April 18th, 2019 | Sterling

10 DOs and DON’Ts for Recruiting in a Job Seeker’s Market

In the current environment where unemployment is the lowest it’s been in decades and worker turnover is on the rise, employers are having a hard time acquiring good talent—and keeping it. Organizations cannot afford to handle recruiting the way they used to in this job seekers’ market, so it’s imperative for them to adopt new approaches that will attract the best potential employees. The following are some do’s and don’ts that employers should keep in mind in their search for new workers.

1. Do study the competition. Competitive research is nothing new when it comes to marketing products and services, but organizations can also use this approach when it comes to recruiting. By looking at what other companies in their sector are offering in terms of salaries, benefits and culture, companies can get valuable information on how they measure up to the competition—as well as what they need to change.

A new employee being welcomed by a team

2. Don’t use job boards without a strategy. Posting on job boards can be a convenient way of getting the word out about a position, but these posts can often get lost in a sea of other job openings. Also, general job boards may attract a lot of applicants, but the highly-qualified candidates companies are looking for may not be among them. In order to use job boards strategically, organizations should consider specialized sites that cater to their industry.

3. Do expand recruiting reach. Organizations that only rely on job boards to recruit new workers can get better results by expanding their reach, which can include taking their efforts off the Internet entirely. Looking for talent at industry events like conferences and trade shows is a great way to connect with potential employees or people in the industry who can refer a company to their colleagues.

Woma networking at a Conference

4. Don’t ignore social media. Companies know that social media is an effective strategy for getting in front of their target audience and having conversations with their customers, but they often don’t leverage their presence on these platforms to connect with future hires. In order to garner interest in working for them, organizations can not only post their job openings on social media but give followers a glimpse into what it’s like to work there. On the other hand, social media searches can reveal a wealth of information about your potential candidate. Sterling’s social media screening services reveal posts that support a candidate’s qualifications, display reviews of their work, and even help you mitigate the risk of discrimination. Click here to learn more.

Girl viewing her social media platforms

5. Do make a strong pitch. Hiring managers are used to candidates selling themselves to their organizations. However, in this current market, organizations should also be selling themselves to job hunters. To stand out from their competition, employers should put a spotlight on the salaries they pay and the benefits they offer. From professional development opportunities to flex time to culture, companies should let everyone in the community know why they’re a great place to work. To top this, follow it up with action point number 6, below.

6. Do leverage current employees. Current employees can be the best ambassadors for organizations because if they’re happy, they will be sure to tell others about it. Read our recent ‘Women’s History Month’ blogs featuring insights from the diverse group of women working at Sterling. Companies can encourage their workers to spread the word about open positions and what their work environment is like in order to get solid referrals. Also, organizations should regularly get feedback from their workers about what they want and take the initiative to improve on any shortfalls.

Existing employees in a happy hand-stack

7. Don’t use puffery. Although selling an organization is vital in order to get the attention of job seekers, it’s still important to be truthful about open positions. Overselling a position in any way may be tempting during a staffing shortage, but it will only cause the person hired to feel unsatisfied and even lied to when they learn the truth. When it’s so easy for workers to jump from one job to the next, organizations need to be honest about what a position entails. A well-crafted, eye-on-the-future job description goes a long way in employee retention. It not only provides a check-list of what’s expected but also acts as a guide for the future when an employee may hit an obstacle.

8. Do make contact with candidates immediately. One area of frustration for many job seekers has often been how long they have to wait to hear from the companies they’re interested in. In today’s market, they don’t have to. Organizations should make it a priority to get in touch with prospective employees quickly throughout the hiring process because whether they’ve just submitted a resume or had an interview with a hiring manager, people are no longer willing to wait weeks for a response. A great way to do so is by adopting a mobile-friendly experience that can provide standard updates as well as send friendly reminders. Sterling provides a great candidate on-boarding experience that reduces your organization’s administrative load while enhancing speed and quality, click to learn more.

Meeting a former employee

9. Don’t recruit the same old way. Job hunters have changed, so it’s important for organizations to also change with them. Examining the hiring process can help employers identify areas where they can streamline it, which can include things like doing initial screenings over the phone or requesting sample projects over email rather than bringing candidates into the office for multiple interviews. A comprehensive background check that does not compromise on quality while ensuring speed, can make the difference between a great candidate joining your organization rather than your competitor. In a recent blog, my colleague Joy Henry, General Manager, Financial and Professional Services, Sterling, busted popular myths surrounding background checks.

10. Don’t forget past employees. If organizations want to find areas they can improve in order to become more attractive to potential workers, hiring managers need look no further than the exit interviews they conducted with former employees. Reviewing the reasons why former workers left can help employers make the changes necessary to retain future ones.

Sterling, the world’s leading background and identity services provider, was established over 40 years ago with the vision to make the world a safer place. Click here to learn how we have perfected everything your business needs to hire with confidence.

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