The ability to hire the right candidate with the right skills in the shortest time possible is the hallmark of a successful recruitment process.

Unfortunately, more job postings remain open for longer periods of time because recruiters are not using proper employee recruitment strategies to get their jobs in front of the most suitable candidate.

Placing an ad in the newspaper and waiting for brown envelopes to roll in is no longer time-efficient. On the other hand posting on general job sites isn’t the most effective strategy either because they tend to provide more quantity but less quality hires.

To attract top talent, recruiters need to employ the right set of recruitment methods, system and tools. Here are the top 10 employee recruitment strategies that you can start implementing today to hire better and fast.

Establish A Campus Recruiting Program

College and universities are perfect for finding and hiring young candidates for internship and entry-level positions.

Hiring students straight from campus is one of the best ways of developing new talent who will eventually transition into company managers.

To get started, establish relationships with campus career departments or connect with candidates using university job boards. Get involved by attending career fairs and participating in mentorship programs. You can go a step further and arrange company tours or give students the opportunity to shadow members of your team

Leverage Social Recruiting

Social media is a significant tool to attract talent since a huge number of individuals spend vast amounts of time on these platforms. It’s also personalized and interactive.

You can post free job openings on your Facebook page, Tweet Links to job alerts and use LinkedIn to reach out to passive candidates who aren’t actively looking for a job.

Besides, social media is also great for building thought leadership, sharing stories about your employees and promoting your organizational culture

Attend networking events

Many organizations host job fairs, exhibitions, seminars and conferences that allow people to network, showcase their talent and learn new skills.

Participating in these type of events is an ingenious way to connect with a large pool of potential candidates face-to-face.

Even though some events may not cater specifically to recruitment, they may provide opportunities for you to meet professionals who could fill future positions.

You could also leverage virtual fair and webinars to meet potential candidates online

Set up An Employee Referral Program

According to a LinkedIn Study, employee referrals are a main source of quality hires and tend to provide the highest ROI per hire. The quality of recommended candidates is usually high, since most individuals would not propose someone they considered to be incompetent.

To get started, communicate an open position to current employees and encourage referrals with financial incentives, gift cards or other reward programs.

However, avoid using referrals as the only hiring method, as it can lead to loss of diversity and nepotism in the workplace.

Recruit Internally

Sometimes the person you’re looking for is right in front of you – a current employee.

Recruiting internally is cheaper because you save money on advertisement costs and hire faster because you save time conducting background checks and orientations.

Moreover, hiring from within strengthens employee development, progression and succession planning. This in turn boosts staff morale and motivation.

Host an open house recruiting event

To attract suitable candidates, host an open house recruiting event or walk-in interviews.

The people who choose to attend are most likely to be the ones most interested in your open positions.

Create A Stand-Out Career Page

66% of job seekers visit a company’s career page before applying for a job.

This page can make or break an applicant’s decision to submit an application. Your career page should therefore not only list jobs but also position your company as an employer of choice.

To create an outstanding career page, ensure it’s easy to navigate. Optimize the page by showcasing company awards, diversity statistics, awards and employee testimonials that reflect your organizational values and culture

Start Texting and Chatting

Texts and chats work more effectively than email for some candidates.

In fact, 73% of job seekers listed texting as their preferred method of getting alerts about job opportunities.

Texting can be utilized to set reminders, schedule interviews, send job alerts and deliver timely updates. It should therefore be incorporated in your employee recruitment strategy.

Embrace unconventional out-of-the-box types of job applications

Adopting creative out-of the box job promotion and application strategies could help you hire visionary, innovative employers.

Some innovative job application methods include: voice recorded applications, video applications and mobile-friendly 1 click applications.

You could also leverage social media influencers in your field to advertise your jobs.

Use a recruitment agency

According to the CIPD, 40% of organization’s now use a mix of internal and outsourced recruitment methods.

A seasonal recruiter has vast market knowledge and a large pool of networks that often generate high quality candidates in record time.

Recruiting agencies are also a great way to fill hard-to-fill roles and confidential positions that require discretion. To get the best results, work with a recruiter who has the contacts and expertise in your sector.

Conclusion

Now that you know the top 10 talent recruitment strategies, it’s time to start executing them.

Have you made any changes to your employee recruitment strategies yet?

Which strategies do you intend to employ to hire new employees?

If you need any assistance in planning or executing employee recruitment strategies, please give us a call or email us.

We would love the opportunity to help you create a cohesive strategy and plan so that you can start hiring faster and better