Which recruiting method should you use?

 

When formulating a recruiting strategy for a new opening at your company, consider the illustration below. Use different approaches depending on the job level and the amount of specialized skills required for the position. For the best results in any recruiting effort, use several recruiting avenues simultaneously.

Professional networks are a great resource to source new hires. Business associations, alumni networks, former colleagues and anyone else you’ve met in your professional life will appreciate the opportunity to help you build your company. These referrals will also generally be of higher quality than the applications you receive through public job postings. Those in your network will only refer people they have worked with in the past or who they know will make excellent employees.

Professional search firms are the most expensive option for finding new people. However, if you seek to hire someone with specialized or high-level experience, it may make sense to pay a professional search firm to scour the market. Search firms are generally very good at finding people who will fit well with your company. From this standpoint, using a search firm to find the right person for the position may help lower the risk of making the wrong hire.

Niche online job boards provide an excellent means to recruit staff with specialized skills, and cost less than engaging a professional search firm. For niche online job boards, remember to create an appealing job posting to attract potential applicants.

General online job boards yield the best results when you recruit for lower-level positions. As with niche job boards, structure an appealing ad that will draw applicants. As a start-up without much brand recognition, you may need to use your job posting to tell potential applicants about your company, as well as to sell the advantages of working at an entrepreneurial firm.

Job advertisements number among the most expensive options for recruiting new staff. However, a well-placed ad in a relevant trade publication can generate a lot of interest from the people you most want to reach.

Tags: employees, recruiting