If you’re a hiring manager or HR director struggling to find the best applicants for a job opening, rest assured you are not the only one. According to the 2013 talent acquisition report by the Aberdeen Group, 62 percent of organizations surveyed identified sourcing candidates as the greatest challenge they face in their talent acquisition efforts. Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for new solutions to find and attract quality talent.
A strategically written job description is the first step to attracting quality job applicants. But how can hiring managers keep their postings timely, engaging and targeted at the right audience?
Whipping up a job description and posting to major Internet job boards will only get you so far. We recently shared five of the best job posting tactics to help your posting attract more applicants:
- Use Craigslist: Many applicants are simply searching Craigslist for open positions. Posting to Craigslist is free in many states and gives hiring managers instant access to a wide pool of job seekers.
- Post early in the week: Post your job description when job seekers are searching online the most. Most job seekers who use the Internet to find work are searching during the beginning of the week and in the mornings.
- Refresh your job postings: The newest and most relevant job postings appear at the top of the job board search results. Refreshing your posting a few times a week will help your posting appear of the top of those results.
- Post to specialty or boutique job boards: If you’re hiring for a technical job, for example, post your opening to a technical website or job board so you can get visibility to a smaller pool of qualified applicants.
- Reach out to local colleges or trade schools: Trade schools and local universities are great sources for young talent. Start building relationships with career centers and educators to get access to qualified interns or entry-level talent.
In addition to these position posting tactics, we’ve identified five more creative ways to make your job posting stand out so you can identify the best potential employees for your business:
1. Get Social
There’s a giant pool of job applicants out there who are active on social media and itching to engage with the companies they want to work for. For example, 38 percent of job seekers are on LinkedIn, 34 percent are on Twitter and 52 percent are on Facebook, and many are using these social media platforms to get hired. Recruiters and hiring managers have the opportunity to find, engage and weed out potential candidates on social networks.
Before you share your job posting, participate in discussions or start your own so potential candidates can begin to engage with you and your company. Start by identifying Facebook groups, Twitter hashtags or LinkedIn discussions that pertain to the role you are hiring for.
2. Incorporate Visual Elements
Depending on the role you are recruiting for, a visual job posting can be a unique and shareable way to attract more applicants in addition to your written job posting. An infographic job description can be eye-catching and informative as it visually describes the job requirements with easy-to-read text that’s organized in an informative and engaging way. Businesses can also use infographic job postings to evoke personality, giving job seekers a sense of the company culture.
Visual job descriptions also open your talent pool to a wider opportunity of connections – potential applicants and recruiters may be more likely to share an infographic job description on visually driven social networks, like Facebook or LinkedIn, than a traditional job posting. Include a link to your traditional job description and application within your online hiring center.
3. Include Video
A video job description is another type of shareable, visual content that’s helping businesses attract more talent. Some of the best video job descriptions showcase an engaging speaker, accompanied by good sound and lighting, as he or she outlines the details about the job posting as well as the hiring company. Businesses like VMware have turned to YouTube to post video job descriptions for openings in various locations around the world.
4. Post on Your Company Blog
If a job seeker is actively seeking work with your company, he or she is likely to visit your corporate blog to learn more about the business and stay on top of company news and conversations your leaders are starting in their industry. A blog post from a company thought leader about your latest quest for top talent sends an encouraging message to qualified job seekers who are eager to work for you.
5. Create a Talent Community
A talent community is “an interactive group of people joined together by a common interest or affinity,” according to ERE.net. What differentiates a talent community from a job board, LinkedIn company page or a resume database is the ability for members to converse about relevant trends and topics based on their common interest, including the topic of employment.
Your talent community may be a private Facebook page or an opt-in forum. Find the platform that works for your HR organization and invite employees and alumni to join and participate.
These creative ideas, along with the best job posting tactics, give you an arsenal of ways to attract quality applicants. Combined with an automated online recruiting system, businesses can quickly and effectively meet their hiring needs.
photo credit: SalFalko via photopin cc
