Recruiting must be more strategic than ever, and you need a combination of creativity and diligence to recruit top talent. Most companies are in the same situation as you; the demand for great talent is skyrocketing, while there aren’t enough candidates available. Knowing this, connecting with qualified candidates and driving excitement about your company and each specific role must be done differently than your competitors. Continue reading to learn how to recruit different types of employees.
How To Recruit Employees
As we approach another year of an unprecedented labor market, talent acquisition professionals face recruiting and hiring challenges. The first step in recruiting employees is to create a recruitment strategy if you haven’t done so already – and, if you already have one in place, then - consider fine-tuning it to reflect the challenges facing the hiring process today.
What Is A Recruitment Strategy?
A recruitment strategy is a plan that is put together to help improve your current hiring process to accomplish the following goals:
- Improving job offer acceptance rate
- Attracting more qualified candidates
- Reducing new employee turnover rates
- Streamlining application process
Now, you may be implementing the goals listed above already however, there are ways in which you can improve them to make your hiring process more effective. Consider refreshing the candidate experience, post on different job boards, attend career fairs, or utilize an applicant tracking system.
Once you improve your recruitment strategy, take the following steps to further help your recruiting efforts.
1. Write appealing job descriptions
As you are writing job descriptions for open positions, ensure they are direct and specific, free of buzzwords. The summary should only be a couple of sentences, providing the candidate with an understanding of the job. It should also include basic job functions of the role, qualifications, and your company culture.
2. Offer incentives for employee referrals
By offering incentives to current employees, you open the door to talent you probably won’t find elsewhere. Your employees are most likely already sharing open positions with their contacts. That’s great! To make it more worthwhile, offering a well-developed employee referral program can encourage even more employees to refer the best talent. Hiring this way also allows the candidate to get an understanding of your business from an inside perspective, both positive and negative.
3. Utilize social media
When recruiting new employees, consider utilizing social media platforms. Recruiting on social media allows you to share your open positions with an entire network of users. Sharing photos and videos from company events, the day-to-day life of employees, and company culture provide potential candidates with a glimpse into your company.
4. Prioritize hiring internally
Consider hiring current employees first. Do not underestimate the power of passion over experience. Interviewing current employees has many benefits for your company. Your employees already know your culture and company. Having an inside perspective from another role within the organization provides them with a fresh take on any business challenges you are looking to resolve.
5. Conduct great interviews
Interviews are meant to be informative and a pitch about your company. However, it’s also the candidate’s first experience with your company. Consider making your interview process unique and memorable to attract top talent. Create a welcoming environment and involve current employees that were in the same spot as the candidate not too long ago. Stand out by showing your company culture early in the interview process.
How To Recruit Entry-Level Employees
Recruiting entry-level employees can oftentimes be a challenge however, these employees can become the future of your company. Underestimating how important the process of hiring these employees can lead to trouble in the long run. It’s important you follow specific recruiting guidelines to find top entry-level employees.
Know Who Your Ideal Candidate Is
Writing out a description of what characteristics you are looking for in a candidate is probably the most important step when recruiting for entry-level positions. It’s difficult for both the employer and the candidate to determine if the position is the right fit. Sit down with your team and create a list of characteristics the perfect employee for this role must possess. What strengths and traits would this person need to have in order to be successful and bring value to the team? Today, the majority of companies are hiring for entry-level positions, and there is a large supply of job seekers. However, the labor force of people ages 16-24 is projected to shrink by 7.5%.
It is likely that you will receive a lot of applications. Knowing your ideal candidate from the beginning will help you weed out the wrong candidates quickly.
Create Targeted And Engaging Job Ads
When creating job ads, make sure you are writing clear and realistic job descriptions. Remember, shorter job posts receive 8.4% more applications per view than average. List what required skills the candidate must possess instead of focusing on previous experience. You also want to include the benefits candidates have working for your company. Create an ad that makes candidates excited to work for your company. Most applicants will only spend 14 seconds deciding if they should apply or not.
Establish Career Paths
Establishing early on in the interview process what the future could look like for the candidate is important. You want to show entry-level employees you are interested in a long-term career for them. Provide the candidate with a detailed list as to what the next steps can look like, what performance needs to look like to move up, and provide a timeline. Also, providing entry-level employees with ongoing training will allow these employees to learn new skills and be successful in the longevity of their careers within your business.
How To Recruit Minimum Wage & Seasonal Employees
Most minimum wage and seasonal employees are students, individuals looking for a side job, or those in the agricultural sector who have busy seasons. Since these employees only stay around for a short period of time, recruiting these individuals can be a challenge. Putting in the time to train and teach these employees needs to be worthwhile and you need to make sure you’re hiring the right candidate.
Offer Competitive Perks
If you don’t currently offer competitive perks to your minimum wage employees, consider developing incentives to help with your recruiting efforts. Right now, companies are offering high hourly pay. Perhaps you give them a pay increase after they hit 90 days or additional bonuses for hitting certain goals. Consider comparing yourself to competitors and observe if you are in line with what they are paying per hour. You’re much more likely to attract candidates by offering benefits to minimum-wage employees.
Be Proactive
If you know you’re hiring students who can only work within specific time frames, be proactive with your recruiting efforts. Students typically look for jobs in the summertime when they have the most amount of free time. Consider recruiting and interviewing these individuals prior to summer so you can be prepared when they come onboard.
Flexibility With Scheduling
If you’re hiring students or individuals looking for a side job, it is most likely known that scheduling will be a concern. If students are on summer break, vacations are already planned, and activities are scheduled, leaving limited time to work. Adults who have children that are looking for a part-time job have responsibilities that could lead to complications in the future. Allowing individuals to work from home (if applicable) or creating their own schedule is a possibility when recruiting these employees.
The Benefits Of Outsourcing HR
Considering all the factors that go into recruiting and hiring specific employees, it takes a considerable amount of time and money. Since COVID-19, companies have seen a huge increase in open jobs but not enough candidates to fulfill those positions. Professional employer organizations (PEOs) like GMS provide guidance on hiring and training efforts and will also manage the administrative burdens that are associated with all aspects of the employee life cycle. Outsourcing your HR responsibilities to an HR outsourcing company like GMS can help your business:
- Save time and money
- Grow
- Retain control
- Retain employees
Do what you do best and outsource the rest!