5 Ways to Breathe New Life into Your Talent Search

In order to find the absolute best talent available for an open position, companies simply have to do more. Targeting top-tier workers takes additional steps. If you’re still stuck in the days of a generic job ad and unhappy with the results of this passive and dated method, here are some areas to address:

1. Get to work on your company website.

First impressions mean absolutely everything, and for many job seekers your website is the place they first get to know about your organization. It’s important to include clear and detailed information about who your organization is and what it does, as well as information on open positions. Even if you have information posted on job search sites, take the extra time to curate that same information into your own wheelhouse. It’s also a good idea to regularly update information regarding workplace culture, your hiring process, and opportunities/channels for employees to grow within the organization. Being up-front pays off in the long run because it paints a clear picture to anyone who may have had “one foot out the door.” You want applicants to be excited and committed!

2. Broaden your online presence to be compatible across all devices.

People search for jobs on all manner of devices ranging from web-enabled mp3 players to giant multi-screened desktop computers. The hardware is endless. The software is endless. The last thing you want is for an amazing candidate to slip through the cracks due to a simple compatibility issue. But it’s not just enough for your content to show up on any device, it also needs to be consistent and FUNCTIONAL.

3. Use Social Media.

A very simple command, right? Believe it or not there are still organizations out there who do not take to Social Media to source their talent or at least announce an opening. The funny part is that some of these same companies have policies about using Social Media in the workplace. So they recognize that it’s everywhere and everyone is using it, but decide not to use it to their own advantage as a company…..? Well it’s one thing to start using Social Media and another thing entirely to use it in a smart way. Different platforms have different uses and different ways people use them. It’s great if your organization has taken the first step and started taking to LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc. when looking for talent, but take a deeper look and make sure you aren’t just hitting copy and paste from one platform to the next. A LinkedIn candidate is going to be using that site differently than a Twitter candidate. Know your audience, and then play to that audience.

4. Leverage Company Culture.

If your internal team aren’t brand ambassadors, there has to be a disconnect. If your hiring managers in particular aren’t brand ambassadors, you need to start from scratch. Emphasis has shifted in a large way in recent years toward company culture. This means that it’s important for job seekers to see that your company’s hiring process and the people who execute it are consistent with the organization’s brand and goals. If you have unhappy recruiters, job seekers will spot it from a mile away.

5. Do NOT omit face-to-face interaction.

We absolutely LOVE assessments. Whether it’s a TTI pre-employment assessment or a SkillSurvey report, the information we gather is absolutely invaluable. That said, in person interview formats are still the type where applicants feel most at ease. You want a candidate to feel at ease for two reasons: 1) So they can present their skills in a way that doesn’t hinder them, and 2) So they feel at ease with your organization as a whole. It’s important to get to know that candidate as a human being. This doesn’t mean the data side isn’t valuable, but when used in tandem with a face-to-face interview you heighten your chances of finding the perfect candidate exponentially.