It’s not always easy finding qualified job candidates. How can you be sure you’re looking in the right places? What should you do to attract and retain the best talent?
Below, we’ve compiled a list of 10 proven recruiting strategies that are sure to help you find better applicants, create a great candidate experience, and grow your company, especially in a competitive labor market.
#1: Build Your Employer Brand
Every organization has an employer brand. And it should be top of mind for recruiters and talent acquisition professionals when thinking about the kind of impression they are making on candidates.
Your brand as an employer is just as important as your external brand within your industry. It’s important to market yourself to applicants just as you would market yourself to customers. So communicate clearly and consistently why someone should want to work for you, explain what it’s like to work at your company, and differentiate yourself from competitors.
#2: Create Better Job Postings
When recruiting, one of the biggest mistakes any business can make is to put out incomplete or misrepresentative job postings. Some employers think it’s better to avoid being specific about what a position’s responsibilities entail or what kind of pay and benefits are offered. Applicants don’t like being kept in the dark. They want to know what they’re getting into and they deserve transparency in job descriptions.
Be thorough when creating job postings. Include specific details about what the position you’re looking to fill involves and exactly what kind of candidates you’re seeking. That doesn’t mean you should be long-winded; be as concise as possible. Just don’t sacrifice specificity for brevity.
#3: Recruit at Targeted Colleges & Universities
Experience counts significantly when recruiting candidates, but it’s not the only thing that matters. Sometimes the best candidates are the ones who don’t have much experience, but are new to the job market and have recently graduated.
Ambitious college graduates are one of the best resources a growing business has access to, especially when you’re looking to fill entry-level positions or internships. Contact a school’s careers services office to create a steady pipeline of well-trained applicants.
#4: Host & Attend Industry Events
Campus recruitment events and job fairs are a great way to meet job-seekers, but they’re not the only networking opportunities you should be taking advantage of. Non-recruitment industry meet-ups are where the most passionate members of your industry are likely to be found, and they provide a great way for you to reinforce your employer brand and make connections.
Even better than attending industry events is hosting them. This not only brings candidates directly to your doorstep, it also positions you as a leading company within your sector.
#5: Treat Applicants Like Customers
Among the most important factors that determine if an applicant chooses to work for your business instead of a competitor is candidate experience. Think of the recruitment process as an audition; most job seekers believe that their experience during application, interviewing, and onboarding is indicative of what their experience will be as an employee.
It’s important, then, to ensure that the impression you make is a good one. The rule of thumb is to treat potential employees the same way you would treat potential clients. That means being courteous, transparent, enthusiastic, and responsive. If an applicant has questions or concerns, hear them out and reply to them in a timely manner.
#6: Take Advantage of Social Media
Social media is an outstanding tool to communicate with job seekers. If the only place you’re putting the word out about open positions is on dedicated job posting boards, then you’re missing out on social recruiting opportunities.
What’s more, social media is one of the best tools you have for showing off your company culture to attract new talent. Best of all, the possibility for user sharing and viral content means that your audience reach is expanded significantly.
#7: Start an Employee Referral Program
Who knows better the specific needs, assets, and attributes of a company than the people who already work there? Your current employees don’t exist in a vacuum; chances are, they know dozens of other industry professionals (if not more) who would be a good fit for your business.
Starting an employee referral program allows you to tap into a huge network of candidates you might never reach otherwise. It also helps keep your existing talent pool invested in the growth of the company, which is equally important for employee retention.
#8: Re-Engage with Past Applicants
One of the most frustrating things about recruiting is that you’ll see several qualified individuals, but you’ll only be able to hire one or two at the time. Fortunately, this can actually work in your favor when it comes time to fill new job openings.
Reach out to past applicants you weren’t able to hire to see if they are still available and interested in working for you. Not only will they likely be happy and grateful that you remembered them, but this is also an exceptionally efficient use of your own time and resources.
#9: Look to Your Current Workforce
Sometimes you don’t have to look very far to find talented candidates. In fact, in many cases the right candidates to fill open roles are already working for you. Promoting internal mobility or encouraging employees to apply from within your organization can significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to fill important positions.
It’s important for any business to provide employees with the potential for upward mobility. By taking workers who have proven themselves and promoting them to higher or more specialized roles, you’re communicating to your workforce that hard work is rewarded.
#10: Use the Right Talent Acquisition Technology
If you still are using point solutions or are not considering leveraging a holistic approach to talent acquisition technology, then you should reevaluate the need to consolidate your tech stack. The Evolve Talent Acquisition Suite is a unified recruiting solution for the entire talent acquisition lifecycle.
From screening and interviewing to onboarding and retention, Jobvite’s Evolve Suite is designed to streamline recruiting and help you deliver better results that improve your business outcomes.
Stay Current on the Latest Talent Acquisition Insights
With the labor market continuing to favor candidates, it’s important to consider each of these strategies to find and attract great talent. Whether it’s leveraging the right tools, providing a great candidate experience, or maximizing your internal mobility initiatives, make sure you know areas within your hiring process that you can improve to deliver better recruiting results.
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