Forbes – 10 Effective Recruitment Strategies In 2023

Every company wants to have the best talent on its payroll. To effectively accomplish this, you need a recruitment strategy that helps you identify, hire and retain people. Of course, there is more than one way to recruit talent. In this article, we dive into the most effective recruitment strategies used in today’s market.

Understanding what talent acquisition is and how it works is essential in developing a recruitment strategy that works. Here are 10 recruitment strategies that you can implement right away.

1. Define Your Corporate Brand

When people think of places to work, they often start with well-known brands that they are familiar with and trust. Your brand is developed by the reputation you have about your products and services. If someone isn’t familiar with your brand, you can capitalize on writing an effective About Us page on your website. This should clearly convey your company’s vision and mission and outline your story in a way that is engaging. Think about why people would want to work for your company, how diverse your workforce is and whether or not existing employees recommend the organization as a good place to work.

2. Treat Candidates as Customers

Great talent wants to work in an environment known for professionalism. One of the best ways to demonstrate this is in the recruiting process. Just as you would be respectful of customers’ time, you should do the same with candidates. Limit how long an interview or phone call will take, let the candidate know the time expectation and stick to it. When a candidate arrives to meet with you, take a moment to offer them something to drink and show them where the restrooms are. This hospitality goes a long way to building trust. Once you finish the interview, make yourself available for any follow-up questions by offering your contact information.

3. Use Social Media in a Targeted Way

You likely use social media to attract customers, but you can also use it to attract new talent. Advertise jobs and answer questions about positions on social media posts. Great talent is often found among those who are already familiar with and following your brand. Also, make sure that social media reflects all your company does including work outside the realm of business activities. If you support nonprofits or charities, include posts with photos about it. This helps candidates align themselves with you in a way that makes them feel good about the work that they would be doing under your management.

4. Have Job Ads That Reflect Your Company

Your company culture is important and your job descriptions should reflect that. If lighthearted fun is part of the culture, then incorporate that into the job ad. If everything is about business at the office, be sure the ad is professional and polished. Applicants will be attracted to work with the company based on how the ad reads and you will be glad you let your company personality out so that you attract those who will fit into your corporate culture.

5. Start an Employee Referral Program

If you’ve already got a great group of employees, you can likely trust their referrals for new candidates. Good people generally know and hang out with other good people and will refer people who fit into the company’s culture. A referral program incentivizes them to reach out to friends and potential candidates to pitch working for you. You can even go beyond an incentive and make the referral process a contest with fun prizes and rewards for those who participate.

6. Get an Applicant Tracking System

Applicant tracking systems help hiring managers better manage the process of recruiting and hiring talent. For a company that is constantly recruiting, recruiting software can help save time and money. Make sure the software automates the process of posting jobs and identifying qualified candidates. Great software also helps sort candidates, set up appointments and onboard new hires. For more information, check out the best applicant tracking systems.

7. Utilize Niche Job Boards

Sometimes you need to go outside the box to find the right talent. This might mean going to niche job boards where the right candidates congregate. These will automatically weed out a majority of potential applicants who really aren’t the right fit anyway. You may want to check out professional organizations’ websites to see if they have a job board where you can post your position. When you are able to do this, you can expect a better-quality lead in most cases. Learn more about where to post jobs.

8. Make Interviews Engaging

It can be easy to fall into the trap of interrogating people during the interview process. You’re trying to get certain information and stick to a timetable. But this isn’t effective in keeping top talent engaged. Ask for their questions and feedback to get them invested in the process. Give them access to existing employees and be invested in the conversation yourself. By doing so, you’ll help your company stand out, and this will help make the right talent want to be a part of it.

9. Use Recruiting Videos

A recruiting video is a great way to help a prospective employee understand the company, its mission and its culture. You can take a few minutes to explain this, and the job, before the recruit ever comes in the door. This will help vet candidates who want to align themselves with the company.

10. Reach Out to Past Applicants

While there are reasons that you didn’t hire someone in the past, you can find a good pool of talent for different positions by reaching out to past candidates. Additionally, you never know when someone has acquired new talents or skills that might be a good fit for you now. Have your hiring manager flag recruits that don’t get hired as people you like and want to stay in touch with. This can help you efficiently navigate the recruiting process.