Hiring in any Industry is Difficult. Here Are 4 Ideas to Make it Easier!

The perfect hiring scenario looks something like this. You post a well-written job description, receive three outstanding candidates, set interviews, make an offer, and get an acceptance. It sounds dreamy, but we know it never happens that way.

Even as the economy slows down, hiring has not (as of July 2023, we had 1.4 jobs open for everyone working: BLS). For employers needing to hire at all levels, the frustration of filling these available jobs is super frustrating.  

Many employers have changed how they hire to get more hires in the current marketplace. They have looked at everything from job descriptions to application processes. Here are four ideas that may help your hiring process produce quality hires.

1. Mobile applications are not optimized. Most job seekers access your job listings (no matter where you have them listed), and when they apply, they are redirected to your application tracking system (ATS). Less than 10% of these potential hires fully complete the application process.  This is a huge problem. To fix it, give job seekers a quick form to capture relevant information that they can use to start a conversation and follow up with a “complete your application” link. Job seekers on mobile devices have difficulty navigating ATS systems since they are usually limited to time (looking at jobs during lunch) and may not return to complete your long application process. 
2. Waiting for the perfect candidate. The State of Florida hired us to hire 435 customer service people (including 50 lawyers) in 90 days. To pull this off, we used job simulation screening technology and video interviews to create a hiring package the managers would give a thumbs up or down. There were no interviews or resumes, and every candidate who applied had the opportunity to get hired. So many of the hires have gone on to become supervisors as well as move to other departments with promotions. If any of them had to fill out the State of Florida online application and submit a resume, we predict over 90% would have never gotten an interview. The bottom line is that many job seekers may read differently than the job description, but if hired, they may be your best hire.
3. Taking too long to hire. What do you do if you interview an outstanding candidate within the first couple of days of recruiting? Do you move forward or wait to “see more candidates”? The longer you wait, the more likely you will lose that candidate. A couple of things you can do. First, make sure you are 100% transparent in your recruiting process. Please tell the candidate that you want them to move through your process. Secondly, set a second interview to keep them excited and interested. Communication with a top candidate is critical.
4. Increase job marketing budget. Work with a recruitment digital marketing agency (like Shaker) to create a marketing plan to get your hard-to-fill jobs in front of the correct audience. This can be a game changer and attract job seekers who never knew you existed. Also, post some of your hard-to-fill jobs on your social platforms. If 10,000 people follow your company on Facebook or LinkedIn, post about some of your job openings.