Note: This post was originally posted on Jobalaya blog by Jeremy Olivier.
Employee recruitment is not the same job it used to be. Websites such as LinkedIn and Indeed have added a social media aspect to professional networking, totally streamlining the recruiting process and making finding candidates as easy as clicking through a few online profiles. However, employees are becoming accustomed to this practice, and a copy-and-paste message from HR at some random company may simply get overlooked by well sought-after candidates.
For now, forget the usual methods you’ve been using to find potential recruits and give some new ideas a try. Rather than sending the standard recruiting message, try a few of these unique approaches.
1. Email signatures
Of course, a strong, personalized email message is important to get the recipients’ attention, but we recommend going one step further, with a creative email signature. This must include your name, position and contact information. It may also contain valuable information about openings at your company, upcoming company events, the logo, and other eye-catching flourishes.
If you’re having trouble thinking of ways to tweak your email signature, give our Referral Bullhorn a try. With this tool, every email you send out will include information as a clickable add-on for any job openings at your company.
2. Social media
Your business ideally already has a number of employees. Why not put them to work helping you recruit for that open position? There’s a good chance most of them have personal social media accounts, which they can use to create recruiting statuses for your company. This is a good way to attract both active and passive candidates.
Recruiting statuses should include pertinent information about current job openings, along with a catchy tagline to attract attention.If your company is still in its early stages or is not very well-known, instead of using your company name, try a short description such as “fun new startup specializing in pet technology.” Most importantly, remind your employees keep an eye on responses and reactions to their recruiting statuses.
As a reminder, be sure to give your employees clear guidelines on how to make their status updates. Irrelevant or inappropriate posts are counterproductive and can damage your company’s reputation. Make sure the post is clear on how the application process works. It should be as straightforward as possible.
3. Referral tools and apps
There’s no shame in having a little bit of help from some of the great new technology out there. Why not give some consideration to one of the many various products specializing in new and innovative ways to make getting and passing on referrals easier? From mobile apps to computer software and personalized customer service, these solutions are changing the game for recruiters everywhere. We recommend trying out our Referral Booster to generate more referral leads. Referral Booster is a SaaS tool that helps companies make employee referrals their number one recruitment source by allowing them to take a more proactive approach in driving employee referrals. Follow the link and sign up to be notified for Referral Booster’s beta launch.
4. Open-ended job postings
Still having trouble recruiting? Try an open-ended job posting. This is a listing that does not specify job title, responsibilities, required qualifications, or any of the standard information that one would usually find in a job posting. The aim is to find eager and open-minded candidates that fit in with creative workplaces. This approach also opens up a larger candidate pool to pick from, diversifies the recruiting process, and maintains flexibility in recruiting. In one example, Upworthy gave open-ended postings a shot, and the results were a success.
If your company is a small startup with room for some more outside-the-box techniques, an open-ended job posting might be for you. However, it could also attract candidates that don’t end up having the skills you really need to make your business grow. Try it alongside more defined positions to see if it’s right for your particular situation.
5. Recruiting cards
Have business cards gone the way of landlines and rolodexes? Not so, according to Forbes. The newest reincarnation of the business card is the recruiting card. They are like the old fashioned kind, but may have some added touches. For instance, you could list the contact information for your company’s HR head on the back, along with a phrase like “now looking for new __!” Similar to the social media option, get all of your employees in on the game, and have them carry the recruiting cards around with them wherever they go. And if you are going for a more green, paperless option, refer back to tip #1, putting all of the above information in you and your employees’ email signatures.
Conclusion
Nobody ever said recruiting was a easy task. In fact, even with all of the new solutions on the market, finding new talent can be a humbling and overwhelming process. However, you can significantly boost your results by switching up the way you find and attract new recruits. By using some (or all!) of the creative ways we have described in this article, you can not only improve your recruiting process, but also make it fun for yourself and your employees, too.
