There are more positions than there are candidates as of now, there's a job for every unemployed person in the U.S. That's great! How do recruiters and sourcers find the top candidate for open positions with more people starting to look for jobs and the current market being run by candidates?
By getting outside the box and finding different ways to reach people! Here are five ways for you to source differently.
Social Sourcing…Not Just LinkedIn
We all know having a stellar LinkedIn profile is one way of getting noticed as a professional and could potentially land you your next dream job. But what about all of the other forms of social media?
Social media isn’t just a place where you can knock candidates out, it’s a place for you to get a feel for who’s out there and could be where you find your next rockstar employee. 94% of businesses use sourcing to not only see why a candidate isn’t right for a position but to find candidates for openings. From that 94%, 73% have actually hired someone from a social network. Picking up the phone and calling people is a great way to set yourself apart, but we’ll talk more about that later.
Bonus: Social job posts get 36% more application submissions when accompanied by a recruitment video telling more about the company!
These hires don’t just come from LinkedIn, there are other more unique places to find people. Facebook and Twitter are two of the three most popular places to find talent. LinkedIn being the third. Based on profiles, hashtags and likes or interests, you can find a niche community of candidates that are perfect for the position.
Unlike LinkedIn, most passive candidates use Facebook and Twitter after the workday ends. This gives you the perfect opportunity to show them what you have to offer and see what they have to offer you. A Facebook message or direct message on Twitter is less likely to get ignored than a generic email or call sent to multiple candidates.
Not only is it a great resource to find untapped talent, it’s also a great place to promote your company and the brand that comes with it. Companies with an integrated approach to talent management have a leg up on competition with an 87% higher chance to hire the best talent.
Promote Your Brand
You’re probably not going to walk into a grocery store that advertises expired milk and slow checkout lines. Similarly, candidates aren’t going to look at your application if you don’t sell the position and company.
Social media is a great way to get your goals and ideas out there. Candidates can search for your social pages and see what kind of work you do, who you help and the workplace culture easily. In fact, they already do this anyway; 59% of candidates use social media to research companies they’re interested in. Here’s the catch; you have to post the right things. Companies that don’t post regularly or continuously post about bad experiences aren’t going to get as much traffic as a company that has scheduled posts and informational or resourceful content.
Although social media is a great way to get yourself out there, it’s not the only way. Promoting your brand at jobs fairs and conferences is just as important as keeping a busy social media presence. You’re not going to gain followers overnight, so setting a brand example in person is a great starting place.
Another effective way to show yourself off is to find out what your goals and ideals are for your company, let people know and keep track of them. Putting goals or ideals on a job description is going to draw the attention of people that think similarly. Furthermore, this helps engage your employees right off the bat when they’re onboarded. 47% of workers aren’t even sure what the core values of their company are. This is a huge missed opportunity for career satisfaction; 80% of employees feel more engaged in their line of work when they have a clear idea of the company’s mission and values.
Catch Them Off Guard
Contact people when they’re least expecting it and in places they wouldn’t expect to be reached by a recruiter. Write fully customized or personalized messages to show them you put in the effort to read their profile and a learn a little about them. When you show someone you care about who they are, They’ll likely be shocked and you’ll get a response whether they’re interested or not.
Look at the keywords candidates don’t put on their profiles. Many people only have keywords that relate directly to their current job. That doesn’t mean a candidate currently working as a public relations manager doesn’t have experience as a social media associate. Looking at profiles to find what they don’t talk about will make sure you find superstars with talents in other fields.
Do What Most People Don’t
The most common thing to do when looking for candidates is to go through LinkedIn, post your position to a job board or advertise on social media. This can get boring for both you and your audience. Do what others don’t and do guerilla sourcing.
- Job fairs are proven effective, but going beyond and doing a job fair road trip can be even better. A road trip gives you a unique opportunity to get a larger talent pool and will help you expand your brand to new audiences.
- Pick up the phone. It seems old school, but those coming into the workforce now don’t usually think of their phones as a way to get a job. Surprise them and your competition by calling a candidate and leaving a message. Your candidate will be impressed and will be more likely to call back.
- Look at the last pages before the first. Don’t be the lazy sourcer that only looks at the top three names that pop up, go through them all! Or…be the lazy sourcer and look at the last options before even touching the first ones. These candidates don’t get as many messages and will definitely get back to you.
Doing something different doesn’t always work, but it’s worth the effort to potentially find the right person.
Let Candidates Know Where They Stand
Going in for an interview and being told you’ll hear back… and then never hearing back is frustrating and can bring down your company reputation and brand. Candidates want to know where they stand in the hiring process. Let them know if they’re not the right fit for the position.
Transparency means different things to different people, but as a recruiter, it means communicating expectation and letting candidates down easy. If they’re not the perfect match, let them know you’ll keep them in mind for future opportunities. Keeping records of who you’ve contacted previously will make for an easier process the next time you find yourself with openings.
It’s not a one-way street, by being a transparent recruiter, you need to acknowledge mistakes by both client and candidate. Maybe the candidate didn’t understand expectation the first time, but what could you have done to make the expectations more clear?
More people are willing to share bad experiences than good ones. Don’t let a candidate give you a bad review. Make the hiring process as easy and transparent as possible, your future employees will thank you.
Positions are opening up and there’s certainly enough people to fill them. Be a trendsetter and look for the best of the best in the most unique ways. Candidates are going to be more drawn to a company that likes breaking some rules than the company that never does things differently.
Bonus tip: Get some outside ideas. Hiring for the same thing over and over again can get boring and you can find yourself slipping into the same habits.
About Chris Murdock:
Chris Murdock is the Co-Founder and Senior Partner of IQTalent Partners. Chris has over 12 years of executive recruiting experience and leads search execution and client relationships along with supporting searches across the firm.
