From Harish Jagtani’s Desk

 

The hiring process is an essential part of running a business. From small business owners, hiring managers and HR professionals, to CEOs of big organizations—everyone has to recruit people at some point or the other. A recent study says that more than 50% of US workers consider a job change within a year and 44% of this talent has actual plans in place to make it happen.

This year you have to strengthen your recruitment efforts and develop a strategy for your job openings so that you stand out among competitors. A simple hiring process allows recruiters to fill positions faster and make their work easier. Remember, nowadays, hiring is everything about candidate experience. So, let’s take a look at some simple steps to identify talent…

1. Develop an employer brand

An important plan for your hiring process depends on your brand as an employer. This will make you stand out among other hiring companies and show candidates why they should join you. Employer branding has to reflect your business’s mission, culture and values too.

2. Job posts must reflect the company

Your job posts are the first impression a candidate gets to learn about you. So, you should make sure to portray your company as organized and professional while still embracing your brand and communicating your recruitment goals.

Make sure job posts match your company’s character—should they be strictly business or should they have some fun element in them? This strategy will help you get more applicants and attract qualified candidates who will fit your company culture. And ensure your job postings match your company’s branding like color and logo to show professionalism.

3. Target talent with social media

A hiring plan using social media to find talent, post jobs and interact with potential employees is popularly known as social recruiting.

Many brands, such as Apple and Uber, among others, have successfully found quality candidates with this hiring strategy. Ensure that you have social media presence that matches your values and employer brand. For instance, if your company promotes sports or values philanthropy, share some photos or videos of a recently held campaign that your firm organized successfully. Your present employees can also share company-branded messages about job vacancies on social media.

4. Use an applicant tracking system

Get an Applicant Tracking System (or ATS)—this will not only save your hiring manager’s time, but will also save your money. This software automates the job posting process and also helps you find the right kind of talent easily. It includes one-click job posting to multiple sites, applicant sorting and interview scheduling. There are a number of options available, so find the one that best fits your company’s hiring budget and size.

5. Use niche job boards

While hiring, it may be difficult to find the right talent among the many large job sites. And, if your company falls into a smaller and more defined category, you can try to look at recruitment at niche job boards. There are job sites that are for specific niche industries and often have a community of job seekers and recruiters. You can find niche job boards that cover—everything from retail to construction.

6. Consider college hiring

Campus hiring at colleges will help you find new talents for your industry, while also aligning your company with internship hiring options and campus connections. You can hire from colleges in many ways, such as career fairs or job fairs, speaking at events for your industry and getting featured on campus online job boards.

7. Find passive candidates

Passive candidates are those who are employed at present and are not looking for jobs actively. These candidates are likely to be the most talented and the perfect person for the job. Engaging in passive hiring is when you reach out to candidates personally. It shows that you are truly interested in their talent and it will grab their attention surely. Using social media and connections will help you identify potential candidates and raise awareness for your firm.

8. Conduct awesome interviews

Do remember interviewing involves two-way communication. When you interview your candidates, they also interview you. So, whether you take it remotely or in person make sure to make it comfortable. If they are supposed to work in a group, try to hold a group interview. Remember to also show your company’s culture during the interview. For instance, if your office likes to joke around, include some fun factors in the interview, as well. This will guarantee that you find the person with the right skills and a good fit for your organization’s culture. An employee referral program can also be an important hiring process. This allows existing employees to refer quality candidates.