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by Molly Peck on Mon, May 23, 2022
Recruiting and retaining top talent in an organization is never easy. It requires a well-developed pipeline, sourcing strategy, and the branding of a company culture that attracts the ideal candidates for you.
Unfortunately, most small and medium businesses fail to hire the right candidates because the process requires a lot of time, thought and commitment. And for many, they simply lack the resources to do the job right.
The recruiting professionals with the right hiring tools and resources at SelectOne manage this task for 100s of companies and are ready to help you.
This article highlights the best sourcing strategies to help you hire and retain top people.
1. Plan your sourcing strategy
An American polymath, Benjamin Franklin, emphasized that "if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." In candidate sourcing, you need to plan how and who will run the process, analyze the job's requirements, and build the ideal candidate's profile.
A candidate profile is created by defining skills, attributes, and experience that contribute to your perfect hire. You can use this profile as a benchmark during the recruitment process to stay focused on your objective..
2. Post the job on specific job boards
Typically, 17% of candidates apply for job opportunities through job boards. The numbers aren’t enough and it’s highly likely 90% of those respondents lack most of the profile you are seeking. It would be prudent to identify specific boards your target candidates may spend most of their time on as these niche boards will give you an edge in sourcing the specific skill sets you need.
3. Review former candidates
If you have ever recruited candidates for a similar position, start your new search with former bronze and silver medalists who didn’t make it to the gold standard last time.
4. Expand your search
Expanding your search parameters beyond your standard process. Engage with broader associations or organizations in the community to access a larger pool of candidates. Underserved areas in your market have tremendous potential for finding great employees who are looking for a good company to invest in them.
5. Passive candidates
Passive candidates are the bread and butter of recruitment projects. How do you approach someone gainfully employed? And if attracted to your company, is their interest legitimate in making a change? A passive candidate will get you exactly the profile you are targeting but the process of getting them on board is complicated and time consuming.
6. Use social media
Social media is one of the great platforms to help you narrow your search and spot qualified candidates quicker. For example, professionals use LinkedIn to advertise their accomplishments, share career history and communicate with industry experts.
7. Build your brand
Use social platforms for marketing your company to potential candidates. Company branding attracts employees and expands your brand.
8. Consider hiring internally
Recruiting doesn't always mean you should look externally. Hiring internally builds trust and loyalty with your workforce and is a great way to address the on-going process of succession planning.
9. Employee referrals
Referrals are one of the most underrated sourcing tools. Encourage your employees to refer candidates they feel are good fits for the company. This strategy saves you time-to-hire and increases retention.
Our Final Word
Sourcing strategies in recruiting are unique and every company has its preference or method. Some heavily rely on recruiters, while others take the process on themselves.
The fact is, the competition for top-tier candidates is extremely high and requires a sophisticated plan and a lot of effort.
SelectOne makes this effort easier and effective. Contact us today to get the people your company needs.
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