The Value of Innovation in the Recruiting Process

Today’s labour market is proving to be more and more challenging for employers. There are lots of jobs out there and not enough skilled talent to do the work. A recent report released from ManpowerGroup indicates that 32% of employers are having difficulty filling their positions due to labour shortages. In Canada the findings are even higher at 36%.

This means that employers have to get really innovative when recruiting. It isn’t enough to post the position and expects lots of resumes to flood in. We are seeing this in our office every day and we are getting more and more creative in finding those perfect employees with the exact skill set needed.

If you are having difficulty filling your open positions, it might be time to get innovative with your recruiting processes. It can be hard to come up with new ways to fill your position, so here are four strategies to get your innovative marketing juices flowing!

1. Be an Undercover Boss – Get in the trenches and do the job yourself for a period of time. There is no better way to fully understand a role than to try and do it. You will see it with fresh eyes and will understand the good, the bad and the ugly about the position quickly. This makes it easier to identify the kind of person you need to do the work, and to identify where they might be currently working so that you can target them in your recruitment.

2. Be Unemployed – Update your resume and start looking for work. See what it is like to be a job seeker, take notes about what other companies are doing to enhance your experience as a candidate. Take those ideas and go one step further in your company to make the candidate experience even better.

3. Be the One – Consider yourself to be your next hire and look online for that position. How are other people advertising and recruiting for the position you are recruiting for? Where are they posting? How are they describing the work?

4. Be Curious – Talk to people who are currently doing the work in your company and ask them – where would they go to look for work? When they were looking, what enticed them to consider your company? What do they think would be a good way to promote your job opening?

There are lots of jobs out there and it is important for you to stand out in the crowd. Read through our recently shared Social Media and Recruitment blog post as there are may be some ideas there that will also spur your creativity.

Your Engaged Assignment: Follow these strategies and get creative. Make time for recruitment and really think through how you are going to source your candidates. The more ideas you have the better, because the right one just might be in the list!