Sideways moves in recruitment are tricky to achieve
Are you trying to attract someone to move sideways? From a job somewhere else that’s a similar level to the one you’re recruiting for?
That might be what the hiring manager wants from you, but it’s tricky to achieve.
Think about it from the candidate’s point of view.
Sideways moves
Leaving a job to work somewhere else where they’ll be doing the same thing means they have all the upheaval of leaving, then undertaking a new commute, finding their way around different systems and processes, and meeting new people. How can they be sure they’ll fit in and enjoy it? What about the risk of being ‘last in, first out’?
To tempt them to make that leap, your job ad has to be pretty damn persuasive.
On the other hand, convincing someone to make an upwards move is relatively easy.
Upwards moves
They will probably earn more money, take on extra responsibility and enjoy learning new things.
When a hiring manager tells you they want you to find someone at the same level, that might be because they don’t want to have to train and develop them.
At a time when such candidates are hard to find, you might have to convince the hiring manager they don’t want to replace the leaver ‘as is’. They’d be better off replacing the leaver as they were when they first joined.
That is, with someone at a slightly lower level who has the eagerness and ambition to look upwards.
You can then write a compelling ad to attract those applicants.
If you’re looking for new ways to attract candidates to jobs, take a look at our Copywriting Courses.
