No one can build a business by themselves — you need a team of talented individuals to help you grow and stay ahead of the competition. If you’re looking for new strategies for sourcing candidates, here are six steps you can try.
[Read more: How to Hire People Who are Good at Adapting]
Focus on internal candidates first
If you’re currently looking to fill a position, check out your internal candidates first. With some additional coaching and training, one of your current employees could be ready to step into a new role within the company.
Your current employees are already a good cultural fit, and they already understand and believe in your company. You can review recent employee reviews to see who already has some of the hard and soft skills you’re looking for.
Cast a wider net
You probably already have one or two go-to methods for finding job candidates. But it’s a good idea to diversify your options and add some other job sourcing methods to the mix.
Where you search for job candidates really depends on the type of position you’re trying to fill. For instance, LinkedIn is a great way to find qualified candidates who may not be actively looking for a new job.
And lesser-known job boards like Github and Dribbble are great ways to find industry-specific candidates. You should regularly assess which channels bring in the best quantity and quality of potential talent.
[Read more: How to Hire Employees Fast When You Need to Scale Quickly]
Another pool of potential job candidates that you may be overlooking is previously rejected candidates.
Focus on in-person networking
These days, it’s common for businesses to spend most of their time looking for job candidates online. But don’t rule out offline candidates — networking at in-person events can be great ways to fill open job positions.
Make it a priority to regularly attend conferences or in-person events and spend some time talking to people. There’s less competition from other businesses, and when you speak to someone in person, you get a better sense of how they’ll fit in at your company.
Don’t rule out former employees
Former employees are a frequently overlooked source for potential talent. Obviously, no one wants to rehire a problem employee. But former employees that left on good terms could be potential job candidates.
After all, they are already familiar with your company and may still be friendly with the people they previously worked with. And now, they have new knowledge and experience to bring to the table.
Plus, rehiring former employees shows that you value your employees and prioritize building a long-term relationship with them.
[Read more: Top Hiring Trends for 2021]
Consider previously rejected candidates
Another pool of potential job candidates that you may be overlooking is previously rejected candidates. These are individuals that you already interviewed and screened, so you know they’re talented; they just weren’t the right fit for the last role they interviewed for.
But one of these people could be the perfect fit for a new role you’re trying to fill. You can use an applicant tracking system to store your database of candidates. Make a habit of checking it regularly to see who might be a good fit for a different position.
Use an employee referral program
Finally, you should consider offering an employee referral program. These programs are growing in popularity and for a good reason.
Referred employees tend to be a better cultural fit and tend to stay in their job longer. That’s why companies like Google, Salesforce and Intel all offer employee referral programs.
Here are a few tips for creating an employee referral program:
- Clearly outline what you’re looking for — and not looking for — in a job candidate.
- Be sure to give updates to any employees who refer candidates to you.
- Publicly acknowledge employees who refer many successful candidates.
- Offer a combination of monetary and non-monetary incentives.
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