Candidate person: the secret to optimizing your talent search
Define the ideal candidate and improve your recruitment strategy with a precise and effective profile
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In today’s landscape, companies face fierce competition to attract the right talent. While the company sets the conditions and timing for hiring, we must not forget that, ultimately, it is the candidates who have the final say.
According to a study by the job search platform Indeed, 71% of active candidates are looking for new opportunities or are open to hearing offers, and 90% of them embarked on a job search process just six months after joining a company. These statistics highlight the importance of high competitiveness and the need to refine recruitment strategies.
In this context, the figure of the Candidate Person becomes a crucial tool in the search for talent, allowing companies to tailor their recruitment strategy to the needs and characteristics of their ideal candidate.
What is a Candidate Person?
The Candidate Person is a semi-fictional representation of the ideal candidate for a company. This profile is built by analyzing the characteristics, skills, and traits that the perfect candidate would have for the organization.
In the Inbound Recruiting Methodology, the candidate is at the center of the selection process. Therefore, companies must deeply understand their ideal candidate and direct their talent attraction strategy toward this profile. This involves knowing their needs, motivations, interests, and, most importantly, how they can align with the company’s needs.
Defining the Candidate Person in detail is crucial for optimizing the talent search. It is a profile based on thorough research, allowing a precise understanding of the target audience and, consequently, the design of more effective recruitment strategies.
Why build a Candidate Person?
The main advantage of creating a Candidate Person is that it guides the company’s efforts throughout the selection process. This profile unifies the recruitment team, facilitates the creation of relevant content, and helps align the job offer with the expectations of ideal candidates.
The competition for the most qualified professionals is intense. The best candidates have a wide range of options since they are highly active and knowledgeable about the job market. Thus, accurately identifying the Candidate Person allows efforts to be focused more efficiently, not only in attracting more applicants but in attracting the most suitable ones.
How to Create a Candidate Person?
To create the most effective Candidate Person profile, three fundamental steps must be followed:
Research and information gathering
The first step is to gather concrete and relevant data. There are three main sources for obtaining this information:
- Current Employees: Internal professionals have many of the characteristics of the ideal candidate. Understanding their motivations, interests, and goals is key.
- Human Resources Department: The HR team manages information on the skills, training, and experience required in candidates.
- Previous Candidates: Data about the profiles of candidates who have already applied can help adjust the ideal profile.
Trend analysis
Once the data is collected, it is essential to identify common patterns and trends. This step helps in the precise definition of the Candidate Person by detecting qualities and characteristics shared by the most suitable profiles for the company.
Create candidate Person stories
With all the gathered information, it’s time to bring the Candidate Person to life through detailed stories. By describing their characteristics and skills, a 360-degree profile is created that allows recruitment teams to recognize the ideal candidates more quickly.
The Candidate Person not only enhances the personalization of the recruitment process but also establishes an emotional connection between candidates and the company, increasing the chances of attracting the most suitable professionals.
✅ At Adlanter, we know how crucial it is to have the right talent for the success of your company. We can help you attract and select the best profiles for your organization’s key vacancies. Are you ready to optimize your recruitment process? Contact us!