Fill open positions and hire great employees (without losing your mind)
Talent and skills gaps, along with low unemployment have made it increasingly difficult for some employers to fill open positions.
This guide will help you shift your mindset so you can fill open positions more efficiently with high-quality candidates.
Hiring is getting tougher. In a survey by CareerBuilder.com, results show that 45% of employers currently have a job position they can’t fill with a qualified candidate.
At the same time, 44% of employers said they planned to hire full-time employees in 2018.
How can you solve this dilemma? By changing the way you think about hiring and stopping the “post and pray” recruiting method that many employers rely on in the age of digital job postings.
Evaluate your current process
What is your current process for posting a new job opportunity? If you’re like many other employers, the answer is probably “We post the job on Indeed, Zip Recruiter, LinkedIn, Craigslist etc. and wait for resumés to appear in our inbox.”
This method, also known as “post and pray” recruiting, is an easy trap to fall into. With so many sites claiming they can find the best candidates for your job, many companies have become lazy in recruiting high-quality talent.
Now ask yourself: How is “post and pray” recruiting working out for you? Are you finding high-quality candidates? Or is that position still open after months of searching?
Hint: if you’re reading this blog, your hiring process probably needs work.
You can do better! Read below to find out how.
Recruit “passive” candidates
As the saying goes, the best time to look for a new job is when you already have one. The flipside of this can work for employers too: the best candidate for your position is probably already working.
LinkedIn data shows that 70% of the workforce is not actively seeking new employment, but 87% of both active and passive candidates are open to the right job opportunity.
This tip is particularly important for employers working in highly specialized fields. Don’t be afraid to speak with people already working in your field – just make sure you do so tactfully. Building genuine relationships with people in your industry through networking is a great way to open the door for conversations about future job opportunities.
Hire for potential, not perfection
Finding the perfect candidate with all of the relevant experience, talent and skills you’re looking for is probably not going to happen, especially if you are looking to fill a position quickly.
Rather than holding out for a candidate that checks all of your boxes, you should instead look for candidates that meet your needs but may have some growing to do. Particularly in high-demand areas, this will be a blueprint to filling the jobs you need to fill. Offering continuing education and training can also be a way to attract more candidates in the future by improving your business’ reputation.
Many employers plan to do this to meet their hiring needs. 66% of employers say they will hire candidates with potential who may not have everything they’re looking for and 44% will hire and train low-skill workers for high-skill positions.
Invest in diversity
Diverse recruitment practices aim to remove bias based on sex, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, disability or genetic information when making hiring decisions. Investing in diversity for your company will also help you succeed by improving company culture, company performance and customer representation.
All of these reasons can help your business stand out to other potential employees, customers and even investors. By considering diverse candidates, you can achieve all of these goals.
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