In 2023, sourcing candidates can be a daunting task. It can take weeks and even months for you to source those hard-to-find candidates who are great matches for the positions you are trying to fill.
This can be experienced in industries where there is a high demand for top employees like product managers, estimators, project managers, etc. Sourcing for such candidates can be very challenging.
But, for any organization, especially those that wish to stay above their competitors, sourcing and recruiting top talent will always be a high priority to achieve your future goals.
So, if you have been searching for top candidates to fill positions in building materials or commercial construction, we’ve curated our hand-picked “panel of experts” combined with 5 of our own tips to bring you actionable strategies you can use in 2023 and beyond to more effectively source those hard-to-find candidates.
Tip #1: Identify the Ideal Personality
Maëlle De Francesco: “Beyond the job description, you need to understand the persona of the individual who will succeed in this role and department.”
“Start by shooting for the stars. Who is the dream candidate for this role? What will they bring to the table? What previous experience will allow them to excel in the job. You also want to consider the corporate culture so you know what kind of personality will fit in best with the existing team.”
Tip #2: Perfect your outreach messages for sourcing candidates
Lever shares: “Improve your response rates by focusing on the things that matter to each type of candidate.”
“Knowing your audience is crucial to writing a strong outreach message. While 78 percent of sales professionals said they would accept less money to work at a company selling something compelling, 66 percent of healthcare professionals are likely to accept less money to work at a company with a great culture. Improve your response rates by focusing on the things that matter to each type of candidate.”
Tip #3: Take advantage of referrals
If you have been searching for candidates to occupy positions like VP of Marketing, Marketing
Manager or Director of Sales, you might want to try out the referral method.
Referrals are an incredibly simple strategy to implement. All you need to do is ask your
employees to refer you to some of their peers, who they feel are qualified and interested in the
open positions within your organization.
It’s a method that has been proven effective, as up to 82% of recruiters reported that they
found their best employees through referrals. Implement referral recruiting by using incentives
that make it difficult for your employees to pass up. You can run social media contests with a
juicy prize for the person that refers the most people to your organization within a stipulated
period.
Tip #4: Source for future (unopen) roles
Kate Kandefer shares: “The most productive sources are so
advanced at sourcing talent that they are already scouring for
roles that aren’t yet open.”
“Such is their enthusiasm for their employee recruitment strategy. It
pays off to enquire about your employer’s business growth plans within
the next two years.
Establishing roughly when, in what department, and how many extra roles are necessary is vital
in planning for your strategy. Once you have an idea where growth is needed, agreeing with HR
and Finance on the level and skill sets required – you can begin to build your ideal personas for
the roles you’re trying to fill.”
Tip #5: Boost your company brand
Did you know that your employer brand can have a considerable impact on your ability to attract and hire hard-to-find talent for management positions?
The most skilled prospects are usually approached by more than one organization. And these hard-to-find talents compare these organizations to see which of them is more appealing and has the best culture fit for them.
Therefore, creating a desirable employer brand is crucial to attracting hard-to-find talent and achieving long-term success.
Tip #6: Set up career paths to appeal to driven employees
One of the best ways to make your organization stand out is to set up up career paths and make it clear that there is room to grow.
Start by outlining some of the career goals you could offer, as well as the proper training needed to achieve them.
With these goals clearly defined, you’ll have an easier time attracting employees that are loyal, driven, and ambitious.
Tip #7: Keep an open line of communication
If you want to keep the interest and trust of the candidates you have found, you must keep an open line of communication so they stay engaged.
Make sure they are informed about your organization’s hiring process.
By keeping a constant line of communication, you can quickly source and recruit the best candidates for your role.
Tip #8: Expand your social network sourcing
Nikoletta Bika shares: “other social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are trending up as methods of sourcing.”
“Say social network sourcing and LinkedIn immediately comes to mind. Most people have a LinkedIn profile, so qualified candidates are ample on its platform. But, other social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are trending up as methods of sourcing. An engaged company presence on various platforms can help you communicate with and attract talented people. Think about which platforms are more relevant to your search criteria.”
Leverage Social Media Job Boards
Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter are places where prospective candidates hang out. Some of these prospects are highly skilled individuals looking for opportunities to prove themselves when employed.
LinkedIn Job Boards
Prospective candidates may not check job boards often. But they are usually highly active on social platforms.
If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, create one. Then click the ‘Jobs’ icon at the top of your profile’s homepage. search the job fields or enter a company name or select from several job roles presented by LinkedIn, thanks to its algorithms.
Facebook Jobs
You can easily see job postings in your News Feed or find them by checking out the left column of your News Feed. You can enter the following link in order to see jobs at nearby businesses. And if you want to get notified about the latest job openings, click the ‘Subscribe’ button in the right column.
If you still doubt the power of social media recruitment, be informed that 39% of recruiters claimed to have found their best candidates on LinkedIn.
Tip #10: Consider recruitment firms to source hard-to-find talent
As the race to find and recruit top talent is a competitive one, trying to source these hard-to-find candidates is, when trying to do it yourself, often a time-consuming endeavor that many organizations just aren’t able to do.
However, with recruitment firms, they are skilled in finding and attracting top talent and can save you time and money by narrowing the search down to just a few suitable candidates.
Also, as a bonus, these firms often have a large, pre-existing pool of candidates that have been pre-screened and referenced, that you can access as well.
Summary
Successfully sourcing hard-to-find candidates requires you to have a plan. Otherwise, you’ll end up wasting lots of time and energy with your sourcing process.
However, through a combination of modern approaches (social media, talent acquisition software, boosting your employer brand) and traditional recruiting techniques (perfecting candidate engagement, referrals), you can go out and attract the hard-to-find talent for your organization.
If you are looking for someone to take the heavy lifting off your shoulders, our experienced team of recruiters at Definitive Search Partners is here to help.
When looking for the right recruiting firm, the key is to search for one that will collaborate with you, prioritize your needs, and simplify the hiring process in any way they can.
Schedule a free discovery call to ask us all your questions on how we can source top talent for your hiring needs.
BOOK A FREE 15-MINUTE DISCOVERY CALL HERE
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