As the number of businesses in your niche keeps growing, applicants have more job opportunities to choose from. For recruiters, this means that finding and hiring qualified candidates is now more difficult than ever. If you want to fill more positions, have candidates apply who fit the job description, and decrease your time to hire, you might need to change your recruitment strategy. In this blog, we’ll discuss five recruitment strategies to help improve your hiring process.
#1. Develop a clear employer brand
If you want talented candidates to apply to your job, you’ll need to stand out in the sea of similar businesses that offer pretty much the same thing. A strong, recognizable and memorable employer brand is what you’ll need to achieve this. A clear employer brand reflects the mission, culture, and values of your business. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Why would a candidate want to work for this company?
- What percentage of your employees would recommend this company as a great place to work?
The answers will tell you if you’re on the right path or if there is still some work to be done. Remember that consistency is key here. Make sure that everything you post online, from your website to social media, aligns with your employer brand.
#2. Create job posts that reflect your company
You only get one chance to make a first impression. This is certainly true for job posts. In many cases, your job post is the first thing a candidate will see of your company. That’s why you’ll want your job posts to reflect who you are as a company. Don’t use jokes in your job post if your company culture is mostly formal. And don’t be all formal in your job posts if your company is built on comedy. If you create job posts that reflect your company, you’ll attract people who will fit in with your company’s culture.
#3. Go for passive candidates
Passive candidates are those that are not actively looking for a new job. They are currently employed somewhere else and are pretty happy about that. Of course, that doesn’t mean that they are not open to change or a better offer. What you have to do when it comes to passive candidates is reach out to them personally and ask them if they would be interested in discussing a new job opportunity. This shows them that you are truly interested in their talent.
Don’t forget that passive candidates aren’t looking for a job. Although they might be interested in what you have to offer, they may not want to spend too much of their time on it. So, make the application process as easy as you possibly can. For example, they might not have an updated CV ready. Don’t ask them to update it just for you. You probably found them through LinkedIn, so you already know that they are qualified, right?
#4. Use niche job boards
There are numerous job boards that you can post your job on. But the larger job sites aren’t always the best way to go. This is especially true if your company falls into a smaller, more defined category. You have to fish where the fish are, so to speak. So, try to find out which job boards are used by the candidates you are looking for. Although this may be a much smaller job board with fewer visitors, the chances of having the right candidates apply are much greater.
#5. Write straightforward and easy-to-understand job descriptions
As a recruiter, you know how to write the best job descriptions, right? You have written so many over the years that you know what you’re doing. Writing straightforward and easy-to-understand job descriptions, however, isn’t as easy as it may sound. Your job description must be consistent and detailed enough to help candidates determine if they are interested or not. Therefore, always include a clear summary of the following information:
- The major responsibilities that come with the job.
- The qualifications and skills the applicants need to have.
- An overview of the most exciting aspects of the job. This answers one of the most important questions a candidate will have: “Why should I apply for this job?”
The job title you choose is also important. Make sure it’s catchy and unique, so candidates will be tempted to read on. Give candidates a good idea of what they can expect from the job offered by outlining their core responsibilities, day-to-day activities, and a list of soft and hard skills they need to have. And most importantly: make sure your job post is proofread, double-checked and accurate before you post it online.
Could you use some help with writing catchy and unique job posts? Textmetrics is here to help! Our solutions help you create job posts that everyone understands and attract a diverse talent group.