If I were only allowed to give one piece of advice* on how to tackle the UK candidate shortage, it would be to ensure your documentation is in order across these 5 points:

1. Get your headcount forms signed off early, including a budgeted salary that is reflective of your needs for your vacancy. If it's not, there's a problem.

2. Confirm your job description is representative of your business context, status quo and goals. Can your mate Gary tell you what the job is from your job description? If not there's a problem.

3. Confirm what 'good' should look like in a candidate. What combination of skills, experience, attitude and qualifications establish competence? Make no assumptions - drill deep at root to understand what a minimum viable 'good' is and build from there.

Consider how candidates can 'add' to your culture rather than 'fit' into it. Ruling out good candidates for discriminatory reasons limits your access to 'talent'. Oh and it's disgusting and probably illegal.

Have this in writing and agreed with the hiring decision makers. If agreement isn't achievable, you've a problem.

4. Write out all the answers to the question "why would a 'good' candidate want to work here?". If you can't answer this... guess what?

5. Distil these last three points in your job advert. Target it at your ideal candidate, just one is all you need, and make it easy for them to get in touch with you. If you haven't done this, there's little point complaining that adverts don't work - they do.

Of course, you'll need the wherewithal to ask the right questions, and the copywriting skills and turn this into meaningful words that convert. If you can't do that get an expert in (👋**).

Get these points then look at the rest of it before you complain about candidate shortages.

* while getting the basics right allows the rest to follow, from there you will need to access candidates through the right means, engage them in the right way, bring them forward, have an efficient process and mitigate your risks throughout. But without getting the basics right, can you even say your DM to Sally Perfect-Candidate has any meaning at all?

** greg.wyatt@bwrecruitment.co.uk