12 Recruiting Methods to Attract the Best Candidates

Today's labor market presents unprecedented recruitment challenges for companies. With the unemployment rate at a Low record, there are almost two vacancies for each unemployed person.

If you consider the millions of workers leaving their jobs during the Great Resignation, it becomes clear that something has to change if employers want to find a way to attract and keep good employees. Maintaining the status quo in your recruitment process may not be enough to attract the best talent to your company.

The good news? There are many recruitment tactics and, depending on your company, industry and objectives, the right combination can help you attract and contact candidates.

Read on to learn about the 12 best methods for optimizing your recruitment and talent attraction strategies.

1) Promote within your company

While it's hard to find good talent, many recruiters have a pool of qualified candidates on hand. We are talking about the company's employees.

Internal recruitment has many advantages. One of the main reasons why U.S. workers left their jobs in 2021 is because of the lack of opportunities for growth. Promoting within your company demonstrates a commitment to creating opportunities for professional growth.

At a time when the profile is increasingly important for both the company and the employees, recruiting internally mitigates the risks of not fitting in. However, like any other recruitment strategy, it has advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

• Shorter hiring time.
• Shorter onboarding process.
• Lower costs (promotion, relocation costs, background checks, etc.).
• Increased commitment and motivation for employees

Disadvantages

• Risk of resentment between internal candidates.
• Create a new vacancy.
• The pool of candidates is limited.
• It leads to stagnation (perspectives, business culture, etc.).

2) Share your ads on job boards

In the mid-90s, the first job boards transformed the recruitment process by creating an easy and convenient place where candidates and employers could meet. But are they still in force in an era of more striking recruitment methods such as social networks?

While there are some downsides to using job boards, experts agree that they are still a valuable resource. Today, online job boards are still a convenient way to connect employers and candidates. Companies can also use niche job boards for specialized positions according to factors such as industry, level, type of work, etc.

Advantages

• It provides access to a large audience.
• It provides 24/7 access for candidates and recruiters.
• It simplifies the process for candidates and recruiters.
• Present an opportunity to showcase your brand.
• It allows flexibility for better job descriptions.

Disadvantages

• It involves a large number of applications.
• It attracts unqualified candidates.
• Neglect passive candidates.

3) Promote vacancies at a university or job fair

University job fairs are a good option for students looking for employment, but are they? really effective recruitment tools for companies?

In many cases the answer is “yes”. University job fairs can be great places for companies to connect with potential employees who may fill entry-level positions (for more advanced or industry-specific positions, industrial job fairs or expos may be more appropriate).

Virtual job fairs emerged with COVID and offer advantages and disadvantages similar to in-person ones despite marked differences. For example, while virtual job fairs may be cheaper and better attended than in-person job fairs, meeting candidates virtually may not be as effective as meeting them in person.

Advantages

• It is available to a wide selection of candidates.
• Increase brand awareness as an employer.
• It helps build a talent pipeline.
• It allows access to other recruiters and companies.

Disadvantages

• Expensive in-person events (cost of participation, materials, transfers and accommodation).
• Unguaranteed results.
• It consumes time.

4) Advertise directly

The traditional “Staff Needed” notices still take place in modern recruitment. Known as direct advertising, this technique refers to advertisements published in newspapers, industrial publications or physical job boards.

Advantages

• It exposes your company to qualified candidates who are not active on the internet.
• It provides access to a specific geographic audience.
• Build familiarity with the brand.

Disadvantages

• Interrupts staff during working hours.
• It requires a good place to put the notice to attract qualified applicants.
• It attracts fewer passive candidates.

5) Optimize databases to create a talent pool

What happens if you have two perfect candidates for a single position or you have an excellent candidate who is not the right one for any of the vacant positions? This is where we introduce the talent pool.

Recruiters maintain databases, also called talent pools or networks, of candidates who have been sought for past positions, work events or other activities. These pools are recruitment tools excellent for maintaining interaction between your company and candidates. Recruiters can contact pool candidates when vacancies open and select the best talent for future consideration.

Advantages

• It provides a pool of pre-filtered qualified candidates.
• It offers a more positive experience for candidates.
• It reduces hiring time.
• It reduces the cost of recruitment.

Disadvantages

• It is inefficient if there are changes in the business or in the needs of the candidates.
• It requires a proactive approach or the use of automation.
• It can result in a bad experience for the candidate (without relevant interactions).

6) Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI)

The ultimate goal of recruiters is not only to fill vacancies, but rather to do so efficiently and effectively. While AI will never replace people for recruitment, it offers strong tools to achieve these goals.

From scheduling interviews to filtering CVs with keywords, AI and automated recruitment allow recruiters more time to focus on the relationship with the candidate and on improving the experience.

Advantages

• It improves the quality and objectivity of the recruitment process.
• Optimize job postings and postings to attract the right candidates.
• It reduces the risk of overlooking qualified candidates who fail to use the “right” keywords.
• Save time and fill positions faster.
• It improves communication, the candidate experience and the employer brand.
• It provides metrics and analytical data in real time.

