Local talent pools all tapped out?
You’ve pored over mountains of resumes, browsed through a bunch of online profiles, and connected and reconnected with everyone in your network in the hopes of finding the company’s latest and greatest team member.
And you did. But she lives a few states that way along with her mate and mutt.
Recruiters often defer to bringing in candidates from beyond city limits when the recruiting gets tough and hiring remote employees is out of the question.
Your company’s ramping up on the hiring pace and has set aside a budget for the team to rally up candidates from across the nation. Here are a few steps to getting candidates from Point A to Point B without a hitch.
Offer different compensation packages for each opportunity.
One of the most important details of your strategy to recruit off the grid talent is to determine what types of compensation packages you’ll offer to the candidate. Considering factors like the role itself, the urgency of the hire, and the candidate’s current living situation, discuss with recruiters and the management team how much of the travel bill the company is willing to foot for the new hire.
- Partial relocation compensation - Companies will commonly cover items including travel fares and moving fees in exchange for a reduced salary. This approach may work in favor of candidates who plan to make the move alone.
- Delayed relocation compensation - At the time of travel, employees pay for the expenses, and if after some time their work meets the team’s goals, the employee receives the relocation bonus. This approach builds motivation and bolsters retention, as these new hires progress to meet an end goal in a specified time frame.
- Full relocation compensation - Companies who offer this package cover all travel and moving expenses, which can also entail purchasing the employee’s home, new car, and children’s education. Companies typically save this type of compensation for upper-management candidates who have highly specialized skills, who are leaders in their industry, and are probably already employed by another organization.
Extend your recruiting and job placement assistance to the candidate’s spouse, if necessary.
When recruiters ask a candidate to relocate, they tend to forget some talent come twofold. Ease the new hire’s worries and frustrations with the big move by offering to help their spouse find a job, too. It’s a cordial, courteous touch, and in some cases, it’s expected. One relocated employee in your hands is one relocated person who just quit their job to make the former a possibility. Take advantage of your network of fellow talent acquisition pros to ease the transition and to ensure your employee is able to stick around for the long haul as the result of their loved ones’ job security.
Put together a list of relocation resources.
Moving into a new city and getting thrown into a different work environment can wreak all kinds of havoc for any person’s peace of mind. Help new hires make a smooth shift between chapters and compile a few lists of people, companies, and network connections who can help with the moving process, which can be especially helpful for employees moving with families or spouses. Consider including a detailed list of nearby schools, banks, pet clinics, medical centers, DMVs, and government facilities with addresses, hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, and a short description. Go a step further and include some items for the fun agenda that only locals would know about, like restaurants and hole-in-the-walls, speciality grocery stores, secret discounts or perks, nightlife happenings, and outdoors spots.
Sometimes building a top talent funnel means recruiting without a radius, and finding the right candidate, granted, miles and miles away, can be quite the challenge — it’s a high-risk, high-investment hire that naturally demands more investment, nurturing, and discretion. What techniques does your team use to effectively relocate top talent with ease? Tell us in the comments!
