14 Keys to a Successful, Targeted Hiring Effort
Welcome to Recruiter Q&A, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers!
Today’s Question: What steps do you take to ensure your hiring efforts are effectively targeted?
These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization composed of the world’s most successful young entrepreneurs. YEC members represent nearly every industry, generate billions of dollars in revenue each year, and have created tens of thousands of jobs.
When you want to start hiring, you need to think about the platforms you’ll use to promote your job. Will your current process support the platforms of your choice? Do you need to make any changes to improve the interface or design? All of these questions should be answered before you’ve finished your plan to hire new employees.
— John Turner, SeedProd, LLC
You have to make sure you are managing and reviewing your online reputation. A players are looking online at company scores and manager evaluations, trying to see if the people or place will be a good fit. Make sure your online presence is a positive one that accurately reflects your company.
— Nicole Munoz, Nicole Munoz Consulting, Inc.
When you are hiring, you want the cream of the crop. That means making your career page attractive, informative, and user-friendly.
For example, job applicants may want to know your mission statement and values, so provide that information with a time-efficient application on a single webpage. Simplify the same message for smaller ads for clarity and SEO purposes. Then you get interested applicants.
— Patrick Barnhill, Specialist ID, Inc.
You need to think through what happens after everyone is hired. Are you ready with the necessary training? Do you have your company values, goals, and vision fleshed out? Are you sure your new hires align with them? Don’t ever hire out of urgency or necessity and then forget to give your new employees quality training.
— Diego Orjuela, Cables & Sensors
If your search is targeted, that means you’re looking for specific candidates to join your team. The best way to get the results you want is by being as specific as possible in your job posting. The more general it is, the broader your applicant pool will be, which makes it harder to find a qualified candidate.
— Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms
For a targeted hiring program, you’ll want to use niche job boards. For example, since we’re a remote company, instead of focusing on job boards like Indeed and LinkedIn we often use remote job boards to find top candidates who are specifically looking to work remotely or have previous experience working remotely. There are also job boards that are specific to certain roles, like developers, that you can use.
— Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster
Make sure you know what the ideal candidate will look like before starting your hiring program. Also, know where you are going to find your candidates. If you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, you won’t know where to go to find it, and your program likely won’t succeed.
— Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
Your candidate personas or profiles should be fully fleshed out before you create a targeted hiring program. Otherwise, you don’t know who you’re targeting. The more clearly you know who you want on your team, the easier they’ll be to find. Your personas will also help you create a job posting that eloquently demonstrates what your company is looking for, increasing you chances of attracting the right fit.
— Jared Atchison, WPForms
When developing a targeted hiring program, try to learn the “language” of the group you’re targeting. For example, if your businesses is seeking veterans, then try to learn the terminology they are used to. Learning to speak the language of your target candidates can make you more appealing, and it can help you engage your audience more effectively.
— Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner
It’s a good idea to collaborate with existing organizations that work with your target group. These organizations can help you connect with the right people and provide information about your business to their members. They can also advise you on the best way to reach out to your target candidates for the best results.
— Blair Williams, MemberPress
So much of the hiring process comes down to how you are viewed in the industry. Always be fair and transparent with the candidates in your pipeline. Do not drag the process out or string anyone along. Doing so will leave a bad taste in people’s mouths, and word of this will travel. If you gain a negative reputation like that, you are likely to lose a lot of great candidates.
— Rana Gujral, Behavioral Signals
To avoid missing out on the best candidates, you need to frequently revisit your digital strategy. Determine which digital and mobile platforms are best suited for your particular recruiting aims. You do not have to be present on every social media platform — you just want to make sure you use the ones that will best help you represent your brand and attract the right hires.
— Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker
As a person who has been a partner at Deloitte and a VC partner and worked in industries such as eSports, blockchain, and real estate, I can say that one thing always stays true: It’s better to hire for character over talent. Talent is extremely important, and I’ve hired some amazing talent, but if a candidate’s character is not 100 percent what you are looking for, you risk hurting your team by hiring them. Character is key!
— David Chen, GTIF Capital
Instead of hiring just when you need it, hiring should be a full-time effort. Once you build a Rolodex of A players, when a position opens up, you can choose from the best candidates you’ve already been nurturing instead of making a hasty decision on someone you’re unsure about.
— Matt Diggity, Diggity Marketing