Companies are always on the lookout for the best staff, so there’s fierce competition for the best employees. Unsurprisingly, the best businesses will turn to unexpected and surprising methods to find top-quality employees.
And, while you may not think of these methods immediately, they all work – and they could all help your company gain an advantage against firms that won’t think outside of the box.
We’ve explored five of the best methods right here and explained exactly how they could help you hunt down the staff that can take your business to the next level.
If you’ve got more questions about recruitment, here are our in-depth answers to ten key topics – and here are ten sites where you can post a job vacancy for free. For a wider view, head straight to our verdict on the best US job sites.
Head online
If you work in a technology company or any other business that is well-versed in online trading, then many of these methods will not come as a shock, but lots of more traditional companies and HR departments are still a bit wary of the internet.
That’s a mistake in 2021: if you’re not active on all the big, relevant job websites, you won’t be able to use all of the channels available when looking for new employees. It also means that candidates won’t be able to find you.
It’s also important to have an active online presence because potential candidates will research your business to help them decide if they want to apply for your open vacancies.
There are several steps to delivering a great online presence. It’s imperative to keep your Glassdoor profile updated with loads of accurate, positive information about your company – it’s one of the main methods that savvy candidates will use when doing their research. Plenty of other job boards, both large and niche, allow companies to build profiles, and you should maintain pages on every relevant site.
Beyond this, support active, positive social media profiles that emphasize your company culture and the happiness of your current employees. It’s also a good idea to publish blog posts on your website and participate in online industry events. Also consider more adventurous moves, like working with social media influencers or creating video content to advertise your company.
A great online presence will keep your company at the forefront of people’s minds, and a positive reputation will make potential candidates more likely to apply. And if you’re active on all the big job boards and social media sites, you’ll have a bigger pool of candidates to choose from, too.
But keep busy offline, too
It’s just as important to maintain a great offline presence, too. If you want to maximize your chances of finding the best candidates, then establish relationships with your local universities, which often have departments to help graduates find their first jobs.
Good relationships with local universities will grant you access to young candidates with up-to-date skills who are interested in your industry. New graduates will often be more affordable to hire, and you can also use this method to find interns. Local colleges and trade schools can be targeted in the same way, and it’s also worth attending job fairs hosted by those institutions.
In a similar vein, consider partnering with non-profit organizations that support marginalized communities, like veterans and immigrants. That’s a great way to access talent that may be overlooked by plenty of other companies.
And, finally, consider hosting an open house event at your company. This can encourage interested people to stop by and find out what your company is like, and it’s a terrific way to meet and win over potential candidates.
Target people with Facebook
Facebook undoubtedly has its flaws, but its status as one of the world’s biggest social networks means that you can use its targeting abilities to find potential new employees based on their location, skills, or qualifications.
If you use this method, then you can target your job listings towards relevant people who are actively searching for a new opportunity. It’s also ideal if you’re happy to approach passive candidates rather than people who are in the middle of a job hunt.
It’s also worth posting job listings in industry or location-specific Facebook groups to attract relevant applications. And you can use LinkedIn in a similar way thanks to its huge professional network, active discussion groups, and great search abilities. If you want to use targeting to find potential employees, these methods are excellent.
Rely on existing staff
Your existing staff are a great resource if you want to find new employees. They can often recommend people with the right skills for your vacancies, and their existing relationships mean that they can also identify people who will fit your company culture.
You can offer financial incentives for existing employees who refer new hires, too, in order to encourage your staff to think about who could join your firm. And, as an added bonus, referrals are often passive candidates, so you can find a top-notch new employee who isn’t being hunted by other companies.
Make sure your company is brilliant
If you want to find and keep the best new staff, then you’ve got to make your company an attractive place to work.
That means offering great salaries and a broad range of benefits, and it also means tracking what your competitors are doing in those departments – so you can make sure you can offer something better.
Often, that won’t just mean higher salaries and better conventional benefits, either; consider more unusual and generous perks that go beyond what you’d usually offer, and make sure that your company does great, measurable work in terms of diversity, inclusion and environmental responsibility. And, given the last two years, make sure that you have a flexible approach to remote and hybrid working.
If you offer higher salaries, great benefits, and flexible working practices, your company will be more attractive to many potential candidates. It also means your existing staff will be happier and more loyal – and you’ll benefit from a better reputation too.
When you want to look for the best new employees possible, it’s always worth using conventional methods and some of the more unusual options we’ve listed here – the more bases you can cover, the more successful you’ll be. And, if you want to find staff, attract applications, and retain employees, your company needs to deliver the best package of payment, benefits, and culture.
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