If it seems like your typical recruiting strategies aren’t working, there’s a reason for that. Several, actually.
The market is tighter and more competitive. Candidate response has fallen off a cliff. Counteroffers are more cutthroat. If there was a war for talent before, the past year has been the end of days.
But persist we must.
We can’t do things the way we did in 2019. To succeed in today’s talent market, we need to move beyond LinkedIn and leverage new technology to create a persistent dialog with top candidates.
Here are the 6 recruiting strategies you must implement to attract and recruit quality employees for your company.
(If you’re not doing these, you might as well go back to bed – you’re not going to get a reply anytime soon!)
1. Proactive recruiting strategies are mandatory.
Outreach to prospective candidates, even when deeply personalized, isn’t pulling the response it used to. As a result, it’s taking much longer to engage and deliver candidates with traditional recruiting strategies. One large healthcare marketing agency reported 50+ days to source VP-level talent.
Since we don’t have the luxury of waiting weeks and months to hire, it’s smart to envision recruitment as an always-on conversation with the A-players in your industry. Figure out who they are and get a regular cadence going. Most ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) offer highly personalized email and text automations. I’ve found these to be far more reliable than keeping a “need to call” list in my head.
When candidates recognize you as a regular and reliable advisor, they’re more apt to listen when you have an urgent hiring need.
2. The fortune is in the follow-up, and the format.
Gone are the days when you can send out one email and get an immediate reply. We’re not even seeing that with our BFFs in our network.
Success requires gentle, yet steady persistence. A cadence of friendly check-ins, delivered in all formats: Phone, text, email, in-person.
If you only send an email, you may as well deliver a handwritten letter. On parchment. Closed with a red wax seal, if you want to get fancy. To my 13-year-old, and everyone else in Generation Z, email is the equivalent of snail mail.
So, make sure you’re not only following up, but following up in multiple formats to reach prospects via their preferred method of communication.
While we’re at it… most emails could be a text. Just saying.
3. Social media is a two-way street.
You know your prospects are on social media, so you’re there too. But what are you actually doing with your accounts? Are you just blasting content, without listening to what’s important to your network? Are you interacting with them by reading, commenting, and sharing their posts?
Having a comprehensive social media marketing strategy is just one more quiver in your arsenal of always-on recruiting strategies.
4. Get clear on your Employer Value Proposition.
More than ever, job seekers are looking for purpose in their careers. Company culture and values, a purposeful mission, commitment to diversity and inclusion, employee resource groups, professional development, and socially impactful work are bargaining chips that allow you to distinguish yourself beyond compensation and flexible schedules.
What’s meaningful to the jobseekers you’re looking to attract? Lead with that. And don’t worry about appealing to everyone. When you try to appease everyone, you please no one. Candidates are being super selective about what recruiting messages they respond to, so make sure yours stands out.
5. Ditch the boilerplate job description.
Candidates with choices need to be sold on your job, and that means leading with the important ways this role will contribute to the company’s goals. Plus, the talented team and clients they’ll work with. For tips on how to write one, check out our The World Needs a Better Job Description post.
And here’s an innovative company that will create an interactive microsite where candidates can meet the hiring team, hear them answer essential questions about the role, and link to all sorts of company data, from tech stack to benefits to recent press. They’re called Before You Apply.
6. IMPLEMENT remote work policies into your recruiting strategies.
We’re hearing that most candidates want some degree of flexibility, but it’s not one size fits all.
People early in their careers are attracted to the idea of teams regularly coming together so they have access to mentorship. Whereas, more established workers [that have parenting or caregiving needs] crave the flexibility they’ve become accustomed to during the pandemic.
It’s hard to accommodate everyone in a sweeping company policy, so it’s worth finding out what specific managers and disciplines can offer. Not just now, but over the long term. We’re hearing that some companies that hired employees outside their local areas are now struggling to have boots on the ground for clients meetings and events. Knowing these things upfront will ensure you’re talking to talent that share your mindset and aren’t going to waffle when it comes to an offer.
What’s next?
It’s been a wild ride for employers over the last 24 months. You’ve accomplished many miracles in this time. High five on a job well done! I believe all these changes will bring us towards a more targeted, authentic, and thoughtful approach to recruiting in the years to come.
And we’re here to help. For the past 19 years, Nadexa Group has worked on building a responsive network of advertising, digital marketing, healthcare marketing, and communications professionals.
What can we help you do better by getting the right people in place? Drop me a note here.
