Outdated Recruiting Methods that Scare off Talent

February 26, 2014 at 10:00 PM by Kathleen de Lara

outdated recruitingStop the Rolodexes, get off the job boards, and definitely quit spending money on newspaper ads. Modern recruiting requires a healthy dose of tech savvy, but it’s not overwhelming or complicated.

On the contrary, attracting, engaging, and hiring talent in this century is convenient and pleasantly streamlined. With online professional networks, mobile recruiting apps, and new screening techniques taking the stage, it’s a pretty great time to be a recruiter. But are you in or out?

Keep your hiring strategy up to date and be sure you’re still not making these sourcing solecisms. (That means faux pas, but the alliteration sounds a lot cooler.)

Giving all talent pools the same treatment.

Post and pray, spray and pray — whatever you choose to call it, remember that to find qualified candidates, you’re going to have to work for it. This style of recruiting, which should also be known as wreaking havoc on the job posting boards, doesn’t help you place talent in your open reqs, and it makes your company look like desperate and cheap. Chances are your ideal candidate is already employed or not actively hunting for their next opportunity. Get on the social recruiting bandwagon and move on your way to the trail of hiring success. They’re out there; about 88% of job seekers have at least one social networking profile. Regarding all talent pools with equal merit and expecting them to respond to generic, mass outreach is just like throwing a deck of cards to a wall to see if anything sticks — it’s time-consuming, messy, and hopeless. Tailor your message and approach, and connect with candidates through social media to really grab their attention.

Keeping your company name under wraps.

Remember when you were once a job hunter? For candidates, one of the most frustrating factors of coming across a job ad that actually sounds intriguing is finding no information on who they’ll be working for. Some organizations choose secrecy over shouting their job openings from the mountain tops to avoid signaling turnover problems or company developments. This practice, however, can work against employers interested in sourcing top talent. For one thing, being anonymous in a job ad lowers its credibility, inadvertently scaring away potential applicants. On the other end, candidates who end up applying may be more unsuitable than a good fit, as these candidates are often trying their luck and perceive an anonymous job ad as an opportunity for a recruiter to overlook their lack of required experience or skills.

Going on a quest for the “one.”

Pigs will never fly. Unicorns are imaginary. Santa Claus doesn’t exist. We’ll argue that aliens, ghosts, and Bigfoot are real, and that the fountain of youth has yet to be discovered, but let’s save that for another post. Searching for the perfect candidate who fits your requirements and expectations to a T unnecessarily extends your hiring process and the length of time that empty seat in the office stays empty. Avoid losing valuable, prospective hires by taking into consideration job seekers that can learn quickly enough to develop into the role.

Drawing out the interview process.

Avoid firing fast and hiring slow. Putting candidates through more than three rounds of interviews and prolonging follow-up messages can give the impression that your team is indecisive, uninterested, and unresponsive. Candidates that are lead to believe they’re in high demand and receive no callback or email within the next week will move on from the opportunity. Waiting disheartens candidates, but it also discourages your team from planning around their arrival and possibly referring you to future candidates. Keep candidates updated on their progress, be candid about your interest, and walk them through next hiring steps.

Lowballing candidates.

No matter how tight of a budget your company is working with, a candidate with the right qualifications will resent you for using their skills as a way to save a few dollars, tainting your brand and reputation. Review a candidate’s qualifications and factor in the current market value of someone in their position. It’s likely they’ve already done the research on average salary and have a bottom tier for their work’s worth. Negotiation is all part of the hiring process, although there is a difference between dealing and bargaining. Two words: Cheap labor — avoid it. Even the phrase itself sounds grimy.

An outdated sourcing strategy can hold your company back from making the hires it needs not only by delaying the process, but by giving you a bad recruiting rap. Find top talent the 21st century way by staying on par with how job seekers prefer to be contacted and nurtured.
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