As unemployment levels decrease, employers may find it more and more difficult to get enough quality candidates to fill vacant roles. The number of applicants for a given job has decreased, and some organizations are finding that roles go unfilled due to a dearth of high-quality candidates.
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What can a recruiter do to positively influence the number of applicants for these tough-to-fill positions? Let’s take a look at some ideas to try.
- Consider allowing remote work. For any role that can be accomplished with the help of the internet and a mobile phone, this role may be able to be accomplished from a location other than the worksite where it was previously filled. Consider allowing some roles to be staffed remotely if you’re having trouble filling a role—doing so can significantly expand the pool of applicants by removing geographic restrictions.
- Provide relocation assistance. As an alternative to the point above, if it’s imperative that the individual be located on-site, consider providing relocation assistance—even if this isn’t something the organization has done in the past—as a means to expand the applicant pool. This works by posting the job to a wider geographic audience with the note that relocation assistance will be provided for nonlocal candidates. With nonlocal candidates, this also opens up other possible benefits to offer, such as paid exploratory trips to get to know the new location, or even spousal relocation assistance to ease the transition for the applicant’s family. Relocation packages can be simple (paid movers) or complex (full-service assistance, including sourcing housing and helping with other costs associated with the move).
- Assess alternative job-posting options. This tip is especially relevant for local positions that are only being advertised on big-name sites. For example, if the unfilled position is located in a small town, residents there may frequently utilize a local newspaper, a regional job board, or even industry-specific job boards when applicable. Assess whether there may be posting options that have been overlooked in the past that are relevant for this role. Don’t forget to look at options that may not be traditional job boards, like user discussion forums for discussion topics relevant to your industry.
- Give social media more attention. If your job postings are not already on your organization’s social media sites, consider changing that. More and more applicants are using social media as a primary source of job listings, and some start and end their search there. There are lots of opportunities on almost every social media platform to engage with potential applicants.
- Promote the company, not just the job. Job posts are often rich with details about the job itself but sometimes leave out the reasons why someone would want to work for the organization. Use the job posting as an opportunity to promote the benefits of working for the organization, including the company values, employee benefits, and company culture. Don’t forget little details that can be big selling points, like free coffee or discounted local memberships, if applicable. Also, if applicable, note how this role fits in the organizational structure, and note opportunities for advancement in the future. Consider working with your organization’s marketing department to create materials that promote the company to applicants.
Tomorrow we’ll discuss some more tips for recruiting for tough-to-fill positions.