Over half of American job seekers begin their job search online, according to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center. If you’re looking to hire the best applicants for your company, you are likely using the internet to share your job postings. But are you optimizing the tools at your disposal to reach out to these applicants and find your perfect fit?
The future of modern recruitment is dominated by fresh career sites, keyword optimization, and social media outreach. If you’re having trouble finding the right candidates for your organization, let’s discuss new and engaging ideas to attract qualified applicants to your job posting and land a new employee that can assimilate seamlessly into your company culture.
1. Optimize Job Title + Description For Maximum Engagement
Attracting the perfect applicant requires thoughtful and precise word choice in both the job title and description. Most job seekers will use simple and clear keywords when searching for their desired job; use specific titles with a few descriptive keywords to get your posting in front of potential candidates searching online. You can use a free tool like Google AdWords Keyword Planner to research the effectiveness of your keywords.
Once you have gripped their attention with a compelling job title, draw them in with illustrating why they should work for you instead of your competitors in a concise job description. Highlight what sets you apart, brag on your company culture, and communicate your company’s ethics and beliefs. Really go the extra mile here to improve your business’ communication; your perfect candidate notices when you infuse your company’s energy into a job description and when you’ve followed a formula.
2. Hire A Talent Acquisition Company
A great way to increase applicant engagement and find your perfect candidate is through hiring a talent acquisition company specializing in recruitment marketing. Working with a team of recruitment professionals will take your job posting to the next level and allow you to find the candidates that are best suited to your company’s values, culture, and needs.
Whether you’re looking to hire a full-time employee with a specialized skillset or a large group of seasonal employees for Christmas, a talent acquisition company will find and target qualified candidates you need but can’t reach on your own.
3. Engage With Young Talent On Social Media
Did you know that the average smartphone user in the US spends over 2 hours a day on social media? Most of your talent base is on social media every day, and a great way to reach out to young talent is through your social media channels. In fact, 90% of Americans ages 18-29 are active on social media every day.
With these statistics in mind, many organizations have started using social recruiting to further the reach of their brand’s story and create buzz around their job vacancies. You can start by creating engaging content on your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and making sure your social channels are linked to your career website.
4. Design A Modern + Accessible Website
In the age of modern recruitment, having an aesthetically pleasing and accessible website is more important than ever. Did you know that 45% of job seekers report actively searching for their new careers on their mobile devices? Additionally, a study from Asurion found that Americans pick up their phones upwards of 96 times per day, or once every 10 minutes.
Ensure that your website is optimized for mobile browsing, and your online job applications are smartphone-friendly. If you are looking to create a clear and compelling brand image, modernize your website’s visuals and accessibility features. If you aren’t tech-savvy, consult your talent acquisition company or consider hiring a professional web designer.
5. Promote Transparency in Your Brand
Lastly, prioritize honesty and authenticity within your brand to attract candidates with heart. The best candidates want to work for a corporation with a transparent soul and a worldview; it’s not just enough to get a paycheck and go home anymore.
Being transparent can mean disclosing your philanthropic pursuits, posting a commitment to equality, or simply creating transparency around job expectations. It’s very important to young talent that you appear “real” and authentic, not just another big corporation.
Modern recruitment is so much more than posting an online job listing. Consider working with a talent acquisition company to brand your company’s story, establish and project a worldview, and innovate creative solutions to attract your perfect applicant.