As part of Prolific North’s annual Agency Guide for 2024, we were asked to pen our thoughts on how to address the challenges of talent acquisition and retention in a competitive market. Here’s what our founder, Julian Pearce had to say…
As a relatively new business and new employer, getting our recruitment strategy right was something I wanted to give due consideration even before we started trading.
Part of my business planning for Yasper involved mapping out what sustainable growth would look like, and how recruitment would support that. I put in place key milestones in terms of retainers and turnover, which allowed me to project how I could service clients effectively.
Having fellow Leeds agency Umpf as an investor in the business was a massive help in facilitating this. While most of our clients are distinct from each another, we have several that we share, meaning that we can split resources and team members. This has allowed Yasper to service complex clients from day one, with a true team in place.
During the time I’ve held management positions, over the past decade and more, recruitment has always been flagged as a challenge for our sector. But I prefer to re-frame this as more of a matchmaking exercise than an agency selling itself as a good employer or a candidate trying to prove their value.
In my early career, I was subject to some very bad practice. I remember being asked to interview for a role within an agency in Leeds no fewer than four times. On the fourth ask, I politely declined.
Having seen some of the challenges in terms of ways of working, I am resolute that things can – and should – be done better. I strongly believe that an employer should put as much time and effort into writing a job advertisement as you would expect the prospective employee to take over crafting a response.
We’ve probably all been in situations where a colleague has said ‘just dig out the last job ad we posted’. But it really is a case of reap what you sow. For example, when recruiting for our first full-time employee, I thought long and hard about what kind of applicant I wanted to respond. I received well over fifty completed applications, among which there were several outstanding candidates who fitted the bill.
It is also important for employers to have an open mind about the type of candidate they want to work with them. I am a firm believer that skills can be taught, while attitude is inherent in an individual. Yes, some key competencies need to be set as a baseline, but I would never seek to treat recruitment as a ‘tick-box’ exercise.
Finally, seeing value in recruiting from a range of backgrounds is vital to the future of our industry. PR and marketing are about connecting with people, so if your headcount is drawn from just one group who all have similar experiences, you will always be weaker for it.
There are some brilliant organisations out there, supporting employers to recruit a more equitable workforce. Working with them will prove invaluable in the medium to longer term.