companies or facilitators to increase your chances of obtaining this type of highly sought-after profile can then be a viable solution for some companies.

How do you keep your talents?

Recruiting shortage profiles is not the only problem you will have to face. Retaining the talents you have hired, or those already present in your company, should also be your priority.

Recruiting and retaining talent in need: An act of balance

Rare candidates are demanding, but remember that they are looking for the same thing you are looking for: satisfaction. Once recruited, your talents will necessarily be solicited as you did, with many offers that are possibly better than yours. So ask yourself the question: what can I do to keep my talents? An attractive salary, career prospects, a perfect working environment, unlimited leave, etc. Define what are your differentiating elements that will encourage your employees to refuse competitive offers. To make your life easier, we offer 8 Tips for Retaining Your Top Talent.

Practical cases for recruiting profiles in short supply

Recruiting computer engineers

Computer engineers, and more generally employees working in the IT field, are particularly sought after profiles in the current context. The war to hire them is raging, with businesses looking for more and more to attract them.

The main key to recruiting this type of profile is the following: Flexibility. Indeed, IT specialists, due to the nature of their missions, require the ability to work regularly (or even 100%) from home, but also at times that suit them. They have a strong need for independence. So don't expect to attract the rare pearl by being too rigid.

Hiring health care professionals

As for jobs in tension in the health sector, it's a different story. The market here is hit by a general lack of qualified workers. There is very little room for manoeuvre when it comes to the flexibility of offers or the promotion of attractive packages. It is therefore necessary for health institutions to be proactive about recruitment and no longer passive. The use of adapted technology such as that of Seeqle, allows you to take precedence over competitors in order to attract available qualified candidates as a priority. Find out more about the sector in our Application to recruit in the health sector.

Find qualified technicians

In a world where manual jobs are increasingly neglected, it is complicated to recruit, especially when the locations of positions are in unattractive job pools. For these profiles, companies must highlight their attractiveness, while being proactive by giving maximum visibility to their job offers. As with the healthcare sector, businesses need to use the right technology to stay ahead of their competitors. Discover our file for recruitment of technicians in the energy sector Or the aeronautical sector.

In summary

Hiring profiles in short supply is a delicate dance that requires agility, originality and a thorough understanding of your business. By working on your employer brand, going beyond traditional recruiting approaches, and embracing the digital age, you're positioning your business as a magnet for rare and extraordinary talent that can propel it to new heights. Remember that recruiting talent in short supply is not only a challenge; it's an opportunity to improve your workforce and redefine success.

Try our technology of automated sourcing by AI to easily attract scarce profiles on the entire web.

PS: Don't miss our news and events 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn  

‍