Hiring new employees should be an exciting prospect. Your team is growing, business is booming… how hard can it be to find local employees? With so many websites and marketplaces for job seekers, it can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you have never had to scale your business before.
Recruiting is a bit like fishing: it is much easier when the fish come to you. Sure, there are a million different pieces of tackle that you could use, but you would not fish for sharks the same way you would fish for perch.
Jumping into every recruiting platform without backend infrastructure to help the candidates that are actually interested is a bit like walking into a fishing outfitter and asking someone to sell you everything you need to catch a fish. In the end, you will be the one on the hook.
How to Find Local Employees: 5 Tips
Most companies might be surprised that small improvements to their existing digital assets will yield the biggest results. Even if the candidate initially finds your company through your job posting on a career website, you can double-down, knowing that they will be checking out your online presence before deciding if they want to submit an application.
Here are five areas that you should consider updating to aid in your recruiting efforts.
1. Your Hiring Page (Website)
Sometimes marketers feel like a broken record when it comes to company websites. For years, companies were able to get away with out-of-date websites that were only created because the owner’s nephew said that they needed one for “this thing called SEO.” In many ways, your website is a direct reflection of your company.
Today, your company’s website and careers page provides candidates with a small window into the company. Looking for tech talent but your page looks like it was built for Windows 95? Unless you are specifically looking for a web designer, it could hurt your chances of landing a bigger fish.
2. Your Online Activity (Social & Directories)
If you haven’t jumped on the social media train, hiring great talent might be difficult. More and more candidates are leveraging social media to find companies that both meet their needs financially and are purpose driven. Millennials particularly are looking for companies that are interested in more than just revenue.
Social media also provides the opportunity for local businesses to engage with their community. Do you need help immediately, share with your social community. Even if your followers are not in the market for a new job, they might know someone that would be a perfect fit.
3. Your Online Reputation (Google My Business & Review Sites)
What are your current, and more importantly former, employees saying about your company? Managing your online reputation is a critical component of recruiting in the 21st century. Not only do sites like Glassdoor, Google Reviews, and Indeed, allow you to tap into larger hiring networks, it provides candidates with insight on what it is truly like to work for your company.
Businesses that embrace the feedback, and take the time to engage with those that provided it, have the most to gain. It shows potential employees that you are improving. The hard truth is that even if you choose to ignore these sites, that feedback is still being posted. Leaning into reputation management is the only tried and tested means of using these platforms to your benefit.
4. Your Team (LinkedIn & Networking)
Frequently overlooked, but never to be disregarded, is the talent that is your existing team members. Tapping into your current employees can have a profound effect on both hiring and overall office morale. You never know when you might have a team member with a hidden talent that would be great for promotion.
Similarly, their network could be filled with friends or family members that are exactly the type of employees that you are seeking. Creating shareable content for sites like LinkedIn is a great way to have your team help the recruiting effort.
5. Industry Expertise (Blogs & Neighborhood Pages)
Years ago, communities were actively engaged. So when a small business needed to hire someone, word of mouth could carry the day. Today, that can still be found but technology is the driving force. Community apps like NextDoor, are gated to only those in certain areas.
Not only can these platforms help to drum up business, but it also allows another platform for dialogue surrounding your hiring needs. This opens the door to a pool of candidates that might not be actively looking for a new job on the traditional career websites.
Get Help Hiring
Looking for that recruiting honeyhole but are not sure where to start? All of the building blocks outlined above require time and energy. Whether you are strung too thin, or simply don’t have the resources to complete these projects yourself, there are options available.
The Your Business Marketer team has a team of digital marketing experts that can assist you with all of your marketing needs, including those that have been mentioned in this article. We know the challenge that small businesses face when scaling their company, and can help you navigate the common pitfalls. We are one of the top Cleveland Digital agencies. Connect with our team to learn more about YBM and our suite of services.