Nine ways to attract and retain continuous candidates

Loyalty is one of the most desirable attributes in employees and potential employees. But our recent report, Always Looking: The Rise of Continuous Candidates, found that 30% of UK employees are continuous candidates. They’re always on the lookout for the next job opportunity. As a result, employers under pressure to adapt their talent strategy, to make sure they can attract and retain continuous candidates. Here are nine changes you can make to do just that:

1. Speak fluent advancement

Be proactive and tell your employees about opportunities for advancement. It’s an important component of the employer value proposition (EVP). Offer this information upfront, in a few different locations and interactions. Don’t wait for employees to ask.

2. Walk the walk

Once you’ve mastered step one and embedded ‘advancement’ as a key part of your EVP, you need to follow through on that promise. You need to create a work experience that mirrors the messaging.

3. Spotlight examples of advancement

Now you’re talking the talk and walking the walk, you’re sure to have examples of employees who have risen through the ranks. To retain continuous candidates, tell the rest of the business and prospective employees about them, and bring your messaging to life.

4. Expand the definition of advancement

Compensations and promotions are still important for today’s candidates. But there are lots of other things they’re looking for to. Expanded roles, job variety, higher profile projects – think outside the box, and offer more than the expected.

5. Foster “learnability” to retain continuous candidates

Continuous candidates want continuous education. Upskilling is now part of everyday life. Nurture your employees through providing or reimbursing for professional development programs, internal/external training or advanced degree programmes.

6. Mentor, mentor, mentor

Continuous candidates benefit from a workplace where there is a culture of mentorship. Skill acquisition, regular feedback, teamwork and exposure to successful role models strengthen the bond between an employee and the company they work for.

7. Build a talent community

Make it easy for continuous candidates to add themselves to an employer’s talent community. Whether it is on social media, career sites or the company website – articulate opportunities for candidates to join your database and receive job alerts.

8. Vet and reclassify applicants

The rise of the continuous candidate can mean that you receive a flood of applications and CVs from underqualified people. Treat these cases wisely – how you treat unsuccessful applications has a big impact on your reputation as an employer.

9. Challenge the myth of job-hopping

Educating hiring managers about the continuous candidate phenomenon is important. To properly assess a candidate, hiring managers must dig deep into the reasons for this type of behaviour. Candidates who moved jobs frequently may reflect a desire for geographic mobility or a lack of advancement opportunity… not poor job performance or disloyalty.

Read our new whitepaper to find out more about the rise of the continuous candidate and what your business needs to do to respond.