All recruiters have their own approaches when it comes to finding top talent. While it’s great to practice tried-and-true strategies, it’s also important to try fresh methods for sourcing candidates! To reel in the best people, you’ll need to implement a variety of strategies and make the best use of your recruiting software.
These 5 steps are essential if you’re aiming to attract the best candidates available. Give them a shot and let us know which ones receive the best results.
Write even better attention-grabbing job postings
Put yourself in a candidate’s shoes – if you were to read a vague (or poorly written) job posting, would you feel inclined to apply? Probably not. That’s why it’s critical to get a job posting just right. Candidates want to know key information before they decide to spend time filling out an application.
We’ve previously shared the best practices to follow when writing job postings. The next time you write one, make sure to include these necessary points that quality candidates want to see:
- The job’s primary responsibilities
- What’s expected of the new hire and how success is measured
- The salary and work benefits
Job seekers are looking at countless job ads, so you’ve got to put in the effort to make sure yours stand out.
Diversify where you post and advertise your jobs
Rather than depending on one source or job board to grow your talent pool (hint: Indeed), you should diversify where you choose to post your jobs. The first step to take is to look at your recruiting software to see which alternative sources score you the highest number of candidates.
A robust staffing software should allow you to easily access the exact numbers. Once you’ve identified a list of your best job boards, aim to devote more time (and money) to them. This way, you’ll expand your talent pool and not risk being funneled into one source.
Ask for a cover letter or completed assignment
While the debate on whether or not a cover letter is still relevant continues, it doesn’t mean they should be undervalued. One thing that can’t be argued is that a personalized cover letter shows that a candidate has put in extra effort, and cares more about their job application. Anyone can submit a resume…but a cover letter with specific details proves that the candidate went the extra mile.
If you decide to ask for a cover letter in your job posting, instruct candidates to include specific information like where they saw the job listed. You’ll see who paid close attention to your instructions, and which candidates stand out from the crowd. Alternatively, you can add an assignment as part of the application process to see the candidate’s skills firsthand. Don’t forget to upload and store all of these documents in the appropriate candidate profiles in your recruiting software.
Reconnect with passive candidates
Passive candidates may be the trickiest group to persuade, but they shouldn’t be ignored. Start by referring to your list of the highest quality passive candidates in your recruiting software. Then, select the most relevant candidates for the role you’re currently working on.
The information, documents and notes that are already stored in a candidate’s profile should give you a quick refresher on their background. Is the candidate working at a job that requires a long commute? Then maybe they would be interested in a job that offers a shorter travel time and flexible work hours. The information stored in your recruiting software should help you gather selling points to persuade passive candidates on your current openings when you get in touch with them.
Offer a competitive salary
Lastly, you can’t forget how important it is to present candidates with an attractive salary and/or compensation package. If your client isn’t thinking of offering one, it’s critical to have an honest conversation with them to explain why it’s an important facet of the hiring process.
While it may be a difficult conversation to have, open conversation and honestly will establish a loyal relationship. Explain to your client that while their company and product may be great, it’s the employees that will play a big role in their success. Qualified candidates should be paid fairly for their talent and hard work. It boosts their morale and encourages them to do their best for the company.
So, just how much does compensation matter to employees? It matters a lot. A study by SHRM revealed that 61% of employees rank compensation as a very important factor in job satisfaction.
You can find out the market rate for different industries by researching online on sources like Salary.com, PayScale, and Indeed. A recruiting software (such as Mindscope) should enable you to run a report to pinpoint the average salary for a job role in particular locations. Once you know the market rate of a role, discuss it with your client so you can agree on a fair, competitive salary.
Ready to grow your talent pool?
We hope these recruiting strategies inspired you to shake up your usual, go-to approaches at work. You’ll never know how effective different strategies can be until you try them out for yourself.
If you would like more information about our recruiting software, get in touch with us today.