Hiring for senior-level and highly specialized positions can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Unlike entry-level candidates, the talent you’re looking for —a seasoned Lawyer, a certified public accountant, a senior web developer, or a project manager with deep construction or real estate expertise— is often not actively searching for new opportunities. These highly skilled professionals are usually already employed and require time, effort, and a strategic approach to convince them to make a move.
At TAG HR, we specialize in connecting companies with top-tier talent for these critical roles. However, your active involvement as a Hiring Manager is key to speeding up the process and ensuring the right fit.
In this blog post, we’ll share five ways you can proactively assist our search and help us find the right person more efficiently.
#1.
Being Open About Your Workplace Culture & Values
Why It Matters
While you’re looking for the perfect candidate, top talent also evaluates whether your company is the right fit for them. In today’s competitive job market, senior candidates are more selective about their next move, carefully weighing whether the opportunity aligns with their career goals and values.
For our recruiters to find the right person for your unique workplace, we need to understand your company culture, work environment, and even the nuances of your team dynamics. Doing so helps us narrow our search and present only candidates we believe will thrive in your organization.
Actionable Tips
- Reflect on your company culture and workplace dynamics.
- Share examples of the types of hires who have worked or haven’t worked out in the past.
- Don’t shy away from discussing challenges, such as a manager’s communication style or team collaboration preferences.
Don’t underestimate the power of meeting face-to-face! While a quick phone call may save some time initially, taking the time to meet with us on a Teams call, or over coffee can help us have a deeper understanding of your open role, and more likely to present you with candidates who are a better fit.
#2.
Align Salary Expectations with The Job Market
Why It Matters
The more specialized skills and experience you require, the more compensation the candidate will expect. Setting a realistic salary range (rather than a fixed budget) is key to attracting top talent.
You should also keep in mind that salary expectations are constantly evolving and unique to the individual’s past experiences and expertise. Online salary data can provide a general guideline, but the data may be outdated, limited to specific experience levels, or tied to geographic areas with different living costs.
Our recruiters are constantly speaking with candidates, giving us real-time insights into what drives their career decisions, whether it’s salary expectations, work flexibility, or growth opportunities. This allows us to provide you with accurate, up-to-date advice tailored to your specific role and market.
Actionable Tips
- Research salary expectations for your role and location using tools like the Government of Canada job bank: https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis/search-wages
- Ask us for insights on market trends, salary benchmarks, and realistic timelines for your specific role.
- If your budget is below market expectations, consider adjusting your requirements. For example, prioritize cultural fit over hard skills or explore remote work options to tap into a wider talent pool.
#3.
Provide Clear & Timely Feedback
Why It Matters
When we reach out to candidates, it often prompts them to revisit or start their job search journey. They might recall that they didn’t receive a promotion or that maybe landing a new role isn’t as difficult as they initially thought. With that in consideration, time is of the essence. With delayed feedback, you risk losing their interest and potentially the candidate altogether.
We’ve seen more often than we would like to admit: hiring managers take weeks to respond to a candidate submission, only to find that the candidate has already accepted another offer.
Timely and accurate feedback also helps us fine-tune our search. The more specific your input, the better we can adjust our approach to find the right fit for your team.
Actionable Tips
- Aim to provide feedback within 24-72 hours of reviewing a candidate’s profile. If you need more time, let us know.
- Be specific in your feedback. Whether it’s about skills, experience, or cultural fit, this helps us adjust our search accordingly.
- Keep the conversation open and ongoing. Even if a candidate isn’t the right fit, your insights help us refine the process and move closer to finding your next hire.
#4.
Make Quick Decisions to Secure Top Talent
Why It Matters
Timely feedback is critical during the candidate submission stage, but it’s even more crucial once you’ve identified a candidate you want to interview or offer a job! Top talent often explore multiple opportunities simultaneously, and delays in your hiring process can lead to losing them to another offer from a competitor.
Keeping candidates engaged and moving swiftly through the interview and decision-making stages shows that your company values their time and skills—making them more likely to choose your opportunity over others.
This urgency is especially important when hiring for niche roles or in smaller towns with a limited talent pool. Losing a candidate in these scenarios can mean losing one of the few qualified individuals available in your area, setting your hiring process back to square one.
Actionable Tips
- Share your availability upfront so we can schedule interviews when you’re interested in meeting a candidate.
- Avoid holding out for the “perfect” candidate, especially in tight talent markets. Focus on those who meet most of your needs.
- Involve senior leaders and decision makers early by sharing candidate details and progress to prevent approval delays.
- Once you find a strong fit, extend a verbal offer to avoid losing them to competitors.
#5.
Keep Us Updated with Your New Hire’s Progress
Why It Matters
Our commitment to hiring success doesn’t end when your new hire starts. We offer support through the critical first few months.
Nearly half of employees feel uncertain about their new role and can meet early challenges that sometimes lead to turnover.
That’s why we offer a 90-day guarantee: if your new hire doesn’t work out for any reason within the first three months, we’ll help replace them at no additional cost to you.
Even with that guarantee, it’s still important to minimize new start turnover where possible. So you don’t have to continue to spend time vetting, interviewing and onboarding the vacant role.
Staying proactive is key. By keeping us updated on your new hire’s progress, we can help address minor concerns before they escalate, ensuring a smoother transition and reducing the risk of starting over again. Think of us as your partner in retention, not only recruitment.
Actionable Tips
- Schedule regular check-ins with your new hire or their manager during the first 90 days to monitor progress and address concerns early.
- Share updates with your Account Manager, even if things are going well. This helps us stay informed and ready to assist if needed.
- If you notice any red flags, let us know right away. We can offer advice or solutions before issues escalate.
- Take advantage of our 90-day guarantee. If the hire isn’t working out, contact us promptly so we can begin the replacement process.
At TAG HR, we’re passionate about not only helping you to fill a vacancy but also finding the right talent to drive your business forward.
If you’re new to our business, we’d love to show you how we can transform your hiring experience. Whether you’re looking for a specialist, a senior leader, or someone who fits your unique company culture. We’re here to help you find the perfect match.
Get in touch with us today! Your next great hire could be joining your team in less time than you think.