As 2021 comes to a close, businesses are faced with the reality that recruiting and talent retention is one of the most important priorities for their continued success. With a general consensus that employees are among every company’s most valuable assets, it’s no surprise that attracting the best employees has become more essential than ever.
In a landscape where so many businesses are competing to attract top talent, that talent also has more channels than ever for their job search. Gone are the days of searching the classifieds and driving around looking for help wanted signs. Today, search engines and online job boards have made it easier than ever for potential employees to find a match. If your business is looking to fill new positions with quality applicants, there are several important strategies to employ.
Social Media
Depending on the position, platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook are superb for uncovering potential employees that aren’t necessarily actively searching for a new job. This is a great way to find talented individuals that your competition may not have on their radar. Both platforms provide the opportunity for users to apply directly within the platform, breaking down any barriers by making it easier than ever for users to apply.
While not all positions may be a great fit, LinkedIn is one of the most powerful tools for active recruitment. Not only are the targeting capabilities unrivaled, but it truly is a network designed for professionals. While it’s become much more than exclusively a social network for people seeking job opportunities, reaching people while they’re in a super relevant headspace is extremely beneficial.
Regardless of the platform, it’s important for you to maintain your account’s organic content. Job seekers will likely check out social media profiles of potential companies, so use this as a chance to reinforce the reasons you’re the best destination for future employment.
Search Ads
Especially if you have a large number of similar positions, search engines like Google and Bing are a great place to find job seekers. This way, when someone is looking for “manufacturing job in Milwaukee” or “CNC operator jobs in Waukesha” you’ll be one of the first options they find. Search ads on both Google and Bing are run like an auction. You set a bid to place an ad for certain searches and, based on a number of factors including your bid amount, your bid will show up in one of the numerous available results placements. When running search ads, you only pay for users that click, so being clear and descriptive in the ad copy is very important.
SEO
While search ads are good for instant results, ranking organically through search engine optimization (SEO) is also a great way to find users searching for work. Where search ads allow you to pay for your results, SEO can be an effective strategy to start ranking without paying for every click. It’s important to note that SEO is a long-term strategy and will require both time and resources to obtain, but once achieved a solid ranking can pay dividends. With some positions that are ‘always open’, this may be an incredible strategy to keep bringing in talented candidates.
Brand and Culture Storytelling
Regardless of how you’re bringing users to your open positions, the competitive landscape we live in means working harder to convince people that YOU are the best place for them. Identifying your strengths as an employer and the traits that make potential employees a good match is your first step in this process. From there, it’s finding a creative and impactful way to deliver that message. We’ve seen great success in creating visually attention grabbing videos that tell our clients’ stories and truly inspire the right candidates that fit the company culture and values.
If you’re looking to put rocket fuel on your recruitment strategies, get in touch, we’d love to help!