3 Ways Candidates Should Use The Big Quit To Their Advantage
What a 2022 we’re having, right?
The market is booming, the big quit means there are more jobs than there are candidates and brand-new roles in marketing, creative, PR and client services mean that there’s no end in sight.
The Great Resignation and the ensuing war for talent (that we’ve been talking about FOREVER) rages on, intensifying by the day and agencies and companies alike are desperately searching for experienced and skilled professionals to join their teams.
As a recruitment company, this means we’re busier than ever, putting fantastic people in front of fantastic teams. For businesses, they’re hard at work rethinking their tactics, their policies and what a “great place to work” actually looks like (spoiler: it’s not free fruit and casual dress Fridays). But what about for candidates?
Here’s something that most in-house recruiters don’t want you to know: Candidates now hold all the glorious power in their hands. As we alluded to in our Top Three Trends for 2022 blog, employees are now regarded as customers, with businesses competing to attract them.
What’s more, The Great Resignation, although a struggle for many businesses, is an incredible opportunity for candidates to land a role that truly suits them and make it even more suitable by the day.
In this blog we’ll detail our three top tips for taking advantage of this perhaps one-in-a-generation opportunity, because at next level Recruitment, we champion knowing your worth and letting everyone else know it, too.
- Take time to reflect on what’s most important to you
While it sounds basic, the single most important thing you can do for yourself at this moment in time is to re-evaluate your priorities. It’s this very thing that led to The Great Resignation and caused such a shift in the working world.
Even if you’re happy in your role at the moment, now is the time to reach for more and to truly level up your career. What is it about your current or previous role that you love the most? What areas could use some improvement? What tasks do you enjoy doing the most, and which fill you with dread? Where do you prefer to do your work? Are your working hours working for you? What other roles exist that you’d like to learn more about?
Nothing is off limits as businesses scramble to retain their staff and acknowledge they need to do more – so make sure you know your preferences, boundaries and non-negotiables so that you can clearly communicate these with your manager, recruiter or interviewer when the time comes.
- Try new things
Despite outdated thinking that money is the biggest motivator of the workforce when it comes to retention and recruitment, we know from talking to our candidates that it isn’t. People are eager for change, and this is the perfect time to try new things, learn new skills and get the development that you need or want to move forward into the future.
Even if you’re not ready to move to a new employer, if you were to in the future, what would be your dream role and how can your current company accommodate your progression?
If you’re a Social Media Manager but want to widen your experience so you can increase your salary later down the line, it’s an ideal time to improve your skills and become more competitive. Why not ask to work with the graphic design team once a week, or find a training course and send it across to your manager. Now is the time to ask!
Likewise, if you’re job-searching, be open to new roles, tasks and teams; if companies are struggling to fill gaps, willingness to learn and accommodate will go a long way and give you even firmer ground to negotiate upon.
- Know your worth and negotiate
The reason our candidates are candidates for life is because they know we’re on their team. We fight for our people because we know the industry and how much good people are worth right now. We only work with brilliant candidates and companies that genuinely value them – we will never allow our candidates to accept less than they deserve. So, if you’re looking to level up your career, we’d definitely recommend you become a candidate today!
Even without us in your corner, before you go into any meeting, interview or call, it’s a great idea to do some salary benchmarking. Find out what the going rate for professionals with your job title is in your area right now and then, ready yourself with examples of your skills and key achievements and successes that prove you deserve the top end (if not more) of the standard salary.
Not sure if your salary is still in line with the marketplace? We’ve got you - Download our FREE 2022 Trends and Salary Survey from the banner at the top of our website to find out.
Be flexible; as we already know, financial motivation is just the beginning, so revert back to the preferences, wants and non-negotiables you identified earlier to negotiate your way to a happier and more fulfilling work-life.
So, there you have it: our three top tips for making the most of this opportunity. Whether you’re new to the market and just curious, happy where you are and not actively looking for new roles or interviewing regularly, the power is finally back with the people and shouldn’t go unused!
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