It is improbable that the perfect job candidate will walk through your company’s doors and hand you their resume just as a crucial role opens up. We’ll stretch to say that it may never happen during your business’s lifetime. That’s why it’s up to you to attract the right candidates (and make sure you do so proactively!).
If you’ve been reading along, you’ll know that hiring top performers fast involves knowing where your ideal candidates live, work, and play. Then, you need to position your business effectively so that they not only see and know who you are but want to walk through your door.
Once you have clarity on what your ideal candidate “looks like”, let’s find out how to attract them by looking at the same things we looked at for hiring top performers fast: Where do your ideal candidates live, work, and play?
Where does your candidate live?
Where your candidate lives doesn’t necessarily mean geographically (although that can play a role); it also means, “Where does my perfect candidate live online?”
Online:
For example, if you’re in the tech sector and want to hire a new employee, they likely stay current on tech news. That means they “live” in specific channels on YouTube, Instagram pages, or blogs about all things tech. The online space is also great for reaching niche communities and audiences with your messaging.
Geographically:
If you are going in-office or hybrid, your hiring process is limited to the geographical radius that is a commutable distance to your space. Targeting and attracting that potential talent doesn’t just mean showing up in neighbourhoods with fliers and job postings. There are many ways to get creative and attract top talent with a geographical limitation.
For example:
Have you ever attended a conference? As an employer, it’s a fantastic opportunity to network and maybe even snag top talent from direct competitors (more on that later!). You don’t have to attend the conference to make it happen. Sponsoring an event at a low cost will get you access to the attendee list, which you can then hit with exceptional email marketing (for some recruitment marketing hacks, check out this blog post). Know where the event takes place? Wrap a digital geo-fence around that location and set out a targeted ad campaign to reach (and attract) your ideal candidates that attended.
These days, we have a lot of access to a diverse range of audiences. The trick is to hone in on where your candidate is located online and in person and ensure your message reaches and attracts them.
Where does your candidate play?
Where your candidates play can again mean online and in the community, from sporting events to school activities their kids might participate in. Where your candidates play can be anything outside of work but still relevant to them; don’t be afraid to think outside the box.
Where does your ideal candidate work?
There is such a thing as passive talent. That’s where potential candidates already have jobs and aren’t actively seeking new employment or opportunities. They’re safe and secure. However, as a potential employer, knowing someone has a proven history of success within your field or in a specific role is enticing. There is a world where you can attract ideal candidates right out of their current jobs and into your business — you just have to know what they want.
The Law of Attraction — For Candidates
Once you understand your ideal candidate and where they live, play, and work, you need to position your company in a way that tells candidates what’s in it for them to join you. This positioning is similar to building an employer value proposition but with a recruitment marketing flair to place you in front of the right people.
There are four things we focus on for positioning your business, and they are some of the most crucial things top talent will want to know about you and the opportunity you’re offering:
Salary Range
Let’s be honest: money matters. Oddly enough, a step many companies miss regarding the salary range is having an internal discussion about what it should be first. That way, when it comes to having a transparent conversation with your candidates, there won’t be any confusion surrounding the range and the experience expectations for hiring at that upper level. Always include your salary range in your job postings, but ensure you’re on the same page first.
Environment
A regular job is about forty hours a week. That’s a long time to spend in a specific environment! These days, what it feels like to work with a company is crucial. While folks no longer want the fun bean bag chair and ping pong table atmosphere of a cool, techy startup, they still want an excellent work environment and some perks.
For example, during the pandemic, many people got used to and comfortable with the idea of working from home. Now, a work-from-home or hybrid environment can be a perk with your job opportunity.
Learning and Growth Opportunities
Today’s talent pool cares about more than just clocking in, clocking out, and getting paid. They want responsibility and the ability to grow and expand their skills.
Learning and growth opportunities are where your startup could attract top talent from direct competitors. They might feel safe in their current work environment but simultaneously tied down. If you provide opportunities for employees to get involved with stretch projects and development — tell them that! This is a golden ticket for attracting people who want to grow and perform.
The People
The last thing talent wants to know about that can boost your positioning and attract the right candidates is your PEOPLE! Everyone wants to work with other great people, so get your team involved in recruitment.
Besides the fact that retention is better from referred employees, you will also have access to a significantly more extensive and diverse pool of candidates when your team is involved. Involvement can look like employee advocacy programs or referral programs. Happy employees are the absolute best promotion for your company — great people are key to attracting other great people.
Hire the Right Candidates Fast
When you know where your ideal candidates live, work, and play, you can position your business in the best way possible to attract the top talent that fits your company! By being open and transparent about the job salary, telling candidates about learning and growth opportunities, discussing the overall work environment, and having your employees demonstrate what a fun and exciting employer you are, you’ll attract the right candidates in no time, filling open positions and building up a roster of top talent.
