As any hiring or business manager today knows, the talent acquisition landscape is tough.
Unemployment remains at record lows and the so-called “Great Resignation” is still in full swing, as employees across industries reimagine their careers to fit evolving priorities. In such an environment, hiring can no longer be by the book, fitting a mold that was created in a much different atmosphere. Instead, employers serious about attracting top talent—and keeping them—must be willing to innovate and perhaps even experiment in order to find the right talent for the right role at the right time.
A major component of any talent acquisition strategy is where you’re looking for talent. In a different hiring context, an organization might have one tried and true method, such as a favorite job board, social media platforms or in-person hiring events. However, putting all of your energies into just one pool of candidates, in a hiring landscape as competitive as today’s is, may leave you sorely lacking for talent. Instead, diversify your hiring channels to ensure you’re reaching the most—and broadest swatch of—candidates.
Even if the business is already relying on multiple modes of hiring, this is a good time to rethink the type of talent you’re targeting through them. For instance, social media is playing an increasingly critical role in hiring at many organizations. According to recent Glassdoor research, nearly 85% of organizations surveyed are using social media to recruit job applicants. However, as the world of work evolves, so too does how potential employees are looking for work. When it comes to social media, LinkedIn has long been considered the top channel for recruiting high-level and executive roles, while platforms like Facebook have traditionally been where recruiters search for more entry-level candidates.
In today’s environment, however, where candidates are holding more and more of the power when it comes to the hiring process, savvy applicants across all levels are recognizing the hiring opportunities, particularly for advanced positions, on sites such as LinkedIn and moving their searches there. So, employers too should change up the game: Look for entry-level recruits on LinkedIn and executive roles on Facebook and see what the results are. Being willing to take a chance and try something new in today’s challenging world of hiring can make the difference.
Paid advertising is another area where employers can be more exploratory to create new opportunities. Features like instream advertising on Facebook, sponsored content on LinkedIn or video ads on Instagram all help you meet your candidates where they are and allow you to showcase your organization in creative and relevant ways.
While hiring today may take some extra ingenuity, the work is worth it—as the organizations that invest the energy to diversify where they’re finding their talent, and that are open to looking in new places, are the ones that will ultimately win the talent war.