Disadvantages

• It incorporates automatic biases in the selection process.
• It increases the risk of error due to incorrect or insufficient information.
• Some candidates feel dehumanized.

7) Use social channels

Social media recruitment (also known as “social recruitment”) refers to using social platforms to identify, interact and evaluate candidates. Given the prevalence of these networks (more than 70% of Americans they use some kind of social network), it makes sense that the use of social recruitment has increased.

In fact, recruitment on social networks, such as on platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and company blogs, are among the most used recruitment techniques today. More than 90% of employers use social and professional networks to recruit the best talent, according to the CareerArc study “2021 Future of Recruiting Study”.

Advantages

• It is more efficient than using only Internet job boards (according to a study, social recruitment can Reduce hiring time by half).
• Deeper knowledge of the candidate's personality and intelligence.
• Verification of information in a simpler way.
• More diverse pool of candidates.

Disadvantages

• The risk of inaccurate or incomplete information increases.
• It increases the chance of bias.
• It requires knowledge of changes in good practices.
• It involves a learning curve.

8) Recruit passive candidates

Passive candidates are candidates who are not currently actively seeking employment or are employed.

Passive candidates are an under-exploited resource for recruiters. Passive recruitment involves actively searching for qualified candidates, either through social networks or professional profiles, and contacting them. While these candidates may be particularly required for operational positions, they can be difficult to recruit, especially if they are satisfied with their jobs.

Advantages

• More experience and testable skills.
• Lower hiring competition.
• Candidates are often more authentic due to a lack of pressure.

Disadvantages

• The search and identification of the candidate requires more work.
• Engagement is more difficult to generate because of a lack of active interest.
• It may be more expensive or more time consuming if the candidate makes a counteroffer.

9) Choose virtual interviews

COVID changed the way we live and work. It also changed how we recruit. While the pandemic is over, it left us with new ways to live and work. Nowadays, the use of telecommunications is part of our daily lives.

Many companies, especially those with mass recruitment, are making use of video calls to interview talent. These interviews can be live or recorded and may include one or more company representatives (including team members and key individuals).

Advantages

• Saving time and money for both parties.
• Simple to schedule.
• Ideal for filtering candidates.
• Useful for evaluating communication skills.

Disadvantages

• Risk of poor connection, video quality, and other technical issues.
• Eliminate candidates without technological knowledge.
• It doesn't offer the same interpersonal connection as face-to-face interviews.

10) Offer internships or internships with the possibility of full-time employment

Internship programs can be a win-win option. Not only do interns bring their skills and talent, but they also tend to want to make a good impression and bring a new perspective.

For employers, a huge benefit of having internship programs is the opportunity to retain interns as new employees. In fact, many of the Fortune 500 companies transform more than 80% of its interns in full-time employees.

Advantages

• It offers access to new talent, with technological knowledge and enthusiasm.
• Reduce costs.
• It provides an opportunity to evaluate if the profile is suitable (for the employer and the candidate), increasing the retention rate.
• It offers mentoring opportunities to current employees.
• Demonstrates commitment to providing opportunities for professional growth.

Disadvantages

• It requires compliance with laws related to unpaid interns.
• It is challenging in the labor market.
• It takes time and work to have a successful and functional internship program.

11) Organize recruitment events

Events are a great way to engage with candidates. Recruiting events (such as hackathons or open houses) give exposure to your brand and business culture and attract interested parties.

In addition to helping recruiters identify candidates for vacancies, recruitment events can help you increase your candidate pool.

Advantages

• Attract candidates with an interest in your company and/or industry.
• It builds trust in your current employees and, in turn, positions them as supporters and recruiters.
• It helps to create a pool of candidates.

Disadvantages

• It takes a long time.
• There is a risk of low attendance.
• It requires administrative planning, event organization and marketing.
• It has no measurable results in real time.

12) Spread the word

Candidates are more likely to lean toward highly recommended companies. In addition, referrals can function as pre-filtered candidates, which ensures their quality.

Word-of-mouth referrals also allow the company to take advantage of its greatest tool: its employees. Company workers are a great source of information on what to look for in new employees. Encouraging employee referrals demonstrates trust, which in turn, generates commitment.

In fact, companies with employee engagement strategies improve your chances of attracting quality candidates by 60% and to keep them at 20%.

Recommendations can be so successful that many companies implement referral programs to motivate employees to participate, offering incentives ranging from money to time off.

Advantages

• It transforms employees into promoters.
• It helps employees feel respected and valued.
• It creates trust between both parties.

Disadvantages

• It can create negative feelings if a referral isn't hired or retained.
• It introduces biases and hinders diversity.
• It requires a lot of time and effort to launch and manage the referral program.

Automate your recruitment with Emi

Nowadays, recruiters have a lot of work to do. For this reason, it's important to have a comprehensive recruitment strategy working. In addition to using the right combination of innovative recruitment methods, it's crucial to look for ways to constantly improve your work dynamics.

This is where Emi steps in. Our operational role recruitment platform automates recruitment processes to help managers fill vacancies faster while providing a quality experience to candidates.

Request a demo today to learn how Emi can help your company manage the hiring rate.

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