Dust Off the Cobwebs—How to Recruit After a Long Break in Hiring

The Internet has made it easier than ever before for businesses to feed out new jobs, but the days of relying on a website alone have largely fallen by the wayside. Gone are the days of “job boards,” newspaper ads, and website job postings — these efforts often produce a gluttony of candidates that don’t fit your needs and greatly increase the time you spend on screening. PrideStaff Financial has a few tips for HR staff that are gearing up for a hiring surge after a long break.

Social Media. 
Facebook has reached over 1 billion users. Twitter, another popular social media platform, has more than 100 million registered users. LinkedIn, a platform for professionals, is slowly encroaching on Twitter’s numbers. These numbers have only risen in the last two years. Social media is more popular than ever, and can reach candidates far and wide. Its popularity is growing by the day. Your HR staff can take advantage of this by joining social media and immediately increasing visibility. Doing so will allow you to reach job applicants the minute a job opens up. It will also allow you to see “unique visitors”—basically who is looking at a jobs post. One other thing to think about—the visibility is constant, as social media sites don’t close at the dinner bell or by “midnight.”

How smart is your mobile technology? 
According to statistics from Pew Research Center, nearly two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone; of this, 19 percent rely on a smartphone for accessing online services and information, and for staying connected to the world around them. Pew also notes that 7 percent of Americans don’t have traditional broadband service or utilize alternatives for going online other than their mobile device. Leveraging mobile technology to reach potential candidates by sending text alerts about job openings and recruiting events is a great way to stay ahead of technological advances in hiring trends.  Add to this having a website that is “smartphone friendly” will not only facilitate the job search and application processes for you but give you greater visibility among a wider net of candidates.

Get out of the office. 
A great way for HR staff to recruit new or advanced candidates is to get out of the office and be seen. Networking groups are a great way to reach potential candidates. Groups for your area can be found online, and will usually have a Facebook page or website of their own. Some networking groups meet early in the morning at a designated location, some meet in the evenings; some are hosted by C-Suite corporations for a Friday “cocktail hour.” When joining a networking group, a round table of 60-second elevator pitches are usually done at the start of the meeting, then a presentation by someone from the group. Both allow members to talk about who they are and the business they work for. Anyone in the group can sign up to present—which is great if you are hiring and need to disseminate information. Additionally, a binder is usually handed around for everyone to add their business cards, and to take business cards. Getting out of the office by way of a networking group is a great way to find potential job candidates.

As one of the nation’s leading finance recruiting firms, PrideStaff Financial, we understand the importance of new recruiting tactics and hiring trends. Contact our financial recruiters today to find out how we can help you obtain the top talent you’re looking for.