Employee recruitment is one of the most important processes for any business. Without the right members of staff, the products you make and the services you deliver will not be up to the standard that you or your customers expect. But how do you get the talent acquisition process right?
What’s more, recruiting today is not the same as it was twenty or thirty years ago. The days when you simply posted a job advert in your local shop window are long gone. Digital media has revolutionised talent acquisition and here’s what you need to know in order to keep up.
Advertise through the right channels
Although the rise of the World Wide Web, social media and mobile apps have given recruiters more channels through which to advertise, it has resulted in a job market that is more fractured than ever. For businesses, this means choosing where to advertise their job roles carefully.
Large jobs boards will, perhaps, provide the largest reach, but targeting particular demographics may require another approach. Social networks, like LinkedIn, allow recruiters to headhunt specific individuals based on a desired skillset, for example. University job boards are another great way of targeting graduates, with recruiters able to focus on particular degree backgrounds.
Face-to-face networking remains an important part of the recruitment process, but it cannot match the speed and reach of online channels. For businesses looking to source the best candidates, looking online is increasingly becoming the most effective option.
Look in the right places
Many businesses are now global entities, selling their wares and delivering services to customers thousands of mile away as well as those that live locally. With this in mind, businesses shouldn’t limit their search for employees by geographical vicinity either.
Global employment can be particularly effective if businesses are looking to target new markets and want to benefit from local knowledge. Similarly, if you are operating a digital business, the location of your employees is less important than it is for, say, a physical retailer. In this case, it makes sense to broaden your job search to include international candidates to ensure you get the best person for the job.
Embrace the freelance economy
Recruiting can be a costly process at the best of times but when it goes wrong, expenses skyrocket and a lot of time is wasted.
If your business engages in a lot of project-based work or encounters large fluctuations in workload, it might worth looking into freelance or contractual employees. The recruiting process is usually streamlined, which lets you start projects much faster and these kind of contracts can work out much cheaper for your business, in the long-term at least.
Freelancers can also introduce a fresh perspective into your company, as they may have worked with a multitude of different firms. They are also more likely to speak freely as they are not expecting to be at the company after their initial contract is completed. There are, of course, drawbacks to contractual work, such as creating an unsettled working environment, but it’s worth considering as part of your next recruitment drive.
Next time you need to recruit a new staff member, don’t go through the same old process that you always do. Instead, make sure your company is taking a 21st century approach to talent acquisition.
