Finding strong job candidates | 5 ways
Today’s competitive labor market has made it difficult for employers of all sizes to locate and onboard qualified workers who fit into their existing team dynamics and company cultures. This has compelled many businesses to broaden their labor pools, adjust their expectations and seek out new avenues for hiring talented candidates. To help your company build a robust workforce, consider these five less-talked-about recruitment strategies:
1. Start looking before you need to fill a position
Employers don’t need to wait until a position opens up to start developing relationships with high-quality professionals. In fact, many companies have started tweaking their recruitment strategies to better appeal to passive candidates. Considering around 87% of active and passive job seekers are open to new career opportunities, according to a LinkedIn study, there’s no time like the present to hunt down potential leads. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can provide hiring managers with a whole new candidate pool to explore.
2. Ask your top performers for referrals
According to a 2017 report from LinkedIn, close to 48% of businesses say that their highest quality hires come from employee referrals. This may come as quite a shock to recruiters who predominantly use online job boards and social media sites when searching for qualified applicants. Of course, screening employee referrals is essential to locating the perfect fit, but trusting in the discretion of your top performers may just surprise you. Experienced workers often have a strong sense of the hard and soft skills required for success in their positions, so don’t be afraid to lean on their expertise.
3. Look for candidates at trade shows and conferences
While online networking can help employers locate talented candidates outside their typical recruitment channels, it’s also important to capitalize on face-to-face interactions. Speaking with a diverse range of people at trade shows and conferences can help recruiters get a sense for what other companies are doing right and how they can improve their own hiring processes. Another option is to leverage your company’s industry contacts, association memberships and other external connections to identify knowledgeable and experienced candidates who might not be actively pursuing a career change. Down the line, these contacts could end up being your strongest employees.
Companies that are willing to hire remote workers often have a larger candidate pool to choose from.4. Consider hiring remote workers
In some cases, your company may have a hard time filling a technical role due to a lack of qualified candidates in your area. Luckily, rapid advancements in communication technology have enabled employees in a variety of industry to work productively from the comfort of their home offices. What’s more, 42% of working adults are willing to trade some of their salary for the opportunity to work remotely, with 62% considering flexibility the most important factor when looking for a new job, according to a survey from Mom Corps. While remote work may not be ideal for your business model, it can allow you to onboard the most competitive candidates in the labor market, regardless of where they’re located.
5. Focus on brand building
When it comes to attracting talent, good publicity can go a long way. A 2018 report from LinkedIn found that close to 87% of Americans believe having pride in the company they work for is important, with 46% stating their top concern is having a positive impact on society. This is especially true for millennial job seekers who tend to prioritize socially-engaged brands over those that offer competitive compensation. Encouraging your employees to share their positive experiences on social media can help increase brand visibility and generate the sort of goodwill that may attract talented candidates. Building a consistent and engaging social media presence can also help differentiate your business in the eyes of job seekers.
EmployTest offers a wide variety of pre-employment assessments – explore our list of tests to learn more about our offer.