5 Recruiting Tactics Guaranteed to Attract Highly Talented Interest

Recruiting has become an ongoing war between companies. It’s a true competition between the big companies and the startups, but the opportunities are nearly equal in terms of what they can offer. There are pros and cons to both options.

The only job recruiters have is knowing how to present it, how to offer it, and how exactly to find the best talent on the market. When the competition is so high, it’s not just the prospective hires who need to impress, but the employers as well.

Quite a lot of HR department heads and recruiters often hear themselves thinking the same things: there’s either no good talent out there in their niche, or those who are good have already been hired.

To some extent, the excuses may be valid, but what you need to understand is that the market has become so viciously competitive that it’s the companies fighting for the best talent, instead of the talent looking for a spot. It’s not about filling an opening, but about finding the right person for it.

Exceptionally talented prospects are often, for lack of a better word, spoiled by recruiters. They can now weigh the pros and cons of a company in terms of “Who has the most flexible hours if I want to work from home?”, “Who will let me take a 3-month long vacation to go backpacking in Europe?”, “Who has the best in-office pranks?”, etc. Flexibility at their workspace and time-off is a highly sought-after detail.

And, since not everyone can work for companies like Google who is famous for their laid back office environment, the rest are struggling.

However, there are a few out-of-the-box-thinking recruiting strategies that will guarantee you attract highly talented employees. Or, at the very least, it will capture their interest. From that point, it’s all about your real offer.

1. Volunteering

It’s a practice job seekers are encouraged to do because of its incredible benefits. It makes their resumes more attractive to employers, offers them experience, and it also helps other people or communities in need. However, it’s not just for them. Recruiters should definitely consider doing the same because that’s where the talent goes. People who are well satisfied with their success and can afford to continue working in their spare time, are more willing to help others.

As a recruiter, you need to follow their paths because the bread crumbs might just lead you to meet exceptional talent. Sign up for volunteering programs, help the community and meet others with the same goal in mind. It will not only open up ample opportunities, but you will make an exceptional impression that will set you apart from the crowd. Even better, you will be making a positive difference in the community, so it’s a win-win. The only advice would be not to go at it too aggressively. People are not there for an interview. They are there to help others. Never lose sight of that.

2. The Dating Game

There is one clear similarity between dating and recruiting, and that’s the fact that you should be looking for one very important element: chemistry. In order to find highly talented employees, you need to understand their place in your company and how they would meld with the rest. All these “soft skills” such as intuition, compassion, ambition, drive, and work ethic are potentially crucial to finding the right employee. They might look excellent on paper, but they might clash with your company’s operations.

Around 77% of HR recruiters believe that these “soft skills” are just as important as the “hard skills” on an applicant’s resume.

Get to know them first, and try to make the interview process as relaxed as possible. A company that handled self-storage solutions, called SpareFoot, introduced an interesting technique that proved successful. They applied the same principle to recruiting as it is in speed dating. The typical interview consists of 15 applicants meeting 15 recruiters or employees from the company. Every single one of them will have a face-to-face conversation for just 3 minutes before they move on to the next. Put up some light snacks and maybe soft drinks as well. This way, everyone meets everyone, and they can decide on one crucial factor: chemistry.

3. Use Apps

It’s not all about social media, even though it has been shown that 73% of recruiters use social networking platforms for hiring. Facebook and LinkedIn are a staple in the process, but there is more to modern technology that can be used to your advantage. In this day and age, you have the best resources at your fingertips, so learn to use them. There are tremendous options out there, ranging from websites like MeetUp to Hired, Toptal, and several others. Do not hesitate to seek talent through them.

Take an interest in the events that are happening in your area, and you’ll get to find professionals that are there to learn and network. Even better, offer sponsorship to a gathering yourself. It doesn’t have to be a major investment that strains your budget. Something as simple as some pizzas and drinks could go a long way. Browse through apps that allow you to find these events, and make sure everyone there knows who you are.

4. Referral Magic

An interview is rarely enough to truly assess the potential dedication and talent of a prospective employee. That is why referrals are tremendously important and should not be underestimated in their value. Your current employees understand your company and services better than anyone. They know what you’re looking for and how it all works. More importantly, they might know people who are well qualified for the job. It’s your duty to make sure they will put you in contact with those potentially talented recruits.

Add incentives that will motivate them to spread the word. It doesn’t have to be a raise or promotion. However, something as simple and cheap as free lunch might be the right push, far better than holding them captive in hours-long HR training sessions. Or, do something quirky as a reminder that they are always welcome to refer people to job openings. One company, GoDaddy, placed mirrors on their employees’ desks with the message “This is what a GoDaddy recruiter looks like”. It’s incredibly simple in concept, but it could go a long way in finding the talent you might’ve never even met otherwise.

5. Don’t Ignore The Scrappers

Your future best employee might not have the most stellar resume. HR guru, Regina Hartley, argues in her TED talk that the perfect CV, featuring the name of a prestigious college and a 4.0 GPA does not guarantee an exceptional recruit. In fact, it’s those with unimpressive resumes that get rejected who might actually become your best employee and excellent talent. Even if they feature unfamiliar schools and have gone through numerous odd jobs, it is highly possible that they’ll perform better than those with high-quality qualifications.

In fact, some major companies will recruit these “scrappers” that have been rejected by others. Hartley, based on her experience, has found that they are likely to be more resilient, work harder, show more dedication, and be much more adaptable to difficult situations and overcome obstacles. You want your company to find people who are willing to grow and learn more than what college taught them about the job. Scrappers are a perfect source of hidden talents that have been denied based on their presentation on paper. They will challenge the status quo and might be better taking on difficult issues.

Recruiting tactics are paramount to your company in today’s market. That’s why you should try to find different solutions than the rest in order to weed through your options on your way to the right one. You might find talent in places you never expected.