How do you find the best talent to give yourself a competitive edge?
Finding great talent is becoming a more significant task. Employers need to step up and become more creative at finding great talent. You need to cast your net as wide as you can. Utilising all the opportunities available to you when searching for those megastar employees. Especially when you are competing against big businesses who have even bigger budgets. It is time to be innovative with your search and go global if necessary.
So what are some simple ways to find your next superstar talent?
Don’t go any further than the people you have around you. Employees often have extensive networks to tap into, and most have global connections. A 2017 LinkedIn Report found that 48 percent of businesses get their quality hires from employee referrals. It only makes sense to start with what you already have.
Career sites and job boards are to be loathed at times, but they are also a hotbed of activity. Make sure you choose the right places for your business. Some are focused on remote workers in particular niches, others are focused on a specific industry such as tech. Although they are not favoured by HR or businesses, they are where many job seekers search for positions.
Businesses are looking towards social networks for their talent pool. In fact, LinkedIn is becoming one of the main ways to find new employees. Social networks are becoming a great way to forge meaningful relationships with potential candidates.
Attend events and consistently network. Your talent pool will dramatically expand when you spend time in the right (diverse) places surrounding yourself with the right people. These events are a simple way to meet brilliant people in the right industry and promote your business. Whenever you need to hire, you can reach out to your connections made at these events, and you fill the roles quickly.
Become an employer of choice. Candidates are drawn to positive company culture and well-stated mission. Cultivate a progressive and energetic company culture to help employees approach you. Focus on your core values and make them visible on your social media pages.
Maintain consistent communication. While some companies issue an automatic reply to every job application, most recruiters don’t respond at all. This leaves a negative image not only to the candidate but to those that they tell. If someone wasn’t suitable for the role, but showed some promise, keep the channel of communication open. There might be a perfect fit position later down the line.
Leverage your current employees. Letting potential employees know the calibre of talent who work in your company can be highly beneficial. Talent attracts talent. Social media posts and employee video testimonials help to raise the exposure of your company. This also promotes your brand across a wide range of audiences.
Expand your candidate pool by going global, remote or both. Sometimes hiring talent in your local area is not possible or lacklustre. Hiring remotely opens up a whole host of brilliant talent outside of your local and competitive job market. Advances in technology have shown that it is easier than ever to work remotely.
If you have a hard to fill position, consider enlisting the help of head hunters, recruiters and employee placement firms. Many of these firms have already done the hard work for you. They often already have an extensive talent pool to choose from in your industry. Leave this option for the highly skilled workers, because you will expect to pay up to 35 percent of the cost of the new recruit’s annual salary.
There you have it – ten ways to widen the employment net and get the talent your company needs to move forward. Most of the tips are cost-effective and rely on you ensuring your branding and networking skills are front and centre. And remember, don’t ever let a good opportunity pass.
