With a near record-breaking number of current job openings sitting at 11.5 million, employers across the country are still struggling to recruit the right applicants. Posting to job boards can be time-consuming and ineffective at targeting the type of hire you need. It’s time to get creative with your recruiting ideas. Learn how to leverage social media for recruitment, utilize your current resources, and more to build strong, successful teams.
6 Creative Ways to Recruit Employees
1. Social Media Recruiting
If you’re wondering how to leverage social media for recruitment, don’t worry — it’s easier than you think! First, it’s important to recognize that Gen Z is expected to be the largest generation by 2023, consisting of 74 million people. If you want to attract these individuals to your business, you need to cater to their interests. So, where does this tech-savvy generation go to get their information? Social media.
You’re probably already posting job openings on LinkedIn, but have you thought about Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even TikTok? With over one billion users just in the United States, 60% of TikTokers are Gen Zers. In fact, top brands like Chipotle and Target have even started TikTok hiring, a recruitment method where applicants can create a video instead of submitting a resume. This gives job seekers a chance to highlight why they’d be a good fit while showcasing their personalities. Social media recruitment is free and easy, so why not give it a try?
Suggested Reading:
The Essential Guide to Attracting Hourly Workers
2. Conduct Walk-In Interviews
Your next hire could be the customer that just ordered a cheeseburger and fries — you never know! This creative recruiting idea can involve as much or as little effort as you’d like. And, walk-in interviews are great ways to gauge your applicants’ verbal communication skills which you are unable to see on a resume or cover letter. All you need to do is set up an informational table with current job openings and have an employee (or yourself) greet people as they walk through the door. Be prepared to conduct a few interviews to find your next top performer.
3. Promote Current Employees
Not only is promoting internal hires a creative way to retain employees, but it shows your team you value (and reward) their hard work. Remember, employees don’t just want jobs — they want careers. Promoting your internal hires can lead to an increase in employee morale and even retention. There’s less risk, too, since you already know what their work ethic is like. Internal hires also have a shorter ramp-up time than external ones since they are familiar with your company. A study by Wharton even found that external hires underperform compared to internal ones in the first two years!
4. Implement Employee Referral Programs
If you’re looking for a creative way to recruit employees while cutting hiring costs, we’d highly suggest implementing an employee referral program. It takes less time and costs less than the traditional hiring process! Current employees can refer someone who they think would be a perfect fit — bonus points if you reward employees who refer someone who stays longer than 90 days.
A recent study found that employees hired with a referral program stayed longer than external hires. In fact, 56% of employee referrals stayed at their current role for five or more years. This can partially be attributed to the fact that referred employees already know at least one person in the company.
5. Establish Re-Engagement Campaigns
Life happens, and sometimes all people need is a nudge in the right direction. Consider reconnecting with past applicants to fill your open positions. Although some individuals may have already found another opportunity, there are plenty of job seekers still searching. If you hire with Sprockets, the platform will even send applicants your current job openings so that they can fill out the application right on their phones. (It’s that easy!)
6. Predict Applicant Success With Sprockets
This innovative hiring solution is both the answer to your recruitment challenges and a creative way to retain employees. Our simple red-yellow-green scoring system instantly reveals which potential hires will succeed and stay long-term like your current top-performing employees. Trusted by top brands like Taco Bell and Chick-fil-A, Sprockets is proven to help businesses hire 37% faster — that’s three hours you’d get back in your workday! — so owners and operators can focus on daily operations.