Though the job market slowed in early 2023, federal data shows that it’s still historically strong. This is an obvious positive for job seekers, who will have more options while they’re on the hunt. But don’t fret—there are tricks you can use to improve your outbound recruiting strategies.
Here are seven of the easiest and most impactful ways to revamp your hiring strategies, even in times of low unemployment:
It’s no secret that recruiting an employee to fill a role is expensive. It takes time and resources to develop a job description, interview candidates and dedicate resources to making the hiring and vetting process a smooth one.
By encouraging your employees to recruit from within their own networks, you’ll attract candidates who already know about (and trust) your company; these candidates are often higher quality and more serious, which helps make the recruiting process more effective.
You’ll also cut down on the time, money and energy spent looking for interested applicants. You can incentivize your employees to take part in the process by offering a small referral bonus to employees who refer a qualified candidate that is ultimately chosen for an open position.
Lastly, encouraging current employees to share open job postings on social media will allow you to tap into the power of your employees’ expanded networks and elevate your brand’s value.
Use your social media pages to showcase your employer brand, especially LinkedIn, so potential candidates can get a feel for your organization and culture ahead of time. You can also use your current employees as brand ambassadors to showcase open positions and attract candidates to your organization.
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Did you know that more than half of job seekers use LinkedIn to search for new opportunities? LinkedIn is an incredible tool for applicants and employers alike, but if you’re messaging candidates on LinkedIn without a strategy, there’s a good chance that you’re wasting quite a bit of time.
Did you know that there’s a simple way to determine if a LinkedIn user is interested in new job prospects? It’s called the “Open to Work” badge, and it appears as a border on the user’s profile picture. Recruiters can filter for those who have marked themselves “open to work” when searching for the perfect fit.
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Is your job application process inadvertently turning off great candidates? If your job applications require candidates to disclose whether they have a criminal record, can work outside of normal hours, or are physically able to meet demands that the open position doesn’t actually require, your job application process may not be attractive to fantastic candidates that require work hour flexibilities, have disabilities, or have had irrelevant convictions in their past.
Furthermore, your application process could potentially be out of compliance with federal, state, or local laws. As an example, ban-the-box laws are growing in popularity across various state and local jurisdictions, and require employers located in areas like Kansas City to refrain from asking prospective employees if they have been convicted of a crime. As laws rapidly change across the country, these and other sand traps are common in many employers’ application packets.
Gen-Z employees are expected to make up 27% of the workforce by 2025. You can strengthen your entry-level position pipeline and tap into Gen-Z's talent early on by providing meaningful, paid internships. Recruiting at high school, college, and trade school job fairs is a fantastic way to source interns who are eager to learn and grow.
You may even be able to work with your interns’ schools to offer course credit for your internship program, something that will make your opportunities doubly attractive to young potential hires.
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Job applicants in a tight labor market are looking for more than just a competitive salary; they’re also searching for a work “home” that offers flexibility, fantastic benefits, and a positive culture. What your company is able to offer in terms of benefits, perks and culture will vary based on your industry, budget and circumstances, but whatever you do have should be highlighted in your job descriptions.
Is the team that a potential applicant will be working closely with friendly, cohesive, and great at communicating? Don’t be afraid to mention it in your job posting. Can you offer remote work occasionally, or do you have a top-of-industry 401K match program? Let the applicant know. Details about these and other perks are appreciated by workers who are looking for more than just a bump in pay for their next career move.
Axcet HR Solutions employs a full suite of Human Resources experts that you can use to your advantage. Our teams design recruiting approaches tailored to your industry and based on your business’ specific needs.
You no longer need to waste your time looking for candidates in all the wrong places or expend your resources hiring full-time recruiters. Axcet is here to help with all things recruitment and retention—including crafting job descriptions that are compliant and compelling to the kinds of applicants you want to attract.
Hiring and retention are just the beginning of what Axcet HR Solutions has to offer. If you’re interested in outsourcing Human Resources functions so that your company can focus on growing and scaling your core business, reach out to us today to schedule a free consultation.