The Truth Your Staffing Clients Need to Know About Salary Expectations

The Truth Your Staffing Clients Need to Know About Salary ExpectationsIf youre like most staffing professionals, you spend most of your day looking for qualified candidates for clients. But given how low unemployment is currently, youre scraping the bottom of the barrel. You need more incentives for stellar talent to leave their current job and consider a position with your client. Only one problem this means offering higher pay.A 2019 survey from Bullhorn found 78 percent of staffing and recruiting professionals believe employers must accelerate pay increases to compete for top talent. Knowing that skilled employees are in demand, candidates have increased salary expectations. However, not all of your clients will be willing, or able, to offer more money. So, what are staffing professionals to do?While you cant control your clients final offers to candidates, you can alert them to rising salary expectations. This requires an open and honest discussion about the reality of the talent market. Heres what you can do when your clients pay range is keeping you from filling a position Providing data about salary expectationsA few years ago, most companies could fill vacancies as long as they offered fair compensation. But whats considered reasonable has changed. If your clients are reluctant to accept this tend, theyll continue to offer salaries that are no longer competitive. Or worse, theyll think the issue is with your staffing process.Remind your clients that what worked last year may not work now. As the Bullhorn survey shows, many companies are just starting to raise their compensation offerings to get an edge in talent acquisition. Your clients will fall behind if they dont see evidence of their competitors increased salaries. Start by showing them what websites like Payscale list as the average salary for the job theyre trying to fill. Get them to focus not on the job title, but rather on the required skills and responsibilities of the role. For example, each company describes entry-level roles differently your client might be looking for more skills and experience for even the most juniorin positions. Theyll need to adjust their salaries accordingly. Its also helpful to share information about how increased compensation allowed you to find candidates for other clients. Of course, you should protect the other companys confidentiality, but real-life examples will show your client why salary is a reason theyre losing out on talent.Your firm should also collect feedback from candidates about why they turned down an opportunity. If compensation was a big issue, use this data to open your clients eyes to about current salary expectations.Give your client current data about salary expectations so they know what to offer candidates. talentacquisitionClick To TweetGive them concrete examples of what theyve lostTheres nothing worse than finding a rockstar candidate and then having them say no because of the salary range. However, because staffin g professionals act as a filter, clients arent always aware of how many people reject an opportunity from the beginning because of the pay listed in the job description. If you consistently reach out to potential candidates and they wont proceed with the staffing process because of the salary range, keep track of their skills and experience. Once you have a list of several candidates, show your clients who they missed out on. Present the candidates like you would if theyd said yes. List all their past roles and explain why you think they wouldve been a great fit. Then tell your client why these individuals arent an option. Find additional sources of valueSometimes your clients cant offer candidates any more money. They arent unrealistic or stingy they simply dont have the hiring budget. This shouldnt keep them from tapping into qualified talent pools. And its your job to make it all work.Luckily, money isnt always what matters most to candidates. In a 2019 survey from CareerBuilder, when respondents were asked which considerations were more important than salary, they saidLocation (56 percent)Affordable benefits plans (55 percent)Job stability (55 percent)A good boss (48 percent)A great company culture (44 percent)Determine which of these factors apply to your client and why what they offer is better than other employers. Then highlight these perks in your initial communication with potential candidates. For example, say you find a qualified candidate who lives over an hour away from their current job. If your clients company drehort is closer, list all the advantages for the candidate. In your email include information about the anticipated amount of money they could save each month on gas and car maintenance. Seeing how much theyd save will help convince them to consider a position with a lower salary.For 56% of job seekers, location is more important than salary. staffingtipsClick To TweetSalary expectations are on the rise. Its your job to ensure clients a re aware of these changes. To find them the talent they need, you have to step up and start a conversation about the compensation they offer. This will help you get them the employees they want and need.