Find Candidates for Any Job With these 8 Proven Strategies

April 25, 2023
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Are you struggling to find candidates that are right for your job openings? Hiring the wrong person can be costly, so it's important to have a solid recruitment process that helps you identify candidates who are qualified and a good fit for your company

Finding the right candidate for a job opening can be a challenging task, but with the right strategies in place, it can become a streamlined process. It’s important to consider various methods for sourcing candidates to attract a diverse range of applicants with the skills and experience necessary for the position. In this article, we will explore some effective strategies for finding candidates for a job opening.

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Prep Work You Need Before You Can Find Candidates

In order to find candidates for your job openings, there are several things that you need to prepare, including:

  1. Job descriptions: To draw in qualified candidates, you need a job description that is specific and comprehensive. It should start with the job title, responsibilities, qualifications, skills required, and other relevant information about the position. Check out our template gallery for job descriptions that you can use immediately.
  2. Recruitment plan: A well-planned recruitment strategy will help you identify the most effective channels for reaching your target candidates. Your recruitment plan should include details about the job posting, advertising, networking, and other recruitment methods.
  3. Candidate profile: It is important to have a clear idea of the ideal candidate for the position, including their education, experience, skills, and personality traits. This will help you identify the most suitable candidates and make the selection process more efficient.
  4. Screening criteria: Develop a set of criteria to screen candidates, including qualifications, skills, experience, and other relevant factors. This will help you quickly identify the most suitable candidates and avoid wasting time on unsuitable ones.
  5. Interview questions: Prepare a list of interview questions that will help you assess the candidates' suitability for the position. Make sure that the questions are relevant and relate to the job requirements.
  6. Selection criteria: Decide on the criteria that you will use to select the final candidate, such as experience, skills, personality, cultural fit, and other factors. This will help ensure that you choose the best candidate for the job.

Here are some tips on how to find candidates that qualify for your job openings:

Passive Strategies For Recruitment

Recruiting passively means you post your job openings and wait for candidates to apply, without performing any actions outside of the standard process, such as exploring new sources or contacting candidates directly.

1. Utilize social media platforms

Utilize social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook groups, or public Slack communities to reach a larger audience and connect with potential candidates. Share your job postings on these platforms and encourage your employees to share them as well. This can help you reach a wider pool of qualified candidates and increase the chances of finding the perfect match.

Check out our guide on social media recruiting for more tips on how to use social media for staffing.

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2. Utilize job search engines

This one is pretty basic and a must. Job search engines such as Indeed, Glassdoor, and Monster can help you find candidates who are actively looking for job opportunities and connect. communicate with them. These platforms allow you to post your job openings and search for resumes based on specific keywords and qualifications. One very easy way to streamline posting to multiple job boards is to use Manatal’s job posting solution, which is integrated with 2500+ job boards.

3. Utilize employee referrals

Encourage your employees to refer qualified candidates who they believe would be a good fit for the job openings. Employee referrals can be a great way to find candidates who are already familiar with your company's culture and values.

4. Partner with staffing agencies

Partnering with staffing agencies can help you connect with qualified candidates who are actively looking for job opportunities. Staffing agencies can also help you with the hiring process and ensure that you find candidates who are a good match for your job openings. They use specialized tools for the job and have the objective of successful job placements and employee retention.

LEARN MORE: Find Out Why Recruiters Need to Use Mobile-First Recruitment Strategies

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Active Methods of Recruitment

Recruiting actively means you source and contact candidates who match your criteria and expectations, using customized job descriptions, various platforms and channels, and a simple application process.

