Aviation is a fast changing industry, requiring airlines to continuously refine their recruitment strategies to target the right candidates, and place them in roles where they can effectively utilise their skills and contribute to operations. Targeted recruitment approaches are crucial not only for attracting the most suitable talent, but also for finding professionals with specialist skills. In this article, we explore effective strategies designed to optimise your recruitment efforts, particularly when seeking candidates from various aviation sectors with niche areas of expertise.
What is a targeted recruitment approach?
A targeted recruitment approach is a strategy used by airlines and recruitment consultancies to create tailored campaigns that attract the most suitable candidates for specific positions. Although a more general approach may offer greater reach, a targeted strategy can narrow your search and deliver precise results that align with your specific needs.
This approach is often more time and cost-effective, as it typically returns fewer but more relevant results, ultimately reducing the time required to evaluate applications. Specialist recruitment consultancies excel at implementing targeted recruitment strategies to identify and select the right candidates for airlines and aviation businesses.
Below, we have outlined some methods you can use to target the specific skills your airline needs to grow and develop.
1. Create a strong Employee Value Proposition (EVP)
An Employee Value Proposition (EVP) consists of a set of unique benefits and compelling reasons why employees feel motivated and willing to work for you. It’s a crucial part of your brand identity, distinguishing you from competitors, and making you a prominent figure in the industry. It’s also a distinct aspect of your company culture and employee mentality, defining what employees experience when working with you. Most importantly, a strong EVP helps you to attract and retain candidates with niche skills that are highly desirable and hard to find in the current aviation market.
Specialist recruitment consultancies can help you create and communicate your EVP through job advertising and direct contact with potential candidates to spark their interest in joining your airline. In addition, recruiters can assist in crafting the right message, and guide you on how to incorporate that into your daily operations with both your existing and future employees.
2. Leverage technology for targeted job advertising
AI is already transforming many industries, with more advancements on the horizon. In recruitment, AI technology can significantly reduce turnaround times for screening applications and mitigate unconscious bias by anonymising applications and focusing on skills, experience, and qualifications. Modern recruitment consultancies leverage AI to create targeted job adverts and segment their audience effectively. While AI streamlines the recruitment process, recruiters carefully balance its use to ensure the human element remains intact.
3. Engage more in offline networking
Online job advertising has become one of the most dominant recruitment methods in recent years. While online job boards and social networking sites have enabled airlines to broaden their reach, offline networking should not be overlooked. Aviation talent communities gather at various events throughout the year where they can make new connections and gain industry insights. Professional associations and networks are excellent places to find niche talent, as many aspiring aviation professionals attend in search of their first or next opportunity.
4. Partner with university or flight school programmes
By partnering with universities, airlines can offer students valuable real-world experience through internships, allowing them to apply their skills in practical settings. Additionally, sponsoring aviation-related research projects can foster the development of new technologies and solutions, benefiting both the industry and academia. Participating in campus recruitment events enables aviation companies to showcase their brand and attract top talent from alumni networks, where university graduates actively seek opportunities in aviation. These collaborations between industry and educational institutions are crucial in addressing the talent shortage in aviation by preparing and nurturing the next generation of professionals.
5. Target passive candidates
Passive candidates are candidates who are not actively seeking a job but possess the desired skills and experience needed for a role. Recruitment consultancies typically have extensive networks of passive candidates, many of whom specialise in niche aviation fields and leadership. By leveraging these networks, you can spark candidates' interest in new opportunities and potentially discover other qualified candidates they may refer through referral programmes. By encouraging existing employees or industry contacts to refer candidates, you tap into personal networks that are often rich in high-quality talent, especially in leadership markets. Professionals in executive positions typically keep their job searches private, making them unlikely to be found online. This is why experienced recruitment consultancies offer dedicated executive search services, enabling airlines to identify C-level professionals who can successfully navigate organisations through transitional periods, and drive strategic initiatives.
6. Position yourself as industry thought leader
Positioning your airline as a thought leader allows you to demonstrate your expertise and innovation, making your organisation more appealing to aviation professionals. Top talent is drawn to companies that are at the forefront of their field, as this offers opportunities for growth, learning, and involvement in pioneering developments. By actively cultivating a reputation as a thought leader, you can attract top candidates who are keen to help shape the future of the industry and contribute significantly to your airline.
7. Consult specialist recruiters
Partnering with a specialist aviation recruitment consultancy is often the best approach to finding the right talent for your organisation. These recruiters possess deep industry knowledge and can create targeted job adverts, develop industry-specific content, and produce insightful thought-leadership to appeal to your ideal candidates.
In summary
Targeted recruitment extends beyond simply advertising jobs on mainstream platforms like LinkedIn and other job boards. It involves segmenting your audience to reach candidates with the specific skills and expertise your airline needs. By refining your recruitment approach using our proposed methods, you can gain access to specialised aviation networks with highly desirable skills. Expert recruitment consultancies can guide you towards developing such an approach by creating and managing targeted candidate campaigns on your behalf to ensure maximum impact and results.
Looking to hire quality candidates?
The AeroProfessional team are specialists in the recruitment and selection of aviation professionals across the globe. Reach out to the team today to discuss your current hiring challenges and gain the expert advice and guidance you need to ensure your hiring strategy gains maximum success.
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