If you are having trouble finding people to work with you, you are not alone, as over half of all recruiters are also experiencing a talent shortage. It can take a lot of effort to find someone who can impress you enough for you to consider them a suitable hire. So, what is a talent acquisition strategy and how can you use it to bring the right people on board?
This article should give you a good idea of seven such strategies, which will guide you toward finding and choosing the best hires. Each one is a tool you can use to ensure you focus on the right area and avoid less useful hires, saving you time in the long run.
1. Ensure You Have a Clear Brand
If you are still early in your brand’s growth, you might not yet have your brand identity set firmly in stone. If that is the case, you will want to consider that before moving forward.
Potential employees, much like customers, will want to have as much information about you as possible before applying. Cohesive branding helps with that by communicating your core tenets and the kind of employer you might be.
While you build your brand, consider what the value you offer an employee is. Think about your internal branding too, and when you build up a job description, make sure to mention some of the things your business believes in. These might be suggestions of your company culture, your attitude towards work-life balance, or any benefits you offer.
Showcase who you are not only in your public communications, but also when hiring. Make sure people see you maintain this attitude, and that it is not only a marketing move.
2. Improve Your Job Descriptions
Be clear and concise in your wording when engaging in talent acquisition. Jobs that use more technical jargon can often confuse potential hires, so be up-front and plain where possible.
Make sure you communicate the nature of the job in specific terms. Put forward the key responsibilities the person has, and also ensure people know the qualifications they need. If you demand a set level of experience, say so, although understand that some people may be perfect for the role even without career experience.
As mentioned above, do not forget to present the job description in a way that exemplifies your brand. This can sometimes create the extra step that pushes someone off the fence into sending you an application.
3. Use Social Media to Further Your Reach
Social media allows you to spread advertisements related to roles in your company without difficulty. If people know others who are looking for a role, your content may inspire them to pass along the link to your application site.
However, ensure you are using the right platform for the demographics you are aiming at. Each one has a very different user base, and you should not expect there to be much overlap.
4. Establish Employee Referral Programs
Your current workers are very likely to already know people in your industry who would be a good choice to work for you. By telling your employees to be on the lookout for such people, you build up a community that already has a good rapport.
To encourage referrals, you can do things like offer incentives, and create a simple online portal where referrals can occur. Keep people updated on any referrals people might make, so they do not need to follow things up. Also, be transparent about turning people down so both individuals can have closure.
5. Embrace Inclusivity and Diversity
Being a talent acquisition manager involves welcoming people from many different backgrounds. This can pay off in huge amounts, as diverse companies are proven to be much more likely to earn more money and make better decisions.
Ensure you set clear goals for any attempt to diversify your company so you can measure and improve on your progress over time. Be up-front with both your current workers as well as potential hires that you wish to do this. It can be an attractive concept for applicants that means the difference between them working for you or someone else.
Make sure that, if you can, you also diversify the people performing the hiring. A panel of interviewers who all match a single demographic, can put off some people, and make them feel the rest of the company reflects such a group.
6. Hire a Talent Acquisition Specialist
Sometimes it is a simple fact that you do not have time to focus on the hiring process. This is a common issue, although it is one you can overcome by getting someone else to do all the work for you.
Investigate the possibility of bringing in a team member whose sole task is to bring in new workers. Ensure they understand your needs, and have the tools at their disposal to report back on how they can continue to do the best job possible. Over time, with support, they will leverage their expertise to bring in the best and brightest.
7. Use Analytics and Iterate
Your talent acquisition coordinator should always have an eye on the numbers coming in. By having data that represents a wide number of key variables in hiring, they can watch how any changes they make to their process improve it.
Try to record key demographic data about people who apply to your company and watch out for unconscious biases. You can also see if too many people are applying when over or under-qualified, so you can alter your job description if necessary.
Over time, you can continue to iterate on your hiring process. Do this with both data as well as direct feedback from both your hiring managers and potential candidates. Each is likely to offer you valuable insights to improve your hiring.
We Can Improve Your Talent Acquisition
With each of the above steps, you can start to pivot and refocus your talent acquisition process. Still, it can demand a lot of time and effort from you, and you might still be learning these steps. So, would it be easier for you to work with someone who can center their attention on this task?
We have experts ready to talk to you about your talent needs and get started finding your new hires. So, pick up the phone and let us know what the best employee looks like to you.
