What are effective strategies to get more applicants for job openings?
Use a mix of referrals, social media, content, paid advertising and transparent compensation to increase applicant numbers. Create an employee referral program. These approaches, along with offering temporary or freelance roles and expanding geographic reach, help attract more qualified candidates and improve visibility for your openings.
1. Ask employees
Unless you’re hiring your first employee, you have a built-in source of referrals for new positions. Create an employee referral program to offer a formal way for your current staff to suggest candidates. Your employees are likely to refer people who they would want to work with, have the necessary skills and would be a good culture fit.
Working with someone they enjoy can encourage both people to stick around longer. In exchange, the referring employee gets an incentive that can improve their job satisfaction. Keeping your current employees happy can improve retention, which reduces the need to find job applicants.
2. Engage on social media
The interactive nature of social media makes it an effective way to get more applicants for your openings. Start with your platforms, and post your openings to your fan base. They already know your company, so they might want to work for it or know someone who would be a good fit.
You can use your platform to share testimonials from your current employees and show behind-the-scenes clips that give potential applicants a look at what it’s like to work there. You can also use Facebook groups as a way to find more applicants. Local community Facebook groups often allow job postings. If you post about your job, you can reach local candidates, even those who aren’t actively scouring job sites for new opportunities.
Another possibility is joining industry-specific social media groups, where the group members are more likely to have the background you need for your opening. Always review the group rules before posting about a job opportunity as some don’t allow recruitment posts.
3. Try temps or freelance workers
If you’re having a hard time filling a position, consider using temps or freelancer workers for now. You’ll get the support you need temporarily, and the people who fill the positions could be a good long-term fit.
Hiring them temporarily gives you a test period where you can assess their skills and fit. If you want to offer them a permanent position, give them a tempting deal that encourages them to stay.
4. Use content marketing
Use your company website or blog to gain incoming traffic that could result in more job applicants. Creating content that appeals to potential employees and falls under what they might search for could lead them to your career page.
For example, writing a blog post about a new trend related to your tech company could lead someone who works in the tech industry to your site if they search for the topic. Add fresh content to your blog regularly, and incorporate search terms and keywords that prospective employees might search.
5. Ease up geographical restrictions
It’s often easiest to hire local candidates, which means most of your advertising is locally focused. Expanding to other areas helps you find more candidates who aren’t local. If you have a remote work policy in place, and the position is compatible with long-distant remote work, consider expanding your postings nationwide.
This allows you to reach more prospects, and you have a better chance of finding a candidate who meets your requirements. You might also consider offering a relocation package if you need someone to work in the office. This also lets you recruit to a wider audience.
Consider how much you’re willing to offer toward relocation, and make this clear to candidates who aren’t local. Using a virtual interview process makes it easy to screen long-distance candidates.
6. Try paid advertising
Paid advertising can get your job postings in front of prospective applicants while they’re doing normal online activities. Social media platforms offer paid advertising opportunities. Since many people spend a lot of time on social media, this can be a good use of your recruiting budget.
When you create paid advertising, you can choose the demographic you want to see the ad, which helps you attract applicants who fit your needs. You can also set your advertising budget, so you can control the costs. Integrated insights help you see how far your job advertisements reach and give you a way to evaluate whether the cost is worth it.
7. Get involved
Being active in your community not only boosts your company’s reputation, but it can also serve as an advertisement for prospective employees. When you sponsor a kids’ sports team, charity event or other community activities, your company name is often displayed prominently. This improves brand recognition and can spark interest in what you do.
Some community members might search your company name and discover your opportunities. Having a clear career page with relevant details and current job postings can help get more applicants from these searches.
8. List your compensation
Many companies don’t list their compensation details, which leaves candidates wondering if they offer a competitive salary. Including the salary range lets job seekers determine if the job fits their financial needs. While you want to get more applicants to have more choices, you also want applicants who are likely to accept the job.
If the salary isn’t compatible with their needs or expectations, their application isn’t beneficial. However, if your salary is higher than expected, it could encourage more people to apply. Including the details of your benefits package can also encourage more people to apply, especially if you offer unique benefits.
When a company offers competitive wages that match industry standards, they have no reason to hide that information. Research the standard wages for similar positions to determine whether you need to increase your wages or add benefits.
