According to a recent survey published by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., more than 60 percent of employers plan to hire in 2018. Yet, finding the right person for the job is a real concern. In fact, 65 percent of recruiters say the biggest obstacle to hiring is a shortage of talent.
These effective and creative ways to recruit employees can help you find the right employee for the job. Keep reading for several tips, plus recruiting swag ideas to boost your efforts.
Get personal
Eighty percent of interviewees would accept one job over another based on a personal connection formed during the interview process, according to the DevSkiller source above. Scrap the stuffy office interview, and meet at a local café instead. This type of informal meeting can relax recruits and encourage personalities to shine. Once you know you’ve found a potential fit, bring recruits into the office to meet the team. Not only does this help both you and your potential employee assess for a cultural fit (which we dive into later), it begins day one of relationship building. Send them on their way with a token of thanks to remember you by—smartphone wallets or PopSockets® are both fun and functional.
Be social
Sixty-seven percent of people found their most recent job on Facebook®. Yet, while 87 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn® for recruiting, only 55 percent use Facebook (see DevSkiller article). Your company’s Facebook followers may include people who are interested in employment at your company. And your following most definitely consists of those who know someone who’d be a good fit. Plus, Facebook is the perfect channel to post a variety of content about your place of business, such as what it’s like to work there and what opportunities exist. If you post a job opening, encourage friends and followers to share it. Provide a thank you gift for doing so, such as an emoji pen or thumbs up sticky book. Or consider running a paid advertising campaign to target your ideal candidates.
Talk future
Seventy-two percent of candidates considering a job move say the opportunity for job advancement is the most important factor to consider. Promote all the opportunities your company has to offer—advancements, professional development, tuition reimbursement and more! A sprouting tote bag speaks to the growth they’ll achieve at your company. Include literature about job opportunities and hand out this cool recruiting swag at interviews or career fairs.
Push culture
Sixty percent of recruiters say hiring someone who is a good cultural fit is most important—and with good reason. A poor cultural fit is an expensive mistake, costing organizations 50 to 60 percent of the wrong hire’s annual salary. This is perhaps why more and more companies are hiring for cultural fit versus skills alone. Well thought-out interview questions, personality assessments and team meet-and-greets are great way to measure a candidate’s cultural fit. And don’t go it alone—poll your team members to see if they think a candidate will fit in, too. Finally, consider developing a culture handbook that can be shared with interviewees. This could live on your website, be given out in print or distributed on a USB drive at interviews.
There are plenty of challenges at work. Hiring doesn’t have to be among them, especially when you use these creative ways to recruit employees and couple them with recruiting swag. Now get out there and put together your ‘dream team’!