The recent jobs report doesn’t quite offer enough to cheer about.
Payrolls expanded by a mere 80,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate remained steady at 8.2 percent. What does this mean for the world of recruitment?
For one thing, it means the previous methods of hiring just do not apply to the new job market reality. It is time for organizations to look at new recruitment strategies, including next-generation candidate management and recruiting systems, as well as social media recruitment practices, to find the best and brightest candidates from the growing pool of applicants.
Take a hard look at employment methods
There is an ever-increasing supply of qualified people looking for jobs, and it is taking organizations longer than ever to recruit for their open positions. The reality is that there are huge inefficiencies in the overall system when employers and qualified candidates are not able to connect and engage effectively.
Despite a bleak jobs report, there are plenty of organizations looking to fill positions with qualified candidates.
This is the time to take a hard, critical look at your employment methods. If you can analyze your existing methods and take appropriate action to rectify any problems or fill critical needs, your organization will be well positioned to tackle recruiting challenges – no matter where the economy takes us. Looking at where your company is and where you want to go is a good way to align your recruitment objectives with your organization’s strategic direction.
Here are some tips to revamp your recruitment efforts during this shaky job market:
1. Create a stellar careers site
Your company’s careers site is the first look candidates get into your organization. If your careers site is old or out of touch, then the best candidates will probably keep looking elsewhere. Not paying attention to your careers site sends a clear message to potential hires. It says your company does not care about its hiring efforts and perhaps would have a similar attitude towards people who apply through the site.
Now is the time to create a stellar careers site which aligns with your company’s values and goals. Make sure the site fits into the overall visual theme of your company website. Making a matching, branded careers site is a great way to impress job seekers and remind them of the company mission. It is also important to keep your careers site regularly updated. If a position has been filled or closed, make sure this is clearly referenced.
There is no better way to show how serious your company is about recruiting top talent than putting time and effort into building an engaging careers site. For most job seekers interested in a position, the careers site will be their first impression of your company. Make sure you use this virtual opportunity to impress.
2. Overhaul job descriptions
Do your job descriptions need to be updated? Now is the time to revamp this essential information.
You want to hire the very best individuals and the easiest way to do this is to have current and accurate job descriptions. Take a critical look at the job descriptions currently listed on your careers page and ask yourself what type of candidates would these descriptions attract.
If you do not think top talent would be interested in your positions based on how they are currently described, it might be time to rewrite.
3. Get social
In today’s technology-driven and virtually connected world, social networks are redefining how organizations and individuals communicate with each other. Social media is everywhere, and the critical role it is now playing in recruiting practices is hard to ignore.
It is time to pay serious attention to your company’s presence on social networks to effectively engage with your community and to identify great talent through these sources. No matter how established and impressive the company, candidates are interested in an organization’s social media footprint.
Having an active and healthy social media following shows potential employees that your company is a thought leader in your industry. It also shows your company is embracing new technologies and staying relevant as trends change. No one wants to work for a company that ignores evolving trends and does not keep up with evolving industry practices.
4. Stress referrals
Referrals from your employees and their networks are a great way to get top talent in the door. It is unlikely that employees would risk their standing within the company to recommend a hire who would be all wrong for the job or the workplace.
Since these referrals are such a great way of scouting successful talent that will stick around, it pays to encourage employee referrals. You might want to develop some form of recognition, such as a reward system for great suggestions.
5. Build a talent community
Developing and managing a talent community is a great way to engage with potential hires and create a talent pipeline for future positions. You will be able to build and develop relationships with talented job seekers and industry thought leaders, while also positioning your company as an organization interested in the challenges faced by your industry. Most importantly, you will have a great pool of talent at your fingertips as soon as you have an open position.
The economy may look grim, however, the reality is that there are many qualified candidates looking for great positions. If you look critically at your company’s recruiting practices and take necessary steps to update your methods, you will be able to attract great candidates.
Engaging with the talent interested in your industry is a great way to find the best people for open positions. The job market might be shaky, but your company’s hiring practices can bring great results if it is rock solid.
What are you doing during this shaky job market to revamp your recruitment efforts?