Sure, the job market is making candidates work harder to land an interview or their ideal job. But shouldn’t employers be working just as hard to find their ideal candidates?
Although employers may receive hundreds of applications per opening, it doesn’t mean they’re getting ones from the right people.
Here are some things employers need to do in order to attract that “right fit” for their openings:
Offer detailed descriptions of job openings. It’s hard for a candidate to know if they’re qualified for your job when you only give out a few details. Many job postings don’t even list the company or hiring manager’s name – making it difficult to get in contact with you should they have any questions or if they would like to follow-up.
Don’t rely solely on job boards. Just like candidates, employers should be utilizing different tactics to find their ideal employees. This means you shouldn’t just post your opening on a job board and hope the right person sees it. You should be utilizing social media, Glassdoor and networking as part of your arsenal of tools when filling an opening. You should also seek out the ideal candidate – either through social networking sites or more traditional ways.
Be courteous. This should go without saying, but you need to follow up with candidates and keep them in the loop. You would expect the same from a potential employee, right? Candidates will respect you much more if you take the time to send a polite “no thank you” e-mail as opposed to ignoring them.
Let candidates know why they should want to work for you. Don’t just post a dull job ad – include what makes your organization amazing to work for! Is it the culture? the employees? The career opportunities? Make it obvious so that top talent will be attracted to your ad.
It’s important to find the “right fit” candidate from the beginning so you’re not wasting resources soon thereafter finding another employee to take their spot.
What other ways would you add?