1. Using dedicated open Slack and Discord communities: These are online platforms where professionals can join and interact with others who share similar interests, skills, or industries. You can use these communities to find potential candidates who are very good at their job and sought by many headhunters or for senior executive search. Some of the steps you can take are:

  • Identify the relevant communities for your target roles, such as coding, AI, and blockchain. You can use keywords, hashtags, or filters to search for them on Slack or Discord.
  • Join the communities and introduce yourself as a recruiter or headhunter. Be respectful and follow the community rules and etiquette.
  • Engage with the members by posting useful content, asking questions, answering queries, and giving feedback or compliments. Build trust and rapport with them over time.
  • Identify the top performers or influencers in the community who have the skills, experience, or qualifications you are looking for. You can use indicators such as their activity level, reputation score, endorsements, achievements, or projects they have shared.
  • Reach out to them privately and express your interest in their profile. Explain why you think they are a good fit for your role and what benefits they can get from working with you. Invite them to have a conversation with you or apply for your role.
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2. Using Linkedin’s filters and search functions: Linkedin is a social network for professionals where you can find candidates who are very good at their job and sought by many headhunters or for senior executive search. Some of the steps you can take are:

  • Use Linkedin’s advanced search function to find candidates based on criteria such as keywords, location, industry, function, title, company, education, skills, or endorsements.
  • Use Linkedin’s filters to further refine your search results based on criteria such as current or past companies, years of experience, seniority level, language, or willingness to relocate.
  • Use Linkedin’s boolean operators to combine multiple criteria in your search query, such as AND, OR, NOT, (), “”, or -. For example, you can search for “AI AND blockchain NOT Microsoft” to find candidates who have both AI and blockchain skills but do not work for Microsoft.
  • Use Linkedin’s recruiter tools to access more features and insights, such as talent pool reports, talent insights, smart suggestions, InMail messages, or projects. These can help you find and contact more relevant and qualified candidates faster and easier.
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3. Using job fairs: These are events where multiple employers and job seekers meet and interact in one place. You can use job fairs to showcase your company, attract and screen candidates, and conduct on-site interviews. Some of the steps you can take are:

  • Choose the right job fair for your industry, location, and hiring needs. You can find job fairs online or through local organizations.
  • Register for the job fair and pay the participation fee. You may also need to provide information about your company and your job openings to the organizers.
  • Prepare your marketing material, such as banners, flyers, brochures, business cards, and giveaways. Make sure they reflect your employer's brand and value proposition.
  • Set up your booth in an attractive and inviting way. Display your logo, company name, and job openings clearly. Have enough space and equipment for screening or interviewing candidates.
  • Engage with the candidates who visit your booth. Introduce yourself and your company, ask them about their background and interests, collect their resumes or contact details, and invite them to apply or interview for your role.

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4. Using networking events: These are events where professionals can connect and exchange information with others who share similar interests, goals, or industries. You can use networking events to build relationships with potential candidates, learn more about their skills and aspirations, and promote your company and opportunities. Some of the steps you can take are:

  • Identify the relevant networking events for your target roles, such as industry-specific events, alumni events, professional associations, or online platforms. You can use keywords, hashtags, or filters to search for them on social media or websites.
  • Register for the networking event and pay the attendance fee if applicable. You may also need to provide information about yourself and your company to the organizers or other attendees.
  • Prepare your elevator pitch, business cards, and other materials that you can use to introduce yourself and your company to others. Make sure they are concise, clear, and memorable.
  • Attend the networking event and mingle with the attendees. Be friendly, respectful, and genuine. Ask open-ended questions, listen actively, share relevant information, offer help or advice, and exchange contact details.
  • Follow up with the contacts you made at the networking event. Send them a thank-you note, connect with them on social media or email, invite them to have a conversation with you, or apply for your role. [1]

Wrapping it Up

Finding candidates for your job openings can be challenging, especially in a competitive market. But with the right tools and strategies, you can reach out to qualified candidates who are looking for new opportunities or are open to hearing from you. By using job boards, career sites, referrals, employer branding, resume databases, networking events, and online screening tools, you can create a diverse and effective recruitment pipeline that meets your hiring needs.

Remember to always communicate clearly and respectfully with your candidates and showcase your company culture and values. This way, you can attract and retain the best talent for your team. These five strategies we have listed can make the process easier and more effective. And by supplementing your efforts with an applicant tracking system, businesses can attract a diverse pool of qualified candidates and ensure they get the best fit for the job.

Tired of the long and tedious recruitment processes? Do you want to make your hiring process easier and more efficient?

