Recruiting online isn’t so different from online dating.
By Monica Pitts
When you think about it, hiring in general really isn’t that different from dating. You screen your candidates before you meet them and you probably have several encounters with an individual before you make a commitment.
When dating, or hiring, most of us tend to err on the side of caution (and if we don’t we probably should). Finding a good employee is important. Most days I spend more time with my employees than I do with my spouse. How do I find good people?
1. Meet them where they are.
Meeting your bride at the local bar is going by the way of eight track tapes. Dating is moving online. 19% of brides found their spouse online in 2017 according to theknot.com. That’s up 14% from 2015. Hiring is moving online even faster. 79% of job seekers applied for a job online, or at least utilized the internet as part of their search, according to SHRM.org.
2. Gear up for cyber stalking.
You’ll cyber stalk your candidates, don’t act like you won’t. While you’re Googling their name to make sure it doesn’t bring up some crazy news story (that’s a red flag, by the way) they’re stalking you too. You need to be ready, game face on, boots polished.
3. Shout your message loud and clear.
If all an applicant ever sees from your company is a job listing, will it make them want to work for you? Woo candidates through your listings like you would in person. Tell them a story, sell them on your values and team. Make them want to work for you.
The same goes for your website. You won’t win them over with a sales pitch or a service brochure. Allow them to get to know you before going on that first date.
Tell your story via social media.
Link to your social media accounts from your website and job listings if you can. Show those cyber stalkers what you care about. Share employee spotlights, company news, interests you support, and community involvement.
4. Beef up your website’s hiring section.
The first thing stalkers typically see about you online is your website. That’s good, it gives you control over their first impression. Make it a good one:
• Provide a clear route to your hiring section.
• Give clear expectations for potential employees.
• Share employee testimonials.
• Discuss how you help your employees succeed.
• Highlight benefits and advancement opportunities.
• Use actual photos of real employees.
Dedicate a page to each type of person you hire.
This allows you to address different segments of job seekers appropriately and pitch your company to their respective needs and desires.
5. Make it easy to apply online.
This is so important, I’m going to say it again – make it easy to apply online. This is not just for your applicants. If you’re not streamlining the application process for HR, it’s not easy. A downloadable PDF application that applicants have to print and fill out isn’t easy either. That ship has sailed. Your online application needs to be something applicants can, you guessed it, fill out and submit online.
Optimize your application for mobile.
If your application is difficult to use on a phone, you’re limiting your access to potential candidates. Only 27% of adults age 30-49 live in a home with a desktop or laptop computer. 88% have smartphones.
6. Post job openings in multiple places.
This should be a no-brainer. After all, what’s more effective, one flyer or a dozen fliers? Post your job listings on your website for sure, but don’t stop there. Meet your candidates where they are – on job boards.
Google may correlate your website with your services, but odds are good it doesn’t think you’re a website is dedicated to listing jobs. So when people search for paving jobs, they won’t be directed to your website. They’ll be directed to one of the national players like: Glassdoor, SimplyHired, ZipRecruiter, and Indeed. Plus, Google gives priority to job boards, pulling listings from them for display at the top of search results.
Do your homework to make each job posting count. The algorithm for the job boards works a lot like a search engine. Make sure the name of your job and the description are detailed, and list required skills. This helps people find your job when searching.
Share expected pay range.
Remember, HR, is a sales process recruiting people to come and work for your company. Give candidates what they need to make a buying decision. You wouldn’t buy a car without knowing how much it costs, and less people will apply for a job without knowing how much they’ll make.
7. Budget to place ads.
Job boards emulate search engines in more ways than one. If you want lots of exposure, you may need to pay for it. Take advantage of job board search algorithm capitalistic favoritism to paying advertisers, especially when trying to fill a position quickly.
Approach online hiring like online dating.
The goal is to find the best way to connect with the most qualified people, right? Take another look at your message. Make sure it resonates with candidates and tells the story of your company. Post your message not just on your website but also on social media and job boards, consider paying to promote your jobs and make it easy to apply.
Monica Pitts is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of MayeCreate Design. She spends her days constructing a marriage of form and function; creating art with her design team to grow businesses through websites and online marketing. Monica considers herself an artist, marketer and web dork with the ability to speak geek and English.
