Attracting the best candidates is always priority number one when it comes to hiring.
But it’s no longer appropriate to attract candidates based on a mediocre brand presence alone. Today’s candidates are looking for not only a great fit, but an organization that’s committed to helping them grow in their careers, as well as offering them the right compensation package and an upward trajectory. They want to show you their successes, but you need to foster the environment to help them succeed. These days, hiring and keeping the right candidates is a two-way street. You’re no longer simply picking from a lineup of talent. They’re interviewing you just as much as you are them.
Luckily, it’s easier than ever to attract who you want for the roles you need to fill. With a bit of innovation and the right tools, you’ll be able to pick who you want with the greatest of ease and fill those roles in no time at all.
Forget waiting for them to find you, know who you want to hire at the outset
Most recruiters would say that their number one challenge is attracting the right talent for the role. Finding the perfect candidate takes work, and that’s often work that teams don’t have time to perform – especially on a short hiring schedule.
Eliminate that challenge by starting out knowing exactly who your ideal candidate is. Senior management knows exactly who they’re looking for in any given role. Sit down with them and create a profile of who you’re looking for. What skills do they need? What soft skills and personality traits must they have? A candidate is comprised of skills, talent, personality, and willingness to learn. Your perfect candidate may not have all the technological know-how that they’ll need for the job, but they should have a proven track record of being able to pick up and learn skills on the go.
With your profile in hand, you’ll have a much better chance of writing and posting precise job descriptions that ask the pointed questions you’ll need to attract the right talent.
Let your employees help you build your brand strategy
The best people to help you build your brand are the people you have currently working for your company. When it comes to attracting the best candidates, the best people to market your organization are the ones that have stuck with you through thick and thin. They’re your best brand strategists – and it’s their testimonials that you’ll need to start answering the questions your candidates are going to have about your company.
This has the added benefit of helping your employees feel wanted, needed, and valued, as well. Those are traits that will come through, especially in interviews. Consider having a long-term employee sit in to help push your brand’s positives in your candidate interviews. Being able to talk frankly to someone who’s seen your organization grow is a valuable tool for candidates looking to choose the best fit for them.
Optimize your job descriptions and make them SEO-friendly
While this may seem like a no-brainer, candidates can’t find you if you’re not putting yourself out there in a way that will help them. Search engine optimized (SEO) job descriptions are a good place to start. Use keywords that search engines will find and rank to help the best candidates find you. On job sites, the best postings are ones that the website’s search tool ranks as valuable. Candidates also use keywords, just as you do, to help find and rank the best jobs for them.
Textmetrics content analysis tool can help you find the right keywords to attract your top candidates. It also helps to eliminate gender and diversity bias so that you’re getting the talent you want with the skills you’re looking for, not basing your hiring decisions on what people look like or the gender they present as.
Once you’ve optimized your job descriptions and hiring process, you’re ready for the next step.
Optimize and build a career website that stands out
You’ll have to work with your marketing team for this one, but a good career website that answers the questions candidates have about your organization is the first and sometimes final step to hiring the people you want. An attractive, user-friendly site that explains not only compensation packages, benefits, and perks, but also supports keyword-friendly job descriptions, includes testimonials and glowing reviews, and allows for interaction with your hiring team will help a candidate feel engaged and interested in your company.
Best of all, it will also boost your brand – and a good brand presence is the first thing a top candidate will see when they start searching for that new role. Get ahead of the game – help them find you so that you can find the next great fit for that role.