Imagine being able to parse and score candidates based on their capabilities, work experience, talents, and skillsets. This ATS solution is perfect for recruiters, HR personnel, and SMEs who are looking for the best job candidates. With Manatal, you can save time, effort, and money in the recruitment process.

Click here now and try Manatal today to experience a more efficient and effective recruitment process.

Citation:

10 Types of Networking Events That Are Worth Your Time

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Talent Resources & Development Director - Charoen Pokphand Group
Manatal is the best ATS we worked with. Simplicity, efficency and the latest technologies combined make it an indispensable tool for any large-scale HR team. Since its adoption, we've seen a huge increase across all our key recruitment metrics. To summarize. it is a must-have.
Ahmed Firdaus
Director - MRI Network, Executive Search Firm
I've been using Manatal for the past couple of months and the platform is excellent, user-friendly and it has helped me a lot in my recruitment process, operation and database management. I'm very happy with their great support. Whenever I ask something they come back to me within minutes.
Dina Demajo
Senior Talent Acquisition - Manpower Group
Manpower has been using Manatal and we couldn't be happier as a team with the services this platform has provided. The application is extremely user-friendly and very well equipped with all the useful functions one would required for successful recruitment. The support team is also excellent with very fast response time.
Edmund Yeo
Human Resources Manager - Oakwood
Manatal is a sophisticated, easy-to-use, mobile-friendly, and cloud-based applicant tracking system that helps companies achieve digitalization and seamless integration to Linkedin and other job boards. The team at Manatal is very supportive, helpful, prompt in their replies and we were pleased to see that the support they offer exceeded our expectations.
Maxime Ferreira
International Director - JB Hired
Manatal has been at the core of our agency's expansion. Using it has greatly improved and simplified our recruitment processes. Incredibly easy and intuitive to use, customizable to a tee, and offers top-tier live support. Our recruiters love it. A must-have for all recruitment agencies. Definitely recommend!
Ngoc-Thinh Tran
HR Manager, Talent Sourcing & Acquisition - Suntory PepsiCo Beverage
I am using Manatal for talent sourcing and it is the best platform ever. I am so impressed, the Manatal team did an excellent work. This is so much awesome, I am recommending the solution to all recruiters I know.
Bill Twinning
Talent Resources & Development Director - Charoen Pokphand Group
Manatal is the best ATS we worked with. Simplicity, efficency and the latest technologies combined make it an indispensable tool for any large-scale HR team. Since its adoption, we've seen a huge increase across all our key recruitment metrics. To summarize. it is a must-have.
Ahmed Firdaus
Director - MRINetwork, Executive Search Firm
I've been using Manatal for the past couple of months and the platform is excellent, user-friendly and it has helped me a lot in my recruitment process, operation and database management. I'm very happy with their great support. whenever I asked something they come back to me within minutes.
Dina Demajo
Senior Talent Acquisition - Manpower Group
Manpower has been using Manatal and we couldn't be happier as a team with the services this platform has provided. The application is extremely user-friendly and very well equipped with all the useful functions one would required for successful requirement. The support team is also excellent with very fast response time.
Kevin Martin
Human Resources Manager - Oakwood
Manatal is a sophisticated, easy-to-use, mobile-friendly, and cloud-based applicant tracking system that helps companies achieve digitalization and seamless integration to Linkedin and other job boards. The team at Manatal is very supportive, helpful, prompt in their replies and we were pleased to see that the support they offer exceeded our expectations.
Maxime Ferreira
International Director - JB Hired
Manatal has been at the core of our agency's expansion. Using it has greatly improved and simplified our recruitment processes. Incredibly easy and intuitive to use, customizable to a tee, and offers top-tier live support. Our recruiters love it. A must-have for all recruitment agencies. Definitely recommend!
Ngoc-Thinh Tran
HR Manager, Talent Sourcing & Acquisition - Suntory PepsiCo Beverage
I am using Manatal for talent sourcing and it is the best platform ever. I am so impressed, the Manatal team did an excellent work. This is so much awesome, I am recommending the solution to all recruiters I know.

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