Talent shortages, skills gaps, record-low unemployment — you've seen all the forecasts, and it's almost enough to make you want to throw in the towel when it comes to finding talent. But while securing the people your business needs in order to grow may be more challenging today than it was in the past, it's not impossible. There are plenty of qualified candidates out there who'd be great fits for your business, you just need to know where to look.
Here's where to go and what to do to find talent — no matter how fierce the competition may seem.
be proactive from the start
There are plenty of measures you can take to make an immediate hire (and we'll get to those next), but the first step in finding qualified candidates is to be proactive — ideally months or even years before positions become available.
Laying the groundwork on a talent pipeline and building relationships with professionals that you feel would be a good fit in advance makes the hiring process easier when it comes time to fill a vacancy.
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Have a meeting with your company's decision-makers to find out what direction they plan to take the organization over the short- and long-term.
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Source candidates online or in-person at industry events, and take the time to really target people who could make a major impact at your company.
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Reach out to candidates and explain that while you don't have openings now, your company has plans for the future that you think they could help contribute to. Stay in touch with them until you have openings.
| build a talent pipeline to prevent getting caught off guard when hiring needs arise. |
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go digital
Fortifying your talent pipeline will help you have a steady stream of candidates for the future. But if you have a talent need that just can't wait and want to know the best place to go to find candidates, start online. Seventy-one percent of respondents to our study on the impact of tech in the workplace said that company career websites were their most-used source for finding jobs — with job boards coming in second at 58 percent.
There are a lot of moving parts to the online candidate search, but if you master these basics, you should have an inbox that's inundated in no time.
| of employees said that company career websites were the sources they used the most to find jobs. |
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perfect your job postings
To make an online candidate search effective, you need to have great job postings. Candidates on the hunt will be looking at dozens of these a day, so you need to make yours stand out. Treat it as an advertisement for your company rather than a list of duties and requirements. You want candidates to feel excited about your organization and the doors it could open for their careers.
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When describing duties and requirements, use clear language with plenty of strong action verbs.
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When it comes to describing your company, you can be a bit more playful — this is a great opportunity to showcase your employer brand voice.
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Pepper your postings with the right SEO keywords to increase searchability: Google AdWord Keyword Tool is your friend here.
don't skip social
Fifty-two percent of job seekers said they use social media the most to find jobs, so once you've got a roster of job postings you can be proud of, start scouring social media. Create posts across all networks, not just the career-focused ones. Look for groups or accounts that you think your ideal candidate might belong to, and focus your recruiting energies there.
For a longer-term approach, entrench yourself in popular online communities for your industry. Share posts, submit relevant content and engage in thoughtful discussion. This will keep you at the front of job seekers' minds for when they start looking for their next job.
| don’t just stick to career-focused platforms — source talent across all social media channels for the best results. |
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build up your employer brand
Ultimately, how well you build and broadcast your employer brand will determine your company's success at finding talent online. When you create one that resonates, it will spill over into the language on your job postings and the engagement you get on social media — all byproducts that will make the task of finding talent that much easier.
To start improving your employer brand, read company review sites and monitor what people are saying about your business on social media to get an idea of the overall sentiment. Then, think about what sets your company apart. What's interesting or relatable about your business's services or mission statement, and how can you broadcast this message authentically and in a way that resonates?
| of employees who changed jobs reported researching their potential employers’ reputation. |
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search in person
While online job searching is on the ascent, traditional, in-person methods of talent attraction are still going strong. Our research uncovered some slight generational differences to keep in mind if you're thinking about going the old-school route. For instance, sixty percent of baby boomers said they used employee referrals the most, while career fairs were popular among younger job seekers, with 56 percent of Gen Z respondents saying it was their favorite way to find a job.
job seeker preferences for finding work
get extra support
It's no secret that competition for talent has ramped up in recent years, and while all these channels are rife with candidates, they're also rife with competing employers. If you're looking to get a leg up, then partnering with a staffing agency could give you that extra boost you need to stand out from the crowd and land your ideal candidates.
Between providing you access to job seekers from vast networks of talent to experts who can design staffing strategies for your business, there's a lot of ways a staffing agency can help beyond just finding you talent.
All the choices here are viable options for securing top candidates in today's hiring climate, so find which works best for your business. If you'd like to read up on more staffing tips, visit the Randstad Learning Center, or contact us today to discuss how we can work together.
