Finding quality people is getting harder and harder these days. With unemployment at all time lows, you need to think outside the box when building your employment bench. Simply placing an ad online will not do it anymore. According to an article from ERE.net 62 percent of recruiters “say their job is more difficult today than it was a year ago,” and 59 percent of respondents stated it is more difficult to get quality candidates then it was in 2017. With these numbers on the rise, what is a company to do to be chosen by the best in the business? Especially when you may not be ready to hire or you don’t have an opening available at the moment.
Here are 4 tips that can help you find your next hire.
1. Use LinkedIn and other social networks. 
With everything going on social platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using these platforms gives you the advantage to see what is going on in the social world. It also allows you to connect with people as professional “friends” before a hiring need so when that time comes you can source your database for potential hires. According to Payscale.com more than 70% of people find their next career via networking. The more you are out connecting the better chances you will have to find that perfect employee.
With everything going on social platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using these platforms gives you the advantage to see what is going on in the social world. It also allows you to connect with people as professional “friends” before a hiring need so when that time comes you can source your database for potential hires. According to Payscale.com more than 70% of people find their next career via networking. The more you are out connecting the better chances you will have to find that perfect employee.
2. Keep an ongoing list of candidates.
Networking is one way to find candidates but if you don’t have a system in place to track your efforts people can be left behind that could be a great match. Using a tracker such as google docs, or excel can help you stay on top of who you reached out to and when.
Networking is one way to find candidates but if you don’t have a system in place to track your efforts people can be left behind that could be a great match. Using a tracker such as google docs, or excel can help you stay on top of who you reached out to and when.
3. Don’t forget the people who work for you.
The best pool of people who know what it is like to work for you and what is needed to be successful in the job is your employees. Make sure they all know of your recruitment program and if possible offer some kind of incentive program that rewards them for the recommendation. It could be something as simple as lunch, but showing you appreciate their efforts in finding the next great employee should not be overlooked. And it will go a long way!
The best pool of people who know what it is like to work for you and what is needed to be successful in the job is your employees. Make sure they all know of your recruitment program and if possible offer some kind of incentive program that rewards them for the recommendation. It could be something as simple as lunch, but showing you appreciate their efforts in finding the next great employee should not be overlooked. And it will go a long way!
4. Think outside the box.
When looking at potential employees don’t just look at where they have worked at but rather all the transferable skills they have that can benefit your company. If you are looking to hire for a sales position and the candidate only has worked as a cashier look don’t immediately discount them. Instead look at the other skills they possess, are they outgoing, positive, goal oriented and most important are they teachable. Sometimes if you look at the job title they currently have and not what the person can bring to the table you could miss out on a great employee. Plus, it helps pull new individuals into our industry as opposed to trading talent from our competitors.
When looking at potential employees don’t just look at where they have worked at but rather all the transferable skills they have that can benefit your company. If you are looking to hire for a sales position and the candidate only has worked as a cashier look don’t immediately discount them. Instead look at the other skills they possess, are they outgoing, positive, goal oriented and most important are they teachable. Sometimes if you look at the job title they currently have and not what the person can bring to the table you could miss out on a great employee. Plus, it helps pull new individuals into our industry as opposed to trading talent from our competitors.
Recruitment is an ongoing process and finding the right people to fit current and future needs can take time. Research from Glassdoor has shown that it can take on average 52 days to find the right fit for a company. Yes… 52 days! So don’t get discouraged if finding quality people is hard. Start your pipeline today by setting aside 30 min at the very least each week towards your recruitment efforts. In time you will have a great pipeline built with a pool of potential candidates to call on when the time is right to hire.
To learn more about what is involved in recruitment and what additional strategy items are needed, we suggest you login and watch our course titled, Establishing a Recruiting Strategy. If you’re not already an active member on P1 Learning, register for a 7-Day Demo, here.
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