Recruiting is a difficult job. It takes patience, persistence, passion and most importantly premium customer service skills. Finding top talent is challenging, but the effective recruiting strategies below will help you be the best recruiter you can be!
1. Think Outside the Box
Gone are the days where recruitment was in the hands of employers or recruiters. Candidates are becoming more and more informed in this technological age and the best recruiters know that reaching out in original ways is important. These days, candidates need to be sourced differently as many top choices may not even have a resume posted online. These passive candidates are an untapped resource and need to be utilized to the fullest. Some strategies for finding candidates that aren’t actively searching include:
- Contacting previous applicants
- Hosting an onsite event for candidates to actively participate in (and marketing it via social media, radio and print ads)
- Making sure to attend meetings that allow networking and promote career choices so as to stay up on industry trends
- Actively visiting colleges specific to your area of recruitment to capitalize on the high achiever candidate pool before they meet your competitors
- Keeping an ear out even when you’re not at work (you never know who might know that right person for a job)
2. Institute Generous Referral Programs
Some of the best candidates can be sourced through existing employees, which is why it is so important to have a positive recruitment brand presence and company culture.
Referral programs allow recruiters to nurture existing employees by providing them with a bonus while earning top talent from trusted sources. It’s definitely a win-win solution! According to Jobvite, “employee referral programs generate 39.9% of all hires.” And the 2015 Recruiter Nation Survey noted that, “78% of recruiters find their best quality candidates through referrals.”
3. Social, social, social!
You can’t just call candidates anymore; you really need to reach out to them with social networks like LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook. Sometimes, even texting is a better option depending on the candidate’s schedule and mindset. If you don’t hear back via one communication method, open up another avenue!
4. Staying “Real” and Listening
It may seem simple, but listening is still one of the best strategies for any professional in a customer service-based industry and recruitment is certainly in that vein. Candidates usually have a list of must-haves and by listening effectively and responding in a personalized and friendly manner, recruiters can set themselves apart. Genuine recruitment professionals are trusted much more than those who use an aggressive approach.
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