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Hiring new Mission Possible staff. Here are 10 creative recruitment ideas to help you tap into new candidate pools and attract candidates for your open positions.
Why do you need creative recruitment ideas?
As almost any company can tell you, it's hard to recruit right now. And although the economy seems to be slowing, job growth is not.
It's a highly unusual, unprecedented type of market where candidates are leaving, starting jobs and moving between jobs at a rate we haven't seen before.
If you want to adapt during such an exceptional market, you can't rely on the same old tactics for finding job candidates that you've always used (job boards, portal listings, etc.). We're not saying you should throw your traditional recruiting strategies out the window. We're saying you should supplement them by trying out new ideas and finding what works for you.
An important tip for using unconventional recruitment ideas
As with any new recruiting strategy, it's essential to plan your approach, track your progress, measure your key performance indicators, and analyze your results.
No strategy can work alone. While some of the ideas below may sound fun (and they are!), they should be a focused component of your broader recruitment strategy. The tactics you decide to include should make sense based on your company culture and your target job candidate.
With that being the case, let's dive into them.
10 creative ideas for successful recruiting
1. Use alternative media to post job openings
Everyone posts their positions on job boards and sponsor LinkedIn posts. These platforms are crowded, but they're far from the only places candidates learn about job openings.
Have you ever thought about advertising on a YouTube channel? Appearing as a guest on a podcast? Listing your workplace as an ad in a niche email newsletter (which has made a huge comeback in recent years)?
Consider the type of content your target candidates read organically, going beyond platforms that are designed for professional use. The audience you reach may be smaller, but it will also be more select, which is key to finding relevant candidates.
2. Get creative with your job vacancy advertisements
Don't rule out traditional job search platforms such as job centres. But why not change your messaging so that your ad stands out among the thousands of others copied and pasted over and over by hiring managers?
Let your cover become an example of a description that grabs the reader's attention and gets people talking. You can do the same by making your "help wanted" ads with humor, wit, surprise, or sentimentality.
3. Organize a party
If you've ever watched a reality show like "The Bachelor," you know that the big opening day cocktail party is the moment when sparks start flying. While the contestants eat, drink and party, viewers can sit back and get a fascinating glimpse into who these people really are.
Hosting your own party (without cameras and with much less alcohol) can create a low-pressure environment where potential candidates learn more about the company while you simultaneously learn more about them.
4. Recruit in unexpected places
Restaurant and store workers are experts at dealing with difficult customers. Wouldn't any of them be a good fit for handling important customer accounts? Or that stay-at-home mom whose youngest child just entered kindergarten - she might be the perfect candidate to tackle a new challenge as your office administrator.
Just because someone doesn't have direct experience in your line of work doesn't mean they don't have valuable experience from a different but parallel field. Consider other types of work in which candidates could develop transferable skills, and consider hiring from those industries.
5. Organize a competition / for whatever position you need, but don't call it a job competition/
If you need a talented graphic artist, organize a design competition. If you are looking for a head pastry chef, organize a baking competition. Announcing a contest for funny short stories can help you find a brilliant writer. In addition to offering a job to the winning candidate or candidates, be sure to offer a lucrative prize to make the contest worth entering.
6. Go on a field trip with prospective candidates about the job opening
You're probably familiar with online platforms that connect people with similar interests looking to make new friends. If this sort of thing fits your company culture, organizing a meetins an art gallery or a kayaking excursion can attract potential candidates by giving them a fun way to interact with potential future colleagues.
7. Help employees benefit by bringing an acquaintance for a fee
Employee referrals aren't a new strategy; they're one of the best sources for finding qualified candidates who turn into long-term employees. If this isn't a highly effective recruiting channel for you, maybe it's time to increase your referral bonus.
According to employee referral app ERIN, the average referral bonus is $2,000 for startups, $2,500 for healthcare workers, and as much as $5,000 to $10,000 for software engineers. It's really worth your employees thinking about who they know and which of their contacts might be a great hire.
8. Organize a virtual happy hour to find new job candidates
...or a book club, or any other kind of online event where social meets professional. Video chat platforms like Zoom make it easy for participants from any geographic location to participate, which is ideal for expanding your pool of candidates.
9. Target a small city to seek new job candidates
If you're open to hiring remote workers, turn your attention inward - to the heart of the country.
Targeting your recruiting efforts to small towns and even rural areas not only helps you reach new candidates, but also gives you access to a more affordable workforce than in areas with a high cost of living.
10. Reach out to do-gooders - you can find good candidates for the vacancies there too
Does your company partner with any volunteer groups? Are there charities that are in your neighborhood, such as Caps for the Future, if you're in the recycling business? Volunteers might welcome the opportunity to interview for a paid position, especially if it's in an area they're already interested in.
Then, when you find the right people for your company and they are willing to work for you, you need to have prepared supervisors and managers who can interview the found candidates in the most profitable way.
