3 Recruiting Lessons From Today’s Job Seeker

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Allison, now 30, has been working since she was 16. Back then, she’d apply for a job, check in with potential employers after a few days, then wait to hear if she got the job or not. Usually, she was waiting on responses from nameless, faceless recruiters and employers.

But times have changed.

Now, Allison is on LinkedIn, has profiles on career sites, goes to networking events, and keeps her feelers out for referrals from people she knows. What was once a waiting game has evolved into a personalized experience. She is her own career activist.

This newly empowered job seeker is beneficial to recruiters and employers. While you’re seeking them out, they’re also finding you. However, many are slipping through the cracks because of missed connection and contact opportunities.

Here’s how you can capture the ‘new’ job seeker:

1. Build business partnerships

Today’s job seekers understand the importance of referrals. In fact, a recent LinkedIn report found recruiters ranked referrals as the top channel for quality hires. This means they’re looking everywhere for valid job referrals — even previous employers and co-workers.

Building strong business partnerships can open the doors to finding new and top quality talent. Create bonds with companies that have similar positions, and express your willingness to help them recruit your own former talent.

Remember, referrals aren’t only important for employees who left a company voluntarily. As organizations go through painful layoffs, or even find an employee doesn’t fit their specific culture, they’ll be happy to know you’re willing to offer their former employees opportunities.

2. Reach out to passive candidates

With networking and referrals gaining so much momentum over the last few years, passive candidates are crucial to your recruiting success.

An overwhelming 76 percent of full-time employed workers are either actively looking for or open to new job opportunities, according to a recent CareerBuilder report. Unfortunately, a high volume of top quality candidates are lost because they weren’t given offers as passive candidates.

This doesn’t mean recruiters need to be pushy or out ‘stealing’ their competitors’ talent. Instead, it’s all about having conversations with the people who are standing right in front of you. Whether you’re at the grocery store, on an airplane, or volunteering, take a few moments to talk to people.

Look for soft skills, talents, and personality traits that draw you in and make you want them on your team. Then, let them know if they’re ever looking for a career change, you’re happy to talk to them about any available opportunities. You never know where you might meet your next star player.

3. Send your team out to events

As an employer or recruiter, you take a lot of pride and responsibility in building the best team for your organization. But your job is challenging. Especially because, on average, job seekers use 16 total resources in their job search, according to the previously mentioned CareerBuilder report.

That’s why it’s important to remember who knows the ins and outs of your operations the best — your current team. They don’t just know the positions. Their understanding of the personalities and traits needed to succeed at your company is crucial to your recruiting efforts.

Ask your team for help in the recruiting process. Send them to recruiting events or ask them to keep an eye out on social media for people they’d like to work alongside. This is the kind of personalized interaction and networking job seekers are already doing, so getting your team involved will greatly increase your visibility and brand awareness.

Today’s job seekers are looking at the job search in a new light. If recruiters and employers don’t alter their own efforts, they’ll remain in the dark when it comes to finding qualified candidates. Know what job seekers are looking for, then get your team out there to start the conversations.

How do you attract the ‘new’ kind of job seeker? Let us know!