The state of Massachusetts’ unemployment rate dropped to 4.5 percent, which is great for the economy, but makes a Recruiter’s job a bit more difficult. At times like these a Recruiter has to work smarter and be creative to capture the right candidate pool for a hard-to-fill position. Of course, depending on the role, there are different avenues you can take to source the right person for a job. Here are a few that have worked for me.
Partner with schools and/or outside organizations
Make connections with local tech schools, colleges and universities. Each of these organizations has a career center, and I suggest establishing a relationship with leader of the department. This will be a great help when those entry-level sales, accounting or marketing roles come your way.
Keep in touch with your network
Maintain and sustain the relationships you have created with the candidates you have helped place into rewarding careers. I am a firm believer that WOM (word-of-mouth) marketing will never die. These folks are your biggest cheerleaders who will recommend your talents, and refer you to some of the best in their network.
Personality > Skills
Don’t count out the person who has 70%-80% of the skills for a role along with a dynamite personality and work ethic. Richard Branson is a believer in this model. Branson says in Business Insider, “Don’t be afraid of hiring mavericks. Somebody who thinks a little differently…. some of the best people we’ve ever hired didn’t seem to fit in at first, but proved to be indispensable over time.”
What other tips to you have for finding the right candidate to fill your company’s open roles? Tweet us @TheDavisCos.