If you're wondering how to check that your line managers will cope and know what questions to ask and how to ask them during the job interview, check out our Recruitment Interview Skills course
Other tips for finding job candidates and recruiting
Do it the old way
As recruiters, we're glued to our devices. But it makes sense to leave the screens behind and go back to basics, with old-school tactics like flyers, billboards and direct mail. They worked then, and they may work surprisingly well for you now.
Using current events for job listings
Use the events that everyone is talking about - such as the gymnastics championships or a concert by a famous group of musicians or Black Friday - as topics for your ads and recruiting materials. This is an excellent way to keep your messaging fresh and show that you're aware of the social and cultural events happening around you. If you need help finding ideas, just take a look at the "Trending" page on Twitter.
Turn it into a game
Filling out a job application hardly sounds like fun. Add some fun to your recruiting by gamifying the candidate search process with a game or puzzle that's embedded on your homepage or "Careers" page. Collect names and email addresses to enter and award a prize, such as a gift card, to one random winner each week.
You can use sample recruitment tests for candidates to solve on your website.
Use your packs to distribute your job adverts
If you're selling a physical product, you're already investing time and resources into packaging and shipping customer orders. How easy would it be to put a recruitment leaflet in every pack? Happy customers are the best advocates for your brand, and they can also turn into some of your best employees.
Last but not least, use a recommended recruitment agency.
Organisation of the recruitment process
A process that requires a lot of time and attention that modern HR departments rarely have.
With this in mind, we offer 10 ideas that are sure to make your job competitive and successful.
1. Don't waste your time on unnecessary or unimportant things
Time is money. As mercantile as this hackneyed phrase sounds, its truth cannot be denied. So don't waste your time in vain: try not to let your business conversations last too long, answer emails with a few exact words, hold your meetings in someone else's office if possible - that way you can leave as soon as the work is done. Don't let your career and success depend on someone else! Your future is in your hands!
2. Plan your commitments
Take 15 minutes a day to make a plan for your commitments during the day. You'll see how much easier things will be. Yes, sometimes, you'll have to break your pre-concept, but so what. Ending up with an unscheduled meeting, for example, will give you a list of your remaining tasks. Concentrate on it, not on the fact that you won't have enough time again. A good plan and its execution will, for sure, bring you success at work.
3. Do not neglect the role of social networks
Use social networks as a means to achieve awareness and gain popularity. Target specific audiences and groups. Use the feedback these audiences give you - learn to select and identify the needs of your future employees and job candidates.
4. Be sure you understand the requirements and need of a position
Before you begin your search for the right candidate, make sure you understand the requirements and need of the specific position yourself. Remember that these change with time and that a few years ago a marketer had to think mainly of texts for TV and radio ads, today things are quite different. Take the time to research these issues and you will save yourself a lot of unnecessary anguish.
5. Get to know the prospective employee
Never present a candidate to management that you don't know well. And it's not just about whether his or her previous experience is relevant to the position being offered. It is imperative that you know the answers to at least three questions. What would he like to do in the future? Why is he looking for a change? Prepare well and the results will soon be in.
6. Think pragmatically
If you work in a large recruitment agency, your results are usually recorded and monitored by management. They are aware of the number of positions you filled last year and the number you need to reach in the next 12 months. So don't pay attention to unimportant things, don't let someone waste any of your valuable time for no reason, reject candidates you think won't be approved right from the start, etc.
7. Inform the candidate about all the details surrounding his/her possible future position
During the job interview, talk in detail about all the responsibilities and requirements associated with the position. Do not overlook the question about the monthly salary. By discussing these issues with the candidate, both you and they will be able to get a clearer picture of each other. This will help you make a well thought out and informed decision.
8. Let your work produce visible results
Do your best to make your work produce real results. That way you will stand out because of your work qualities, not because of your charming smile, for example. People (including bosses) like to see the deeds of others materialized into something useful. Be like that too! Of course, that doesn't mean you can't tell a joke on your lunch break or go out for drinks with colleagues on a Friday night. But put the realization of your goals first, not on pleasing everyone! The latter is simply impossible!
9. When you have suggestions from your employees don't ignore them
According to some statistics, about 25-30% of new hires are hired thanks to a recommendation from a current employee. Therefore, do not underestimate this internal recruitment policy. Work on its effectiveness and ensure that the employee who made the recommendation is rewarded.
10. Make an effort to train all employees on recruitment and interviewing skills.
Make the candidate's stay in your office as pleasant as possible. Have someone meet the new job candidate and direct them to the interview location. Interviewers should be respectful and understand that the candidate is most likely anxious. You can call after the interview is over and ask for impressions of the conversation you have already had. Gradually, patterns will emerge that will point you to your team's weaknesses. Think about it - the impression your company leaves on others is extremely important. Make your effort to keep it positive.