1. Make use of free job boards
"Free" is frequently too good to be true. However, this is not the case with employment boards. Indeed and Glassdoor, two of the most prominent job-search websites, allow you to post your openings for free. All you need to do is create a job description and submit it on one or more free job posting sites. The first resumes will be in your mailbox before you realize it.
Looking for the finest website to recruit employees? We've compiled a list of the greatest free job sites to promote your available positions. You may also read our tutorials on how to locate jobs on Craigslist and how to find jobs on Indeed.
Tip: If you've tried free job posting sites and don't receive enough qualified applicants, or if you get too many unqualified applications, don't discard those job sites too quickly. Experiment with your job ad instead: make a more descriptive job title, list crucial tasks and must-have criteria, and include a few perks that will catch applicants' attention. Consider designing your job ad to answer the candidate's hierarchy of demands. Here are some tips for writing a successful job ad.
2. Use social media to promote your business.
Social media may function similarly to free job boards in that you can publish your current job opportunities and reach out to a large number of prospective applicants. Start with LinkedIn, a professional social network where individuals expect to hear about career prospects. Post your available positions on LinkedIn and invite your employees to share the opportunity with their networks as well.
In addition to LinkedIn, you may utilize Facebook and Twitter to discover staff. Facebook includes job-related groups based on professional interests and areas, but Twitter allows you to target applicants with the skills or in the place you're searching for by using relevant hashtags.
If you're not sure how to publish your job vacancies on social media, start with these useful templates for LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter job postings.
Tip: When you share your job postings on social media, you may feel as if you're casting a broad net. However, there are methods to limit your reach for free. Assume you're looking for a UX Designer in Boston. You may join design-related professional groups on Facebook, and you can promote your position on Twitter by using specific hashtags such as #designerjobs, #uxjobs, and #bostonjobs. More recruiting suggestions on how to discover workers on Facebook and Twitter may be found in our guidelines.
3. Create SEO-friendly job postings and career sites.
It's one thing to announce that you're recruiting, and quite another to actually get those job searchers to apply for your vacant positions. You may be posting job openings on various job boards and social media platforms, but how can you recruit excellent personnel, especially in industries where competition for top talent is fierce?
You must ensure that your job postings stand out – and you can do so if they are search engine optimized. Fortunately, you don't have to be an SEO specialist to do so. Here are some general guidelines to follow:
Use a standard job title. Candidates are not looking for roles such as "sales guru" or "java wizard." Instead, they want to be a sales manager or a web developer.
Make sure your material is simple to read. Large blocks of text are unappealing, especially to applicants who browse for jobs on their phones. To organize your information, use bulleted lists and names (for example, "Job Duties" and "Benefits").
Include keywords that are relevant. You don't have to (and shouldn't) use jargon excessively, but mentioning work-related activities, abilities, and equipment increases the likelihood that prospects will notice your job post. In other words, a broad phrase that may apply to practically any post will not be effective in attracting qualified people.
Include photos and videos. The more aesthetically beautiful your job post is, the more likely it will be found. The same is true for your jobs page, where you may add images of your offices as well as videos of your personnel.
To assist you in finding workers online, we've compiled a selection of 700+ job description templates that are already optimized for search engines, as well as selected our top job advertisements for inspiration.
Tip: Have genuine job searchers and some of your employees evaluate your job postings. Do the advertisements make sense? Are they appealing enough? What further information is required to assist the applicant decide whether or not to apply? Answering these questions and making changes to your job postings can make it simpler to locate workers.
4. Request referrals
Have you ever considered how much money you spend on job advertisements to individuals you already know? Even if you don't know them, someone in your workplace could. They might be previous coworkers, people they met at a conference, or someone in a current employee's personal network.
So, why not take the initiative and ask your staff to propose possible candidates for your available positions? Employee recommendations are one of the finest methods to locate workers for free; not only will you save money on advertising and time spent screening calls, but you'll also be able to move quality recommended prospects ahead in your recruitment funnel, which will speed up the hiring process.
If you're dissatisfied with the amount or quality of recommendations you're receiving from colleagues, try adding a fun element or encouraging the process. Create an internal competition to motivate workers to recommend additional prospects, or provide a bonus to those who suggest candidates who are recruited and remain with the firm. Remember that the reward does not have to be monetary. Employees who generate successful recommendations, for example, might be given two additional days off or complimentary tickets to an event.
5. Create candidate databases
No matter how perfectly you've designed your recruiting process and how well you've managed each phase, a hiring manager or your CEO may remark, "I need staff today." And when that time comes, you won't have the "luxury" of being able to see the process as it is. You'll need to devise a method for quickly finding competent staff.
When time is limited, it is worthwhile to review previous prospects that you have previously interviewed and rated. Perhaps there were some decent candidates who were passed up because a better candidate was available at the time. Or you turned them down since you realized they would be better suited to an other job but you didn't have any vacant positions in that area.
By re-considering previous prospects, you may bypass the time-consuming initial recruiting processes (posting a job ad, evaluating applications, and contacting applicants) and instead reach out to them to see if they'd be interested in your available position. This is a significant time saving – and a great answer if you're attempting (or have to) cut your recruitment budget.
Tip: Unless you have a system in place, searching through previous applications may be more time consuming. An internal candidate database will assist you in organizing candidate information (e.g. you can maintain a shortlist of people who applied and were interviewed for X role but where disqualified before the final interview.) You should save more than just their resumes and contact information; keep track of anything that will help you remember them, such as post-interview comments and any projects they performed as part of the recruiting process. That is why, while rejecting prospects, it is critical to always conclude on a good note. This increases their likelihood of considering a new employment opportunity at your organization in the future.
Please refer to the advice on collecting and keeping candidate information in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation for European candidates (GDPR).
6. Participate in job fairs or hold career days
Okay, it's not quite free, but it's still a reasonably priced way to discover staff during peak recruiting periods. You may contact – and really pre-screen – dozens or even hundreds of possible applicants in a single day or even a couple of hours.
Keep an eye out for local job fairs and yearly career events; these are the greatest venues to find new staff, particularly in retail, hospitality, and other high-turnover industries. To enhance diversity in your teams, you may also attend events aimed at underrepresented categories of applicants, such as women, immigrants, or people with disabilities. Make sure you bring materials that will assist job searchers remember your organization, such as business cards and fillable forms on your laptop, as well as interview questions that will allow you to rapidly assess possible prospects.
Consider having your own recruiting event: an open day when prospective applicants may visit your company, meet your team members, and learn about your job openings. This increases your chances of finding the ideal personnel since you will have the opportunity to display your business culture and, perhaps, attract individuals who will love working there. Team members may also provide thoughts from their own experiences with applicants as an extra advantage.
Unfortunately, there are no secret recruitment formulas that can guarantee you free staff. You will almost certainly need to pay premium job ads, employ a sourcing service, or acquire recruiting software at some point in order to develop a successful and consistent hiring process.
When you get to this phase, make sure your purchase selection is in line with your overall plan. In other words, don't waste money advertising on job sites that often don't deliver you suitable people; your audience isn't there, and you're squandering money. Instead, spend this money on technologies that will help you automate aspects of the process (such as organizing applications or arranging interviews), giving you more time to look for possible applicants in new locations. You're investing rather than paying this way, and you'll enjoy the long-term rewards of your recent investment.