If you’re having trouble finding skilled candidates to fill your open positions, know that you’re not alone. But that doesn’t mean it’s an impossible task! 

If your recruiting and outreach efforts haven’t changed much in the past five to 10 years, it might be time to branch out and consider some new tools and avenues for finding potential employees. 

Here are new strategies to try to find your next great hires: 

• Consider hiring people on a temporary basis as a tryout.

  If you have a big project coming up and need some extra hands, and know you’re also looking for a new permanent employee to join your team, consider working with a staffing agency to find a strong candidate who meets your needs on a temporary-to-permanent basis. You can explain the demands of the project, the skills you’d like the candidate to have, and what background would be most appropriate. If the person comes in and knocks it out of the park, that’s a double win: The project is completed successfully and on time without adding stress to your existing team, AND you’ve found yourself a great new employee! If the person doesn’t work out, you shake hands and part ways, and you can try again. Temporary work can be a kind of long-form interview without the up-front commitment. 

• Start a referral program internally.

  Your employees know people. They have friends and relatives. Most of them will have or need jobs. Why not reward your employees for suggesting potential hires and bringing them to your attention? This helps with turnover, too, as people feel more invested when their ideas and recommendations are taken into serious consideration, and what demonstrates that better than hiring someone based on the advice of one of your current employees? Who better to recruit for your company than someone who works there, knows the company and culture, and can talk up your strengths? 

• Tap into the strength of the internet and social media.

  The world is much bigger than your neighborhood. Explore it! Using social media and platforms like LikedIn, Glassdoor, Zip Recruiter, and other job boards to post your open position can help reach candidates who might not live in your immediate area, and it can help you reach people who are looking for positions but might not know your company’s name (yet). Those platforms also make it easy for users to share information and amplify your posting, getting the word in front of friends who could be just the kind of worker you’re looking for. Don’t just rely on local organizations to help you attract candidates. 

• Review your job descriptions.

  Send the description of the open position to someone who does not work for you or in your industry, someone whose opinion you trust and respect. Ask them whether the job sounds interesting or if it’s clear what the responsibilities of the position are, or whether it’s confusing or boring. React accordingly: It might be time to freshen up the description. This is also a good way to ensure that you don’t include any language that could unintentionally limit the people who apply. A qualified candidate might not be anything like the person doing the job today, but someone with different background, training, and experiences could be the best fit. 

• Work with a staffing agency.

  When in doubt, partner with a staffing company or recruiter. Companies like Davis Staffing work with job candidates who have the skills and experiences you’re looking for, and these candidates are ready to get to work right away. Why not use that to your advantage? Staffing agencies are professional matchmakers, helping employers and candidates find the right fit, and they know very quickly when a candidate could be a great fit for your company. 

Use all the tools available to you in order to break through your recruitment and hiring blocks, and you’ll be so much the better for it. 

Partnering with a staffing agency like Davis Staffing can help make your recruitment and hiring process a lot more efficient too! Give us a call today and find out how Davis Staffing can help.