Wouldn''t it be great if you could automatically hone in on just the right job candidate each and every time you hire? No more slogging through stacks of resumes, no hours spent on phone screenings and then interviews, no trying to guess which of the final two or three candidates has the greatest potential for stellar performance.
Am I just daydreaming here? Well, yes - and no. Finding the right job candidate with the greatest efficiency is the hope of every hiring employer. Yet the reality is often a long, arduous process.
So how do you streamline the process without limiting your chances of finding the best prospects? Smart marketing is a key element. Here are four guidelines.
1. Target your marketing efforts. Fifty resumes closely matched to your opening are better than five hundreds poorly matched resumes. How you decide to target is up to you; pick any non-negotiable criteria. Suppose you''re looking for a local candidate to fill an IT position. You could advertise in industry publications, and then cull out the local candidates.
Or, if you decide there are plenty of local candidates with the skills you''re looking for, you might decide to pass on the industry rags, national job-search Web sites, and industry niche job-search sites - and focus instead on newspapers and local job-search sites.
Newspapers often have searchable online classifieds, making them a good choice for those older employees accustomed to a more traditional venue. Younger employees are more apt to search online. Employees in high-tech positions may have found their first job on Monster.com if they only look at one board; or on Dice.com if they are younger; or a city-specific job board, if the employer''s location is important.
2. Within your target, multiply your efforts. For example, if you''re looking for capable, entry-level candidates, you might advertise on local college campuses in the spring. But there are many other opportunities to consider. In addition to the campus''s own job boards and job fairs, consider posting jobs on the Web sites that students frequent, or posting flyers in the halls of pertinent departments.
Keep in mind that some Web sites have particularly strong college tie-ins; among them are Jobtrak and local niche sites. While Jobtrak has long provided college job-search sites, I am admittedly partial to the local niche sites, which attracts students by providing them with a wide range of free, relevant resources.
Increasingly students advertise and search local niche sites to find an apartment, job, car, or a roommate. Such free services build brand loyalty that pays off for hiring employers when students graduate and enter the workforce.
3. Build a public presence. Let the press know about your expansions, mergers and new projects. The value of free press coverage is many times more valuable than advertising - and astute job seekers will be among the first to make the connection between corporate expansion and new job openings.
Some local classified ad sites and job search sites offer banner ad space, as well as individual job postings. In fact, this is one of the most effective ways for businesses to attract a steady stream of applicants during a growth phase.
4. Think outside the box. For example, some employers have found that avid customers make the best salespeople, receptionists and customer support reps. If you''ve got a customer mailing or email address list, a direct marketing campaign to these folks could turn up just the right candidates. Other employers in high-tech or highly specialized industries have had success in turning their existing employees into recruiters by offering referral bonuses.
Keep in mind that even the most effective hiring processes can be further refined. Each time you recruit and hire, track and measure relevant data. How many man-hours did it take to develop a pool of qualified candidates? How much did you spend? How happy are you with the caliber of your new employee? Taking the time to measure these factors will give you greater control over the process.
