According to Federal Reserve Board Chairwoman Janet Yellen, the U.S. is near full employment. It’s a candidate-driven market right now, meaning employers have to fight harder to attract top talent. Here are three things you can do to strengthen your recruiting strategy in 2018:

1. Make it easier to apply 

In a world inundated with apps, job seekers are no longer tolerating lengthy and cumbersome application processes. Thanks to mobile technology, job searching is becoming more casual, with people able to scroll through job postings anywhere: in line at the supermarket, at a coffee shop or even in bed. Looking for a job has almost taken on the “swipe right” mentality of a dating app, which prompts little surprise that an actual dating app, Bumble, launched BumbleBizz, a job-searching platform.

Make applying for a position at your company easier than ever by enabling applicants to submit their materials from their phones and by introducing other innovative features, like text message reminders for upcoming interviews. Convenient application processes are essential to capturing passive job seekers in a candidate-driven employment market.
Make it easy for job seekers to apply from their smartphones.

2. Enhance branding on recruiting materials 

Job seekers are bombarded with content on a daily basis, and your company needs to distinguish itself from the noise. One great way to do this is by strengthening your corporate branding across your application materials. Each element of your process that a job searcher interacts with is a prime opportunity to showcase what makes your company unique. Adjust the language in job postings, the tone of emails, the graphic design of job databases and other elements to better express your organization’s mission, values and culture. The branded experience familiarizes candidates with your company from the get-go and creates a cohesive and positive candidate experience.

3. Get everyone on the same page 

With companies competing for top talent, recruiting should not be restricted to the HR department. All stakeholders need to be involved in the process from start to finish. Managers can help identify skills gaps and hiring needs and should have clear and frequent communication with HR, and everyone should be on the same page when it comes to interviews. Repeating questions, seeming unprepared or failing to communicate feedback to managers, team leaders and HR makes a negative impression on candidates that can raise concerns about efficiencies and management styles at the organization. HR should take the lead in this area to coordinate hiring initiatives among all stakeholders.
It’s a competitive hiring landscape out there and your company needs to bring on top talent to continue to succeed. With the tips above, you can improve your recruitment strategy in 2018 and hire the best employees for your business.

This article was written by Samantha Glavin, senior writer at Brafton. It first appeared on the PeopleStrategy blog.