When it comes to your employees, you want the best of the best. Top candidates aren’t always easy to find, however. Recruitment is the first step in the employee lifecycle, and you want to make sure that you have a talented pool of prospects to choose from. Here are the places that you should be looking.
Searching Externally
Over the years, online recruiting has become one of the most common practices for finding new talent. According to the Northcoast 99, a collection of 99 top workplaces in Northeast Ohio, preferred external searches include:
- Electronic advertisements
- Job boards
- College recruitment
- Online career centers
- Potential interested parties from your personal network
In addition to those practices, the power of social media can help in your search. Prospective clients can be found by posting an opening on social sites like LinkedIn. You can even advertise positions on Facebook and target the ad to reach a very specific audience. Plus, you may be able to find profiles for prospective clients and do some extra scouting for promising signs or red flags.
Searching Internally
Employee referrals are one of the best sources for potential employees. Your employees know what – and who – it takes to succeed, so see if there are any professionals they would recommend for an opening.
If you’re looking to fill something other than an entry-level position, internal postings can be beneficial to your search. Your own employees are already familiar with your organization, and you will already have a sense of the internal applicant’s knowledge and work ethic. Past and present interns may also have the desire – and ability – to help the team in a full-time position.
Customizing Your Search to Your Business
Just like potential candidates, each business is going to be different. That means that some of the recruitment suggestions listed above may work better for one business than others. To keep track of which search types historically work best for your company, keep track of the following metrics:
- Number of qualified applicants by source
- Number of new-hires by source
- Percentage of top performers hired
- Ratios like resumes/applications to phone interviews, phone interviews to in-person interviews, and in-person interviews to offers
Another factor to recruiting top talent is offering an enticing benefits package. Group Management Services can help you offer intriguing options to prospective employees after you’ve found them. Contact us today to see how partnering with a Professional Employer Organization can benefit you and your business.