With the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reporting the national unemployment rate as holding steady at 3.7% for the third consecutive month, the job market is looking good for job seekers. However, this positive economic effect for job seekers isn’t necessarily as positive for the job recruitment efforts of both large and small businesses. This is why it’s imperative for every company to develop and implement an effective recruitment strategy to serve as the foundation of their recruitment and selection process.

As more jobs are created and fewer people are left unemployed, companies need to do more to attract and retain top talent. An effective recruiting strategy can help your company stand out from the competition in the eyes of prospective candidates in the coming year and meet your business growth goals.

8 Considerations for Your Employee Recruitment Strategies

As a nationally-recognized recruiting and staffing firm, we understand that businesses are struggling to find the right people to fill their vacant roles. As such, the team at 4 Corner Resources (4CR) has created a few recommendations for what to include in your employee recruitment strategies for the coming year:

Recruitment Strategy #1: Be Prompt

If you think you can take your time when scouting for and hiring candidates, think again. Candidates with valuable skill sets will not stay on the market for long — even a week is considered a long time in the recruitment and selection process. This is why having a speedy process as part of your strategic recruitment plan is vital to hiring the best and brightest talent.

Recruitment Strategy #2: Roll with Changes

The rules have changed — it’s vital that you change with them. As we mentioned earlier concerning the unemployment rate, we’re working in a candidates' market. This means that candidates have choices, and you're at a disadvantage if you don't acknowledge it and adjust your recruitment and hiring strategies.

Recruitment Strategy #3: Clearly Define Your Hiring Needs

Although this is third on our list, it is one of the most important. When approaching the recruitment and selection process, it’s vital to define your hiring needs clearly. Lengthy job descriptions aren't necessary, but clear and concise ones that fully explain job expectations are essential.

Recruitment Strategy #4: Set a Realistic Hiring Time Frame

We can’t emphasize this point enough: Set a realistic time frame for your hiring process and stick to it. This often means holding managers accountable for being accessible for interviews. This part of the recruitment strategy is easy to let slip. However, setting a realistic time frame and holding to it shows candidates that you are serious about the position and value their time. It also helps you ensure that you or your employees don’t allow the hiring process to drag on.

Recruitment Strategy #5: Make Hiring a Priority

While the hiring process is vital to the employee recruitment strategies of a recruiter or hiring manager, it should also be a priority for everyone across your organization — everyone from the top executives to the front line managers. If the recruitment and selection process is a top priority, it means you’ll spend less time chasing people down to get them to:

• Review resumes;
• Commit to interviews;
• Provide timely feedback; and
• Make a hiring decision.

Netflix is one major organization that has embraced a collaborative approach to creating a pro-hiring culture, according to a LinkedIn article. Among the attributes that make Netflix’s recruitment and hiring strategies different from many conventional corporations is that:

• Everyone is responsible for recruiting;
• Hiring managers have more freedom and ownership over hiring decisions; and
• Recruiters and hiring managers communicate directly and honestly.

Recruitment Strategy #6: Sell Your Company and Position

One of the most essential components of the recruitment and selection process is selling both your company and the job to prospective employees. If you have trouble doing that, you have a problem, so fix it as soon as possible!

Recruitment Strategy #7: Define and Describe Your Company Culture

Having a strong organizational culture is about knowing and supporting your company’s mission and values. This means that you’ll want to hire people who are a good cultural fit for your organization — people whose values, beliefs, and behaviors align with those of your organization.

To ensure you find the right candidates who fit these parameters, make clearly defining your culture and being quick to describe it to prospective employees an important part of your recruitment plan.

Recruitment Strategy #8: Hiring a Professional Staffing Service

Partnering with a professional recruiting and staffing agency doesn’t mean that you’re a bad or incompetent hiring manager. Working with a company like 4 Corner Resources as part of your recruitment strategy frees you up to focus on moving the needle for your company’s core mission and business objectives.