The recruitment process can prove challenging at the best of times. However, now that advertisements for job openings are at a record high, it’s even more difficult to attract and retain top-tier talent. With the job market currently favouring the candidate, employers need to consider new approaches to the hiring process. Need help enticing ideal candidates with creative recruitment strategies? Read on for all the inspiration you’ll ever need.
Why use creative recruitment strategies?
With so many vacancies to choose from, job seekers have their pick of employment options. Often, it can feel like hiring teams are waiting to be chosen by potential candidates, rather than the other way around. Ultimately, it’s all about competition with rival companies. If you want to lure the best talent away from your competitors, you’ll need to establish your business as a breed apart. Creative recruitment methods allow you to do this from the off, helping sell your organisation as wholly unique in a crowded market.
What’s more, creative recruitment strategies tend to broaden your reach. Because you’re taking a different approach than the standard, candidates who might never have ordinarily applied can do so. Very quickly, you’ll realise that your previous hiring strategies were shutting the door on a wealth of talent that was perfect for the role.
Creative recruitment strategies
Are you seeking to elevate the quality of your candidate pool beyond what conventional recruitment methods offer? It’s time for some outside-of-the-box recruiting methods. Below, we’ve picked out some creative sourcing strategies recruitment teams can start putting into practice, right now.
1. The Power of Gamification
It’s almost impossible to build a complete picture of a candidate based on a CV and application questions alone. If a basic rundown of skills and employment experience isn’t sufficient for shortlisting, think about bringing gamification into play.
You can incorporate gamification as early as the initial stage of the job application process, swapping out run-of-the-mill questions for problem-solving puzzles. Alternatively, build the entire application process on a foundation of gamification. Applicants who ace one challenge move on to the next one, significantly streamlining the candidate selection process.
2. Use Your Social Media Channels
Are you already active on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook? Your social channels can be a powerful tool for recruitment. You can keep things as simple as posting job ads to your most active accounts. Alternatively, you can use different platforms for different purposes.
Use image-centric social channels like Instagram to share a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to work for your company. You’ll strengthen your employer brand, giving you the edge over competitors. Don’t forget to utilise less obvious channels as well. Reddit can be a useful platform for interacting with potential hires, while music platforms like Spotify can also be used to connect with a younger demographic.
3. In-House Recruitment Events
Traditional job fairs aren’t a great place to pair potential candidates with open positions. The most skilled job seekers will have already been snapped up by a competitor. If you want to avoid picking over second-best prospects, think about staging your own events instead.
These don’t have to be conventional recruitment events. Instead, put the focus on knowledge sharing and enrichment. An online webinar with a thought leader or workshop that teaches valuable skills is going to entice applicants with drive and an appetite for learning. A successful open house event can also boost your employer brand considerably.
4. Employee Referral Programs
Don’t forget about your existing workforce when it comes to recruitment strategies. Loyal employees can be real advocates for your business, especially when job satisfaction is high. While some employees may refer a candidate without the promise of reward, incentivising the process can bolster your hiring efforts.
Interested in implementing an employee referral program? Think about what perks you’ll be offering to workers who make a successful referral. A simple cash incentive will always go down well, but a tailored reward that plays to the personal interests of an employee is something else to consider.
5. Employee Testimonials
Do you struggle with low retention rates and first-year churn? One of the best ways to snare candidates in it for the long haul is to use employee testimonials. By spotlighting success stories, you’re showing prospective candidates what’s possible should they choose your organisation over another.
It’s an ideal approach if you’re keen to draw attention to training and development opportunities and bring context to a role that’s possible with standard job descriptions. You can post employee testimonial videos to your social platforms or even embed them on your career page.
6. Connect with Candidates You’ve Previously Turned Down
If you’ve been handling recruitment in-house for some time now, you’ve probably built up a sizable talent pool. While it’s a waste of time reengaging candidates who were woefully underqualified, it’s worth touching base with those second-choice candidates.
They might have fallen just short of expectations a year or so ago, but they’ll undoubtedly have developed new skills and acquired useful experience in the meantime. What’s more, they’ll already have some knowledge of your company culture from their previous application.
7. Mention Job Openings in Every Email
While a mass email campaign to every one of your contacts isn’t advisable, you can use everyday email exchanges to help with the hiring process. Look to your email signature for the perfect place to mention urgent vacancies.
It’s a non-invasive addition to email communications and can be used when connecting with colleagues and clients alike. Existing employees may see this and decide to push for promotion, while others might have the perfect referral in mind.
8. Turn To Technology
Nowadays, there’s no excuse for not using technology to help streamline the hiring and selection process. You can save time and whittle out unsuitable candidates remotely with video interviews. To free up even more time, think about implementing a self-guided online application or asynchronous interviews.
If you’re looking to lighten your HR load, chatbots are something else to consider. Thanks to increasingly reliable AI developments, chatbots can be an effective first contact for potential candidates. Rudimentary questions and answers won’t prove a problem, helping ensure potential hires have all the information they need before applying for a role.
Using the Right Tools for Creative Recruitment
Thinking about gamifying your hiring process? Perhaps you’re ready to unleash the potential of employee referral programs. In any case, you’ll need the right tools at your disposal to ensure plain sailing.
With Teamdash, you have everything you need to support your creative recruitment efforts. Offering all the features you’d expect from a first-rate applicant tracking system. Teamdash also comes loaded with a suite of powerful hiring tools for creative recruitment. Use social media integrations for cross-channel hiring campaigns, simplify the selection process with asynchronous video interviews, and more.
Eager to deploy your creative recruitment strategy? Why not book a Teamdash demo today?
