10 Effective Recruiting Strategies at a Glance
Reading time 5minAs the number of job applications has fallen sharply in recent years, more and more companies are experiencing a shortage of skilled workers.
In times like these, an effective recruiting strategy is necessary to stay ahead of the competition. For this reason, we've compiled 10 new and proven recruiting methods you can use to effectively attract and retain applicants.
What Does an Effective Recruitment Strategy Look Like?
With an effective recruiting strategy, the framework for the recruitment process is defined in order to recruit top talent more quickly. After general conditions have been defined, specific requirements must be made for each position to be filled. In doing so, you as an HR manager should always ask yourself:
- Which position should be advertised?
- By what means should the position be filled?
- Which people are involved in this process?
- How much time does the company have to fill the position?
The Importance of a Targeted Recruiting Strategy
The aim of a recruitment strategy is to stand out from the competition and reach as many suitable applicants as possible through different channels. With a good strategy, you can shorten the recruitment process, save resources, and fill all vacancies promptly.
Your recruiting tactics should not be rigid, as conditions can always change. Furthermore, the strategy should be measurable so that you know which channels are working properly and which are not. Also consider making the process agile in case more positions need to be filled than originally planned.
10 Most Effective Recruiting Strategies
Job advertisements, employee referrals, and career change websites are still considered the most popular methods for reaching candidates. Nevertheless, tech advancements have opened up a range of new channels, such as social recruiting, with which you can promote your company. We have compiled an overview of the best strategies.
Job Ads and Online Exchanges
Online job boards are the first place where most candidates go when they are looking for a new job.
As a company, this means that you should define and create a job ad which attracts your target job applicants. This is followed by a brief introduction of the company, the definition of the position to be filled, the requirements needed, and then a paragraph about the benefits for employees.
Career Information on the Company’s Website
A career page on your company's website is a very good way to present the vacancy in detail to the candidate. Here you can give applicants not only information about the vacancies themselves, but also insights into the different activities, company culture, the team, and much more.
Be sure to update your careers page regularly, as outdated information and advertisements for outdates jobs are frustrating for applicants. You should also always keep your target group in mind when creating the career page and tailor the content specifically to them.
Employee Recommendations
Employee recommendations can significantly reduce the time it takes to hire, as a pre-selection is already made by the people working in the company. Thus, the company naturally also saves resources.
Since employees can usually assess their friends and relatives well, the risk of making a wrong choice is also lower.
Inbound Recruiting
With inbound recruiting, information about your company is published on the channels that your target group frequents. As such, you will not only reach active applicants, but also those who are not yet looking for a job.
To make your company appear as attractive as possible to candidates, you should attach great importance to strong Employer Branding.
Sourcing
Active sourcing involves candidates being approached directly by recruiters, for example at trade fair events, on social media, or through presentations at schools and universities. Even if the approach is not successful, the candidate can be included in the company's talent pool for future vacancies.
AI
AI can also be used as a recruiting strategy – to identify qualified candidates, evaluate applications, or as a communication tool with job seekers via chatbots. AI has untapped potential that many companies do not yet know how to use properly.
Social Recruiting
Young talents in particular spend a lot of time on social media. Therefore, these are the perfect channels for companies to advertise vacancies. Here, too, you should ask yourself what content your target group is looking for and adapt your messaging accordingly.
Talent Pools
A talent pool contains not only information about potential candidates, but also about employees and their qualifications.
This information is always available to HR managers so positions can be filled more quickly. Maintain contact with candidates in the talent pool so that they stay with your company and do not feel the urge to look elsewhere.
Career Events
As a company, you can participate in industry events or job fairs to look for promising applicants. In addition to official events, you can also present your company at schools or universities to directly address your target group.
Internal Network
Apart from external networks, your HR staff should also have their own network. This simplifies the approach, as you already have an establish relationship with them.
How to Develop Your Recruiting Strategy
When building out your recruiting strategy, don't forget to:
- Provide clear guidance on the recruiting process and align it with the company's goals.
- Measure the success of your previous methods and optimize them regularly.
- Make the candidate journey as pleasant as possible for new applicants.
- Define the channels through which you want to reach applicants.
- Involve managers in your recruiting strategy at an early stage.
- Plan resources realistically.
Launch the Right Recruiting Strategy to Save Time and Resources
An effective recruiting strategy helps your company fill vacancies in a timely manner and reach the right candidates. The strategy should be continuously measured and optimized to identify weaknesses and include new channels in the recruitment process. To be successful in the recruitment process, you should combine several of the recruiting methods mentioned above.