Boost your recruiting efforts with these tips

Every employer knows that the heart and soul of the company is the people you hire as your staff. Regardless of what product or service your business is responsible for providing, without the best candidates possible manning your company's desks, you can bet that you won't be successful.

But despite its critical importance, recruitment is often treated as almost an afterthought. Many hiring managers simply put up job posts when a position opens up and hope for the best when candidates start applying. While this has gotten many companies through the past few decades, as the job market becomes increasingly competitive, success will depend on adapting strategies to address the ways in which the world is changing, and that goes for recruiting efforts as well.

Here are a few tips designed to help you take charge of your recruiting and hiring processes so you can be confident in the talent that you're bringing on board.

"When recruiting, it's important to think long-term."

Hire for fit and don't settle
With so many job-seekers trawling employment boards, chances are you'll receive dozens or even hundreds of applications for a position. But don't confuse quantity with quality - just because you're inundated with applicants doesn't mean that you're guaranteed to find the right employee out of that initial pool. It can be easy to settle, especially when you're analyzing dozens of resumes with similar bullet-point qualifications listed.

But it's important to think long-term - you do not want to compromise. Just like your applicants are seeking not just any job, but the perfect job, so too should you be looking not for just a candidate, but the right candidate for your company.

One way to help this process along is to hire someone who has done "[this] exact job, in this exact industry, in this particular business climate, from a company with a very similar culture," according to Bruce N. Pfau and Ira T. Kay, authors of "The Human Capital Edge."

Recruiting is a full-time job
Contrary to what you may think, you don't just have to worry about recruiting when you have an open position. In fact, hiring managers and HR professionals should constantly be tracking some of the major players in the job market, cultivating relationships and forming connections so that they can reach out to hand-picked candidates directly when a position does open up. Remember that your hiring window may not match up exactly with that of a potential desired candidate, so if you notice that someone you've had your eye on is once more in the market, you may even wish to reach out preemptively to start discussions about potentially filling a position at your company - even one that may not necessarily have opened yet.

Master the job posting
Perhaps the most important part of finding the right candidate is piquing his or her interest in the first place, and that rests almost entirely on the effectiveness of your job postings. Everyone has seen a classic job posting outlining key responsibilities and desired experience. One way to break up the monotony and make a posting stand out is by reframing it to be less focused on what your company is looking for and more on what your organization can offer to employees.

"I've found that we're receiving higher quality applicants by keeping job postings shorter and tailored more towards the characteristics the clients are seeking versus listing redundant responsibilities," says Kristen Havriluk, Staffing Consultant with Beacon Hill's Associates Division in Alpharetta, GA. "If I do list responsibilities, it's the unique things that make the search stand out from others. I also bold and break up the information regarding the hours, location, salary, etc ... to avoid any confusion [about the critical aspects of the job]. Lastly, since a lot of job seekers apply without reading all of the posting information, I try to make our search clear with just the title by avoiding generic ones, like 'Receptionist'."

This serves many important purposes, such as getting more applicants excited about your company and, therefore, more likely to apply. Additionally, it helps you and your business look more approachable and more interested in collaborating with workers rather than enforcing traditional hierarchical structures. Remember, job postings are an extension of your company's culture. Elements such as a position description's syntax, tone, diction, degree of detail, and context all give an applicant clues about what it's like inside your walls.

Don't overlook internal candidates
One important point to keep in mind when reevaluating your recruiting strategy is that oftentimes you have some of the best resources available right under your nose. Many companies like to hire external candidates, especially for management positions, but there are those who believe that may not always be the best idea.

In addition to encouraging employee loyalty, hiring from within can also positively impact your bottom line. According to Zip Recruiter, external hires are 61 percent more likely to quit or be laid off than those who were advanced from within. Additionally, those who are brought in from outside tend to require higher salaries - between 18 and 20 percent more than internal employees, according to the source.

Partner with Beacon Hill 
Given the myriad responsibilities your hiring managers, directors, and HR personnel already handle on a daily basis, your team may not be able to fully commit to recruiting efforts. Even companies with thousands of employees tend to have very few individuals dedicated solely to hiring new talent. In this situation, Beacon Hill can ease the burden on your own employees while increasing productivity. A team of recruiting specialists can provide your company with market insights, search strategies and solutions to fit your particular needs. In addition to the flexibility afforded to your company with options to add contract, contract-to-hire, or direct-hire staff, the recruiting expertise our team provides ensures a conscientious, high-quality placement. 

Contact Beacon Hill to learn more about opportunities to fulfill your hiring needs.