Creative Ways to Find New Candidates in a Competitive Hiring Market
Every company wants to attract qualified, skilled candidates and employees. With less and less people reading newspapers, job seekers are more frequently turning to Internet job boards to secure new employment opportunities. The downside of Internet job posts is that it’s quicker and less time-consuming to apply for a job, which results in more applications, but not necessarily a stronger applicant pool.
With competition for great employees higher than ever, companies need to embrace more unique approaches to find top-level candidates. Here are five strategies you will not want to miss…
1. Use Social Media
Post your job opening on popular social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. Both sites have hundreds of millions of users, which can be used as communication channels to quickly reach a wide audience. Consider using sites like Snapchat to reach recent college graduates and younger candidates. All of these strategies will increase visibility of your job posting and generate interest you probably wouldn’t have had otherwise, which will result in an influx of qualified new candidates.
2. National Job Boards
There are a variety of national job boards at your fingertips, so use them. While you’ll usually need to pay a fee to post your job, it’s money well spent since it will:
Make people aware of your search
Drive massive exposure that you wouldn’t have had otherwise
To weed out tire-kickers, be sure your ad includes specific application directions, or perhaps even a special task that must be completed prior to a resume being reviewed. This is a great way to gauge whether applicants can follow directions, which will weed out weak candidates quickly.
3. Industry Networking Groups
Networking is a great way to recruit new talent, so get out of the office and start talking to people.You never know who may be in the market for a new opportunity, or know someone who is.
4. Offer Referral Rewards
Offer incentives to current employees who refer applicants that end up being hired. People who already work for you understand what qualities you are looking for in a new hire, and can easily identify if they know someone who would be a great fit.
5. Use a Recruiting Company
Consider using a recruiting company to help you find the perfect employees. Most already have a deep pool of highly skilled job seekers at their disposal, and are well versed in recruiting top talent for positions when they don’t.
If you’re struggling to find the right candidate for a job opening, start thinking outside the box. And also consider discussing your recruitment strategies with The Patriot Group. We’re a leader in connecting companies with great workers, and it would be our honor to work with you.
