Creative Ways to Find Employees

An estimated 47.4 million Americans left their jobs in 2021. And while unemployment drastically decreased by the end of the year, there were still more open positions than unemployed people to fill them by December.  Food service, hospitality manufacturing, education and health services are among the hardest hit industries and continue to struggle to find employees.

If your organization has been straining to fill open positions, you may be asking yourself “where are all the applicants?” The answer is that HR departments and recruiting firms need to be creative in how they find employees.

Create a Compelling Pitch to Potential Applicants

The industry has shifted from a recruiting strategy to a marketing strategy. Employees in today’s market have a wealth of opportunity – from remote positions to drastic salary increases to competitive benefits. Simply posting open positions is not enough to make your position rise to the top. To break through to potential applicants, companies must present a compelling call to action.

Early last year, Osage Casinos made the bold decision to increase its minimum hourly wage to $12 and offer a $1,000 sign on bonus for select positions. This strategic decision impacted roughly 700 employees and clearly communicated that this organization was serious about investing in its employees.

Likewise, the Tulsa Housing Authority focused its messaging on a competitive benefits package. Employees receive 11% 401(k) contributions, 14 paid holidays, 12 sick days and a $1,000 sign on bonus for select positions. All of these are creative ways to pique the interest of potential employees who are interested in a long-term career change.

Market to Potential Employees

Get creative in your recruiting efforts beyond posting open positions on job board sites such as Indeed or ZipRecruiter. Use social media, such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram to increase awareness of hiring opportunities. Employee videos and blogs can also be a compelling tool to show success stories. In addition, these are great ways to post fresh content for social media channels.

However, the reality is that simply posting on social media is not going to get you the volume of applicants you need to fill your open positions. These are outbound strategies that don’t generate inbound leads unless someone is actively searching for a job.

The average Facebook post only reaches 5.2% of the people who “like” your page. This means that if you have 1,000 people following your page, only 52 people might see that content. Most people who like your page are already past or current employees, or they may be customers who have a low likelihood of becoming employees. Suddenly, those 52 people who see your post may not be the right people you’re trying to target.

Amplify Your Recruitment Strategies

Increased competition and a surplus of open positions mean HR departments need to think outside the box to find job applicants. Highly targeted forms of advertising can make a big impact on the number of quality applicants human resources attract. Traditional advertising, such as radio ads, may seem old school. But with the help of a skilled media buyer, it can be a low-cost and strategic platform to connect with potential employees.

We are also seeing great success with digital advertising on Google, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. By targeting potential employees by interest and user behavior, HR departments can reach potential candidates who may traditionally be difficult to recruit. One recent campaign generated an additional 2,400 clicks to our client’s careers page and garnered 1.6 million impressions. Even after the campaign completed, these efforts fueled brand recognition among potential employees for future positions.

Improve the User Experience and Application Process

One of the cardinal rules of digital marketing is to reduce the number of clicks a user needs to make before they get the information they need. If you don’t have a dedicated careers page on your website, it will be difficult for interested applicants to find open positions.

Clearly highlight where potential employees should apply and put any benefits front and center. This page should also sell the culture of your organization with employee success stories and a message from your company’s leadership. For employees who are currently employed, this could be the thing that sets you apart and prompts a move.

If you’ve been struggling to fill open positions or find employees, you are not alone. Marketing to potential employees, attracting applicants and retaining talent are challenges all organizations are currently trying to overcome. With the right marketing strategies, you can reach new audiences be on track to reach your workforce recruitment goals.