As we continue to deal with the effects of the pandemic and the Great Resignation, many employers are struggling to find qualified candidates to fill in new jobs. The talent market has become extremely competitive in the last few years. More importantly, this trend will most likely continue in 2023. According to Employ Inc.’s Quarterly Insights Report, 88% of HR leaders believe hiring will be more difficult in 2023 or as difficult as in 2022.
Recruiting during this time can be overwhelming, especially if you try to source talent from a limited pool of candidates. Therefore, it becomes extremely important to rethink your hiring processes and get strategic about how and where you look for top candidates.
Look Beyond Traditional Sourcing Channels
The majority of recruiters have their go-to channels to find talent. Around 52% of recruiters say they first turn to their professional network, and 28% say they first turn to LinkedIn. Relying solely on traditional sourcing channels is not a good strategy when trying to uncover hidden gems. Referrals and LinkedIn are good sourcing channels for a reason, but it is worth considering other, less popular sources of talent.
Ensure you understand your target candidates so that you can make a list of websites where you can potentially find them. For example, check out Github for tech professionals, Behance for graphic designers, and Underdog if you are hiring for a startup.
Advertise Jobs on Social Media
Many employers are now recruiting on social media because it can save time and money while being a source of great talent. The biggest advantage of advertising jobs on social media is you are targeting passive candidates. Passive job seekers may not be actively looking for a job but would consider an opportunity if it came along. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 70% of all candidates are passive job seekers.
Very few platforms can reach as many people as social media, meaning that you are likely to find a number of qualified candidates other sources can hardly match. Moreover, social media gives recruiters an incredible ability to target specific groups of people for certain vacancies. For instance, you can try to share job openings in certain industry-specific LinkedIn groups or use Twitter hashtags to source for niche talent.
Build an Employer Brand
Employer branding is a secret weapon for attracting hidden talent. Today’s candidates have high expectations, and while paid time off and salary remain important factors in attracting top candidates, there are other benefits that have become just as important.
A company’s reputation may be a deciding factor for many candidates for changing jobs. Around 92% of employees would consider leaving their current jobs if offered a position at a company with an excellent corporate reputation. Moreover, 75% of job seekers are likely to apply for a job if the employer actively manages its employer brand.
Develop an employer value proposition (EVP) and communicate it and your company culture to the outside world. Show potential candidates what it’s like to work for your company and what they can expect will be highly beneficial. Add more information, including images and videos, to your career page. Social media is also an effective platform for spreading awareness about employer brands.
Leverage Technology
HR technology can significantly improve every aspect of the recruitment process, including sourcing talent. The tool that can source candidates and identify top talent, not to mention the higher quality and speed of recruitment, is an incredible asset for any organization. In addition to candidate sourcing, AI-powered recruitment software allows recruiters to organize and filter candidates based on their qualifications, communicate with applicants, and deliver a better candidate experience. For instance, Employa software sources candidates internally and externally, screens them based on your job description and ranks them based on their qualifications.