How to Hire Top Talent in 2019

5 tips for engaging and recruiting the right job candidates

It’s not easy to be a hiring manager in the current job market. In 2019, the U.S. unemployment rate is expected to tumble to 3.5 percent, a low it hasn’t reached since 1969.

And while that’s great news for the economy, a job market where talent rules and competition is fierce makes finding and recruiting the best job candidates a serious challenge. Well-known companies may attract great workers with a simple update on Twitter. But for smaller businesses without recognizable employer brands, recruiting can be a struggle.

So, what can an employer do to cut through the noise and lure those coveted superstars to their business? Adopt a marketer’s mindset for your recruiting efforts. The best hiring strategy for 2019 works to attract and retain talent in the same way you would target customers – considering what job seekers want and what makes them tick and adjusting your efforts accordingly.

You need to create a value proposition: why working for you is better than working for your competition. By thinking of recruiting as marketing and selling your business to potential employees, you will also improve your company’s reputation and visibility in the job market. Follow these five tips to become more marketable to job seekers:

• Create a brand for your business. In today’s connected world, the best candidates find out everything they can about your company long before they send a resume’. Content marketing is essential to attracting top talent because it gives prospective applicants – and just as important, your current staff – a real insight into the values of your organization. When your mission is clear, it’s much more likely that candidates who apply will be a great cultural fit. Social media is an easy and economical way to market your brand to today’s tech-savvy talent and a strong social network presence may increase job applications by up to 50 percent. Establish your business as a great place to work by promoting your current employees and their accomplishments as well as company PR, awards, industry news, and photos from fun events like employee appreciation days or holiday parties. Enhance your credibility by hosting Twitter discussions or posting helpful blogs that position you as an industry expert and give people a reason to keep coming back to your site.
• And while you’re at it … brand your business as a company that cares. Today’s job seekers rank company values as one of the top five reasons they accept a job offer. Use your website, social media accounts, and other marketing efforts to show how your organization gives back to its community. Just make sure it’s heartfelt – candidates can spot false marketing. And bonus: research from Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business found that company-wide philanthropy boosts engagement among your current staff as well.
• Write a job description that creates a great first impression. Just like you wouldn’t give a second glance to a resume’ that poorly markets a candidate, remember that a job description is a marketing document for your brand. Too many companies use a condescending tone or make too many demands of potential candidates in their job descriptions, sending the message that the individual should feel lucky for the mere privilege of applying for the role. Job seekers want to work for a company that treats them well and shows them they matter. Take the opportunity to write a job description that illustrates why you stand out from every other business looking to fill roles. Show your personality and promote your culture and amazing benefits – especially any that demonstrate a commitment to work-life balance, which is a major selling point in today’s job market. Superstar candidates are rarely desperate and only apply to companies that feel like a great fit. Convince them why they should apply to yours.
• Be realistic and open-minded. In a buyer’s labor market, employers can afford to ask for a candidate with every requirement met. In a tight labor market, employers need to be realistic about their needs. Perhaps prioritize the qualities in a candidate which will make them successful in the job. Look at candidates who can be developed and grow while making an immediate contribution. Don’t let a candidate with high potential and many – but not all – of the “boxes checked” go overlooked.
• Don’t make the application process daunting. Nearly half of job candidates say they refused to apply to a certain company because its hiring process was so frustrating. People are busy, and the application abandonment rate soars when you make it a laborious chore. Don’t force candidates to waste time inputting information that’s already on their resume’, and make sure it’s easy to upload the documents you require. Some savvy companies are even using chatbots on their job posting websites to ensure the process goes smoothly. Typically used to send instant messages on business-to-customer websites, these programs can help applicants manage basic tasks like troubleshooting technical issues.
• Know your competition. Staying at least one step ahead of the competition is essential for growing any business, and that includes hiring the best job candidates. By investing time into researching what benefits others in your space are offering, you can ensure that you put together the most enticing package for new recruits. Whether it’s competitive pay, training opportunities that help new hires grow their skills, flexible work hours, chances for promotion, or remote work opportunities, you need to understand what’s most important to the top talent in your industry so you can potentially make it a selling point for your open jobs.

Great organizations are comprised of great people, and finding those amazing job candidates starts with a similarly great hiring strategy. As the labor market tightens, the best way to reach top talent is to treat them like customers – marketing and selling your company’s brand to your next potential employees.

To learn more about how to improve your company’s sourcing, candidate selecting, and onboarding processes, contact Karp HR Solutions today for a free consultation.