Four Ways to Fill Your Pool with the Best Candidates

Recruiting can be a competitive, messy business. It can also be expensive, time-consuming and stressful for those working to fill positions within your company. So, filling your pool with highly talented individuals is a must.

“The smartest employers who hire the best people recruit a pre-qualified candidate pool of potential employees before they need to fill a job,” writes Susan Heathfield for The Balance.

Here are four tips for finding the best candidates.

1. Create a recruiting message strategy

Sharing your brand, knowing your audience and keeping your message consistent will all go a long way in helping you attract the best candidates.

“If you want to gain significant competitive advantage, you need to use strategies superior and different from your competitors,” writes Dr. James Sullivan for LinkedIn. 

2. Spice up your job descriptions

“Employers begin the screening-out process by writing dismally grey and boring job ads,” Liz Ryan writes for Forbes. “(They) harp about what the ideal candidate needs to bring to the relationship — but say nothing at all about why a sharp and talented person might be interested in the job.”

By making your job sound interesting and challenging, you’ll likely encourage those looking for such opportunities to apply.

And, make sure your description is general enough that it doesn’t sound impossible to fill or discourage applicants who might be a great fit. Be firm about the must-haves, but don’t require things that aren’t completely necessary. Read More: How to Write Great Job Descriptions: Tips & Templates.

3. Work your network

Sure, your industry likely has its standard job boards — but don’t miss the opportunity to have current employees and contacts share.

“In this era of online social and professional networking, chances are you and your employees are instantly connected to hundreds, and even thousands, of potential candidates,” Heathfield writes. “Tap into this potential audience on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, to name just a few.”

You might even take it a step further and offer cash bonuses for employee referrals, especially for hard-to-fill jobs.

“Posting all open positions, announcing openings at the company meetings and sharing growth plans with company members will help spread your message,” Heathfield writes.

4. Share your company’s story

Salary is important, but so too are your benefits, the workplace’s culture and employees’ opportunities for growth.

Your most qualified candidates “want a work environment that challenges them, allows for innovation, makes work fun but also provides work-life balance,” writes Nicole Fallon Taylor for Business News Daily. “This could mean paid time off, the ability to work from home, time to volunteer in their communities or the ability to take unpaid leave to pursue interests, to name a few.”

Date Posted: November 17, 2016