Managing your Recruitment Strategy – Finding the best talent

Written by Andrew Johnson, Founder and CEO HRGuide - Wed 23rd Oct 2024

Introduction

In order to recruit quality candidates, you need to be both thorough and creative. By learning some of the best recruiting strategies, you can ensure that your hiring process is effective and efficient. Detailed below , we explain what recruiting strategies are, explore a list of some of the most effective strategies for finding great candidates and provide a few tips for successful recruiting.

1. Optimize your job listings

It's important that you take care as you craft your job listings because the language you use can have a profound impact on the type of candidates you attract. Depending on your needs and the position you're hoping to fill, you can either develop a job listing that appeals to a variety of diverse applicants, or you can make your advertisement more specialized, attracting a smaller pool of candidates that meet specific criteria.

2. Consider programmatic job advertising

If you work for a large organization that has a number of available positions, a wide range of hiring managers and thousands of applications, programmatic job advertising can be especially beneficial. This marketing strategy utilizes software that enables you to purchase, publish and optimize job listings. Using programmatic job advertising, you set certain parameters that define the type of candidate you're looking for for a certain role, and then the technology ensures that individuals that fit these parameters see the listing by using advanced algorithms and browsing data.

3. Generate a talent pool

A talent pool can give you a real advantage when it comes to recruiting. To use this recruiting strategy, you simply create a database of individuals that are interested in working for your organization. These could be past applicants that fit the company culture but weren't ideal for that specific role or individuals that have expressed interest but have yet to apply for a position. You can enjoy a number of benefits from developing a talent pool, such as it:

• Allows you to find qualified candidates quickly and easily.
• Gives you access to passive candidates that aren't actively looking for a new job.
• Enables you to share your organization's values and culture with a group of potential new hires.

4. Build an employee referral program

Your staff knows the company's needs and culture, which is why they can be an invaluable tool during the recruitment process. Referrals come with a number of benefits. For example, they are typically:

• A great fit: Employees understand the company's culture and values, so they are able to identify individuals that are ideal for the company culture and the specific role.
• More engaged: Because referrals already know one person in the organization, they tend to be invested in the company much more quickly.
• Happier in their role: Referred employees often adjust to their new role much more quickly than other candidates. Additionally, they tend to have a lower turnover rate because they have a better understanding of the company before getting hired.

Empower your staff to find great candidates for your organization by creating an employee referral program that provides incentives, such as cash or additional benefits, and public recognition for finding candidates that are ideal for the company and the available position.

5. Create opportunities for growth

Many quality candidates seek out companies where they feel they can continue their professional development, which is why prioritizing internal mobility can be such an important recruiting strategy. Provide opportunities for employees to develop their skills and achieve their career goals. Aside from allowing you to attract ideal candidates, searching for candidates for advanced roles within your organization can help you retain great employees as well as save time and resources. Because these employees are already familiar with the organization, they are usually able to be effective in their new role much more quickly than external hires.

6. Develop your employer brand and employee value proposition

Your organization's employee value proposition (EVP) and employer brand (EB) play an important role in the recruitment of new hires. Employer brand refers to the image your organization has as an employer, while your employee value proposition is the rewards and benefits that you offer employees in return for their commitment to the organization.

These two things play an important role in recruiting for a variety of reasons. Developing your employer brand attracts new candidates to your company, allowing you to lower the costs associated with recruiting. When an organization has a well-developed EVP, its team members are more likely to proudly talk about the positive attributes of the company, which gives your organization good publicity and often results in more quality referrals.

7. Interact with passive candidates

Passive candidates are individuals that aren't currently actively searching for a new position but would consider a career move if a great opportunity came along. A majority of the workforce is comprised of passive candidates, so it can be beneficial to develop a relationship with these individuals.

You can do this by creating a talent pool and then sharing relevant and valuable content with the individuals in it on a regular basis. For example, you could share career advice or professional development opportunities. Social media is also a great tool for engaging with passive candidates.

8. Design a strategy for social media

Social media recruiting has become increasingly more popular and is now a vital aspect of successful recruiting. Using this strategy, you harness the power of social media platforms, using them as databases for potential talent and a means for advertising open positions. To improve the effectiveness of your efforts, you should:

• Get your employees involved. You can increase your organization's reach by asking employees to share the company's posts and information about job vacancies on their personal accounts.
• Join relevant groups. There are a variety of industry-specific groups on social media platforms that can help your organization network with potential candidates.
• Share quality content. One of the best ways to attract quality employees is by showcasing your company's expertise in the field.

9. Contemplate alternatives

Even though you might be searching for a more traditional and permanent full-time employee, using alternative employment situations can be helpful, especially if you need to fill a position quickly. Broaden your search and consider opting for a contract, freelance or part-time employee. These types of workers will still need to undergo a certain extent of screening and onboarding, but hiring them is typically much more cost-effective.

10. Evaluate your recruiting methods

Using recruitment metrics allows you to measure and assess the success of your recruiting strategies. As a result, you can optimize your efforts in the future. Some things you should track include the:

• Time needed to hire for the role – create a need for speed and a reputation for the fastest recruitment process
• Source of the recruit
• Hire's overall quality

11. Opt for innovation

Some companies are rethinking the recruiting process by streamlining their strategies and developing innovative solutions. For instance, you can increase the number of applications you receive by allowing people to easily apply online or even adopting hiring tests instead of traditional applications or resumes.

12. Improve the interview process

The interview process is sometimes overlooked, but it is a vital aspect of recruiting. The organization certainly uses this opportunity to assess whether candidates are ideal for the company and role, but this is also when recruits evaluate your company. That's why it's important that you make a good impression by asking quality questions and providing valuable information about the position.

13. Prioritize your onboarding processes

Though onboarding is a process that takes place after recruitment, the quality of your organization's onboarding process can impact future recruiting efforts. For example, a new hire might share that they had a positive onboarding process online, which could result in more quality recruits for available positions in the future. Conversely, an unsatisfactory onboarding experience could increase employee turnover, causing you to start your recruiting process again.

Having a clearly defined, targeted recruitment strategy serves as a vital tool for keeping the pipeline of talent coming into the business, ensuring you have the necessary skills and talent to grow the business now and in the future.

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