10 ways to entice spring job seekers

As of the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary the number of open positions stood at 8.9 million with 5.7 million recent hires made. Those numbers haven't moved much since the New Year, which means employers need to work harder to earn the favor of spring job seekers.

If you're looking for a few ways to set yourself apart from other companies and get more attention on your open positions read on.

1. Be more human

In a time where the most frequently discussed topic is artificial intelligence (AI) showcasing people and prioritizing personal interactions can be major differentiators. Here are some areas where you can inject that personal feel.

• Photography – We encourage you to use real photos of your team members as frequently as possible because they are relatable and less intimidating to job seekers.
• Emails – While newsletters and event announcements can benefit from automation, some emails are better sent as one-offs. During an active interview process, it's often better to take the time to write a real reply that speaks to why you care about them specifically.

Note: We advocate for the use of AI where appropriate. However, we strongly believe that it is crucial to maintain equilibrium between technological advancements and human interaction. Our goal is to nurture meaningful connections and ensure job seekers receive genuine appreciation.

2. Engage directly

Have you heard of account-based marketing (ABM) campaigns? It's a technique marketers use to target and engage with ideal accounts they'd like to earn. You can use a similar strategy to find aligned team members. For better or for worse, many LinkedIn postings that use the #OpenToWork banner are highly qualified individuals.

There have been massive layoffs of talented individuals in lots of sectors and they are hashtagging for reach. Just a quick search can help you assemble a list for personal outreach! Inviting them to apply directly can seriously boost your candidate pool.

3. Improve your online reputation

Ratings directly hurt your chances of converting a candidate to a hire. Check out your channels, especially ones focused on working for your company like LinkedIn, Indeed, Google, Comparably, ClearlyRated, Glassdoor and more so that you can do the following:

• Reply – Many platforms with rating options allow employers to comment. This serves two purposes. The first is that misunderstandings can often be resolved with personal outreach. The second is that putting a stake in the ground, even regarding a negative experience can show other candidates that you tried to make things work.
• Find patterns – Not all issues can be resolved, but they can be inventoried and addressed. If you do that, current and future team members will have a better experience and give you more positive ratings.

4. Talk with your current team members

Similar to addressing issues with past team members online, talking offline to the ones who have stayed by your side can help you improve. Some companies do this by conducting stay interviews.

Try them! They could be how you isolate positive themes to promote to future hires while strengthening your retention metrics.

5. Make interviews personal

You may notice a theme here ... personal touches are key to closing the deal with candidates. Preparing in advance for interviews by fully reviewing candidate materials is one way to make that happen. Do this by:

• Tailoring questions – While some questions are universal, developing questions that speak directly to a candidate's experience shows that you read the resume and can picture them in the role.
• Being fully present – Nothing is worse than being interviewed by an employer who isn't engaged. One of the best ways to show respect to the person you're interviewing is to practice active listening.
• Following up – Sending follow-up communications including genuine thank you notes matters.
• Offering after-interview help – Questions regularly pop up after interviews. Being available to answer those questions will help job seekers further invest in your company.

6. Sell your benefits and provide details

Benefits are frequently left ambiguous and are therefore not very saleable. Fully fleshing out your benefits in career postings and on websites is helpful. The more information you can share, the better.

Here are some ways you can do that in interviews and job postings:

• Note a few popular benefits to pique interest.
• Explain schedule expectations upfront (remote can be a big benefit!).
• When possible, be transparent about pay.

7. Take inventory of the careers section of your website

Some companies have microsites for careers, while others have career pages on their websites. Either way, it's smart to add as many details about what it's like to work for your company as possible. Why? It helps candidates picture what it would be like to work for you.

8. Optimize your job postings

The bulk of online job postings are long and blocky, but they convert more frequently when they are easy to digest. To improve:

• Add bulleted lists.
• Cut unnecessary information.
• Remove jargon-based titles that don't serve you.
• Explain the job as fully as you can while keeping word count and formatting in mind.
• Link out to other resources on your website to provide a full picture without bogging down the listing itself.
• Make the application form itself simple. Forms should include as few fields as possible. You can always ask engaged applicants to fill out a longer one later if it's needed.

9. Leverage your network

Referrals are a top way to find high-performing hires. You can get more of them by:

• Asking your existing team and wider network to share your postings socially.
• Promoting that you accept direct referrals.
• Implementing an employee referral program that benefits both the company and your team members.

10. Post where the right people are

Large job boards are great resources, but a smaller one may be a smarter option if you're searching for a candidate with niche experience. While the application volume might be lower, the quality will likely be higher.

Alternatively, job boards like Beacon Hill's are set up by function for easy searching so they offer many of the benefits of niche ones. When people reach that section of our site, they are already conditioned to look at their industries. Strong data organization helps candidates convert.

Beacon Hill has over 20 years of experience finding the right people for the right jobs. If you're struggling to do that, consider reaching out. We would be happy to help!

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