The holiday season is upon us, and in the festive spirit, we bring you our very own '12 Days of Recruiting'! Just like the 12 Days of Christmas, IQTalent has wrapped up 12 cheerful recruiting tips to add a little jingle to your hiring process. So, get cozy by the fireplace and get ready to unwrap these festive recruiting tips!
Many companies tend to slow down their recruitment efforts during the holiday season as employees take time off for vacations and family gatherings. However, this does not mean that your hiring process should come to a halt. In fact, the holiday season can be a great opportunity to attract top talent who may be looking for new job opportunities in the new year.
With that in mind, let's dive into our 12 Days of Recruiting and discover ways to make your recruitment process merrier and brighter!
Unwrap the gift of efficiency with @IQTalent's 12 Days of Recruiting Tips! Check it out in their blog:12 Days of Recruiting Tips
- Efficiency First: Through analyzing and improving a client’s hiring process, I’ve found it’s best to front-load any automated tests or assessments in the interview process. Basically, if there are any stages of the interview process that do not require live interaction from the people on the hiring team, they should be placed at the front of the interview process to maximize efficiency and preserve the hiring team's time. - Ryan Sheehy, Sr. Associate at IQTalent
- Building Genuine Relationships: One of the most valuable aspects of recruiting is establishing authentic connections with candidates. Take the time to get to know them, understand their career aspirations, and build trust. These relationships can lead to long-lasting partnerships and successful placements.
- I always ask for referrals from every single person I am engaging with. I was sourcing for an Executive Director role for a non-profit, and I sourced and messaged somebody who responded that they were not interested, so I then went ahead and thanked them for their time and asked them for a referral. I asked them if they knew anyone who could be interested, and they referred me to someone with a completely bare-bones LinkedIn profile that would never have come up in my search because no keywords were listed. I messaged this person, and they were interested, and they were the person that was hired. - Joe Goudreau, Recruiter/Engagement Leader at IQTalent
- Play the Social Media Game: In today's digital age, social media is a goldmine for finding top talent. Embrace platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Instagram to connect with potential candidates. Engage with their content, share industry insights, and showcase your company's culture. You'll be surprised at how many talented individuals you can discover through social media.
- Finding Niche Candidates: I worked on a project last fall where I had to fill a very specific role for an Associate Vice President in a department related to agricultural and natural resources. This role is quite niche, with only a limited number of people across the nation working in similar positions at universities. To find suitable candidates, I focused my search on relevant organizations in the client's state, such as the Agricultural Council, the local Conservation Corps, and the Farm Bureau. It was exciting to discover that most individuals working in this field are interconnected, making it easier to find potential candidates within these organizations. This approach proved very effective for finding these sorts of niche candidates. - Elizabeth Earls, Talent Acquisition Specialist at IQTalent
- Reframe Rejections: Picture this - you receive a rejection from a candidate, and it stings a bit. But don't let it bring you down! Instead, turn it into a chance to learn and grow. Reach out to the candidate, thank them sincerely for their time, and show genuine appreciation. Then, ask if they know anyone who could be a perfect fit for the role or if they have any referrals. You never know; this simple conversation could lead you to your next star recruit.
- Encourage a Positive Candidate Experience: The candidate experience is crucial in today's competitive job market. Ensure that every interaction with candidates is positive, respectful, and transparent. Keep them updated throughout the hiring process, provide constructive feedback, and make them feel valued. A great candidate experience can leave a lasting impression and even turn candidates into brand ambassadors.
- Leverage Acquisitions: Sourcing within new acquisitions that a company has acquired. I was working with a midsize EdTech company who just acquired a smaller company. We had some open roles that were very challenging to work with, and I asked if I could source through the list of people coming over in the acquisition and see if they could be a good fit for the roles that we were actively hiring for. The client thought that this was a strange request but ultimately approved. We were able to take two folks from that new acquisition coming in and level them up to the roles that we were hiring for. - Joe Goudreau, Recruiter/Engagement Leader at IQTalent
- Become An Expert at Tailoring Job Descriptions: Gone are the days of generic job descriptions. To attract top talent, tailor your job postings to be captivating and engaging. Highlight the unique aspects of your company, the exciting challenges of the role, and the opportunities for growth. Show candidates why your organization is the perfect fit for them.
- Getting Creative: I was on a client, and they were not ultra-competitive with compensation. We were off about 10,000 dollars from what the candidate wanted, and there was no room in the budget. After talking this through with the candidate and the client and working with the candidate to get them to sign, we were able to get an extra week of PTO approved and increased the offer from 3 weeks to 4 weeks of PTO. The candidate signed and was hired. - Joe Goudreau, Recruiter/Engagement Leader at IQTalent
- Embracing Diversity and Inclusion: Building a diverse and inclusive workforce is not only the right thing to do, but it also brings immense value to your organization. Actively seek out candidates from diverse backgrounds and create an inclusive hiring process. Foster a culture where everyone feels welcome and celebrated. Remember, diversity drives innovation and success.
- Strategize How You Use Referrals. Referrals, in my experience, typically flow down. Most people refer candidates whom they have managed before, people maybe a level or two lower than them, or people adjacent/on the same level as them in their careers. In my experience, very rarely do people refer candidates who are a level or two or several levels above them. One of my sourcing strategies is to target candidates that are a level or two above what I'm looking for. I do this for two reasons. The first is that sometimes they could be interested in the opportunity. The second is that if they're not interested, we can still connect and be a part of each other’s professional networks, and they may know somebody in their network who's interested and who they can connect me with. I was working for a mid-size gaming studio where I intentionally focused on sourcing for roles that were at a higher level than I was looking for and came across someone who could refer me to a candidate with the right amount of experience and who was the correct level. That person was hired. - Joe Goudreau, Recruiter/Engagement Leader at IQTalent
From maximizing efficiency to building genuine relationships, these tips can make your recruitment process merrier and brighter. Embrace the holiday season as an opportunity to connect with potential candidates and reframe rejections as chances to learn and grow. With these strategies in mind, make the most of the festive spirit and ace your recruiting game.
Ready to wrap up your recruiting challenges? Partner with IQTalent and let our expertise turn your hiring process into a jolly good success! Reach out and get started with us today.
