Attracting the right talent is more than posting online job openings and hoping candidates see your amazing workplace and open positions. Top-talent candidates typically have more than one option to choose. As an employer, this means putting extra thought into recruiting efforts and company branding.
1. Proclaim the Positives
- Do you have a positive workplace culture?
- Are your employees willing to share job openings with others?
- Do you offer competitive pay and benefits?
- Will new employees feel empowered and part of something bigger than themselves if they join your company?
- Once they are a part of the team, will they have training that provides personal and professional growth?
- Is your company locally or nationally ranked as a top workplace?
If you can answer yes to all of these questions, boast about it! Candidates are looking for those things when determining whether a company is a fit. Highlighting accolades, company events, perks and benefits will help the candidate visualize what his or her career would look like prior to making a decision. To be an employer of choice, you must share all of the reasons you are worth candidates’ consideration.
2. Network with Colleges and Local Groups
Your company’s digital presence is a large aspect of cultivating talent, but networking can be invaluable to your branding as well. According to a survey by The Adler Group, 85 percent of hot jobs are filled via networking, which is why having your talent acquisition team at events can be monumental. You not only expose your culture to talent, you put a face to a name. While it sounds cliché, it can be a game changer when pursuing passive candidates.
If there are entry-level openings, attending certain collegiate events may be helpful to getting those requisitions filled. Not sure where to start? Most colleges have general career fairs open to employers, or you can pursue specific college department events. For the mid- to senior-level positions, finding networking events is imperative. The more precise the professional gatherings, the more likely you are to find the perfect candidate.
3. Provide Details in Job Descriptions
Citing job responsibilities is typical, but what is most important is really explaining what people will do and tying that to how their success will be measured. Candidates want to have a clear understanding of what will be expected of them from the beginning so they can assess if it relates to their experience. Knowing the specifics of what a position entails will help them decide if they will be motivated to do the work. For example, just because someone is comfortable and capable of making outbound phone calls does not mean he or she will be motivated and enjoy making 100+ outbound calls per day. As an employer, you should provide clear and concise position details, including job functions, compensation when appropriate, required skills, why those skills are important and education levels.
Finding the ideal candidate for a position can be tough and may take time. But investing in becoming an employer of choice, networking and providing detailed job descriptions will be worth it when those efforts produce a high-quality and a lower time-to-fill ratio. Your hiring managers will love you and your recruiters will be happier, too.
