Around 72% of employers report having difficulty finding qualified job candidates. There are great candidates out there, so if you can’t find them, there’s likely something wrong with your approach. You need good methods and a lot of dedication to find talented candidates that stick around.
In this post, we’re going to tell you how to find good candidates with some essential recruiting tips. Once you’ve got the right tactics for seeking out candidates and the right hiring practices in place, you can staff your company with dynamic people who can bring your business to new heights.
It won’t be easy, though, so keep reading, and let us give you the tools to make it happen.
In this article
Make Clear Job Descriptions
Before you start recruiting for your ideal candidates, you need to outline exactly what the job is. When you’re posting online, you need very clear, very concise job descriptions to attract the right people.
The end game for your job description is for it to be of high intent. Precisely describe what the position entails and what the right candidate possesses. Beyond that, it’s important to address any concerns that today’s candidates may have, such as work-life balance and company culture.
Great candidates will always want to know if there’s a development plan in place for them as employees, but also for the position in question. You need to have a clear idea of what you’re looking for before you go out looking for it.
Passive and Active Candidates
You’ll be appealing mostly to active job searchers, but it’s important to go after passive candidates as well. Passive candidates are those who are currently employed but might have an eye on the job boards in case there’s something better out there.
There are plenty of passive candidates out there, but you need to do and say the right things to convince them to leave their current jobs. Enticing passive candidates can be tricky, but tools like LinkedIn make it possible to find them. You can also hire a headhunter to do more in-depth work.
Once you’ve pinpointed the ideal passive candidate, you need to reach out to them in a sensible way. Send them a respectful email that showcases humility, but also your desire to speak with them about the position you have available.
Utilize the Tools Available
As we just mentioned, LinkedIn is a fantastic resource for finding active and passive job candidates. There are countless job boards and hiring services available that can give you access to large pools of employees.
By posting a quality job description on one or more of these sites, you can receive countless applications from a wide range of job searchers. The only problem is that it can be too much at times. This is why it’s so important to create a targeted job description.
It’s only going to create more work for you if it’s easy for unqualified candidates to send in their applications. Fortunately, there are many niche job recruitment services out there.
For example, see these logistics recruiters when hiring for logistics positions. Use a tech-focused recruiter when looking for IT employees. This will expedite the hiring process significantly.
Offline Recruiting
Online recruiting channels are undeniably the way most businesses find great candidates these days. It’s not the only way, however. Offline recruiting still has its place, especially with seasoned professionals who have built a lot of personal relationships throughout their careers.
By attending industry networking events and trade shows, you can get face time with potential game-changing employees. Not only will you have less competition for their time, but you’ll also be able to make a greater impact. Nothing replaces face-to-face contact.
Consider Future Roles
If you run a growing business, you have to be forward-thinking. Usually, you’ll have an open position and then make a plan to hire for it. A better way to go about it, however, is to think about the roles you may have open in the future.
Any good business will have a business growth plan. Analyze this to project what positions may open up based on your company vision. If you know what position groups are going to grow shortly, you can be proactive about recruiting and hiring.
Build Your Brand
Great candidates want to work for great brands. The better your internal and external branding, the better you’ll be able to appeal to candidates who fit the mold of what you’re looking for. An unknown or negative employer brand will drive quality candidates away.
So, how do you boost your brand?
There are several methods you can use but for recruiting, you’ll want to focus on reputation building. The clearest depiction of a company’s reputation is its online reviews from customers. Make sure that you’re getting plenty of positive reviews and responding to both positive and negative ones professionally.
You can also bolster your branding through marketing. Get your social media, blogging, website, and advertising on the same page to create a consistent message. Understand who your audience is and do everything you can to appeal to them and grow your brand.
Follow Up With Talented Candidates
Following up with potential candidates is important. This is especially true with passive candidates who may not be enticed away from their current jobs right away. Giving up after one outreach email shouldn’t be an option when trying to attract top candidates.
Wait a few months after you initially reach out, then send a follow-up email to check in and remind them about your open position. It won’t work every time, but doing your due diligence and putting an enticing offer on the table gives you the best chance of success.
Get the Best New Employees
These are just a few tips to help you find the most talented candidates on and off the job market. Enact them and you’ll be able to staff your company with the best and brightest. As we all know, it’s your employees that raise your company, so never give up on building a better workforce.
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