It's a tough time for recruiters. Unfilled positions and inefficient recruiting are costing employers, and the time it takes to fill positions is at an all-time high. As the need to efficiently fill empty positions continues to rise, so does the competition among employers for prized candidates.
It's important to nail down the right employee in a timely manner, and the good news is that there is technology you can start using today to make that easier. From social media to recruiting software, there are plenty of tools available to you to start solving your recruiting problems with technology.
Social media
According to Recruiting Daily, 94% of recruiters use social media for attracting new talent, and 59% of those surveyed said social media had an influence their last job search. Social media is a chance to show potential employees what makes your company so special and why they should choose to work with you. While you definitely want to leverage social media to show off your culture, be sure to also set and follow a set of standard operating procedures. It's important to determine boundaries (and stay within them). In addition, get creative with employee-generated content like pictures and hashtag campaigns.
"Historically, HR has had a somewhat strained relationship with social, with many companies setting specific policies prohibiting workers from accessing social networks," Laurie Zaucha of Paychex, Inc. tells Recruiting Daily.
"Today, however, with social becoming an integral component of successful recruiting strategies, the tables have turned. Companies now realize that on social media, building a compelling employer brand requires providing those same employees with tools and training instead of more red tape."
Video recruiting
In the world of marketing, video is huge. Because so much of recruiting is actually marketing, it's no surprise that the power of video is something to be harnessed. This means making solid videos and featuring them on your website and job postings. Since you've decided to jump on social after reading this article, that's another way you can utilize video.
But don't stop there - job fairs, candidate communication and even long-distance interviews are all fantastic ways to integrate video into your recruiting campaigns. Video isn't just effective, it also can save you time and money when it comes to the logistics of many of the actions you're trying to complete. So find yourself a great camera (or use your phone if you have to) and roll tape!
"Ask a few people near you what it's like to work for Google. You'll probably hear words like "innovative, collaborative, techie, cool, open" and the crazy part is that the people you asked probably have never even worked at Google. The same test usually works remarkably well for Southwest Airlines," says Recruiting.com in "The Case for Employment Branding".
"And that's the amazing thing about employment branding-just like a corporate brand, the reputation can often precede the experience. We don't need to work for a company to have an understanding of their employment brand. Somehow, we just know."
Mobile optimization
One thing these first two steps have in common is that they are catered to the candidate experience. Along the same vein, Recruiting.com recommends keeping in mind the prevalence of mobile devices. The site reports that nearly 25% of job applicants are mobile users, a trend that continues to rise with no signs of stopping. Not having a mobile-optimized site can mean abandoned applications. Once a user is turned off from your site, they may side with another competitor's site that is more user-friendly.
"Currently, there is a major opportunity to outshine your competition because so many companies are still behind the curve when it comes to mobile friendliness. That window of opportunity won't last forever," the Recruiting.com says.
Recruiting tools
Consider investing in cloud-based software that can automate many of the steps it takes to recruit and onboard a new candidate. Not only will this save on manpower and time, your data will be kept in one centralized place, ensuring optimum organization, accuracy and efficiency. These tools typically also come with analytics that can help you review your efforts over time and make adjustments as necessary.
Which solution is best for you? Recruiter.com recommends creating a rubric and grading important criteria on a scale 1 to 10. These may include things like speed and performance, training and usability. Cost structures for these type of tools range from monthly SaaS (software as a service) subscriptions to in-house solutions with an upfront investment.
"A small sample of recruiting software vendors include Taleo, iCIMS, Jobvite, Chameleon-i, eBoss, Evolve, Gopher, Newton Software, RecruitPro, Sendouts, StaffingSoft, and Voyager," Recruiter.com explains in their software buying guide.
"When choosing a recruitment software, one should consider platform, scalability, speed, implementation, price, ease of access, navigability, and search features. Most software vendors provide free demonstrations or trials so that recruiters can be sure that it will fit their needs."
How can technology help your recruiting process?
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Cash Cary is owner of FirstOption Staffing, which connects job applicants to companies seeking new hires. With the motto of "helping people build better lives", FirstOption advocates selecting the right job candidate for a productive, happier and lower-stress environment.
