3 Essential Recruiting Tips for Growing Companies

People are among the most valuable assets that a company can have. The ability to recruit, hire, and retain the right people often makes the difference between success and failure. Unlike larger organizations, companies that are growing often don’t have established capabilities when it comes to recruiting and human resources. For those relatively new to the hiring process, this article is for you. Here are 3 tips to help you hire like a pro.  

1. Exposure, exposure, exposure

Put yourself out there. If you limit job postings to only a few places, you are likely to miss out. Advertise everywhere possible (within reason). This means not just posting to a few job boards or groups, but also leveraging social media posts, email groups, and even direct contact to people who might be interested or be able to make referrals. There are many benefits to increasing your applicant pool including:

• A more representative sample of the possible range and types of applicants
• Increased chances of getting an application from “the ideal candidate” (especially if “the ideal candidate” is relatively rare)
• The ability to be more selective when you do make hiring decisions
• The ability to establish a candidate pipeline. Contact information from interested applicants can be used to more quickly recruit and fill future openings

Larger organizations are able to handle the future of recruiting and much volume with an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Companies of any size can save time and money by doing the same.

2. Forget what you think you know about supply and demand

Employers have every right to expect an effort from applicants. Why would you hire someone who doesn’t do their best to showcase their talents and make a positive impression? But the same principle cuts both ways. It is important—at every step of the process—to create a compelling brand for your company, your culture, and the job itself. Think of it like marketing and sales:

• If you want the best people to apply for the job, you need an appealing message about the company and the job that will encourage them to actually apply
• If you want the best people to accept an offer, you need to convince them that they actually want to work for you

Realize that the persuasion game works in both directions, and that your real target audience is often more picky than the rest. You know that you want them…but you want them to want you. Put in the extra effort and it will pay off.

3. Look for potential rather than perfection

Organizations of any size can have difficulty filling open positions. We tend to start off by searching for “the ideal candidate.” Someone with a specific set of skills, a certain type of credentials, and previous experience doing the job. That’s fine, but these standards are often unrealistic. Hence the difficulty filling the position. If (or when) you find yourself in this position, take a second look at the job posting. Take a second look at the requisition. Are these requirements actually necessary to perform the job, or are they just ideal? Don’t worry if you find that you have to ditch the “ideal candidate” mindset. You will be in good company, the likes of which include google, Richard Branson, and decades of scientific research. If you instead focus recruitment and hiring on potential—personality, motivation, ability to learn—you will probably do better than any company that sits around waiting for “ideal candidates” to just fall into their proverbial lap. Here’s to all the growing companies out there! We’re rooting for you. P.S. We can probably help you with some of these issues. If you are interested in learning more about Cangrade, just drop us a line. Photo Credit: JD Hancock