Every organization today has unique recruitment needs. However, finding the right talent to fill a role poses challenges. This is a result both due to changes and developments experienced by recruiters and prospective job seekers. On the recruitment front, around 63% of hiring managers are seeing talent shortages, while a whopping 76% indicate that they have difficulties in finding the right job candidate. On the job seeker front, we see much more scrutiny being exercised and 75% of prospective candidates would not take a job with a company that had a bad reputation. This is despite the fact that they’re unemployed. 

In addition, top talent is usually off the market in 10 days. So, with this in mind, it becomes an ever greater challenge to attract talent. Although there are both traditional and modern ways to recruit, with both having their advantages and disadvantages, using a combination of strategies is possibly the best solution. But what options do organizations have at their disposal to attract the right talent? We explore this point in more detail below. 

Traditional recruitment methods

Before the onset of the internet, job postings generally took place through what are now referred to as traditional recruitment methods. These include:

• Newspapers: as one of the oldest ways of posting a job vacancy, newspapers with a high circulation would be used by employers and recruitment agencies to attract talent. Today, newspapers have online versions too, and this means that both print media and online media can be used to target talent. Essentially, newspapers are a form of direct advertising, whose purpose is to attract as many people as possible to fill out a job application. This strategy is useful because it enables recruiters to find candidates who are actively searching for jobs. However, it can be expensive and since it does not offer filtering, you might get swamped with resumes and CVs that may not be relevant to the job, thereby wasting time and resources.
• Internal hiring: internal hiring refers to transfers and promotions of already employed staff at an organization in order to fill a position. However, this leaves an empty role open, which will ultimately need to be filled as well. 
• Local employment office: another traditional method, this strategy also has the benefit of reaching out to currently unemployed candidates but their suitability for the role may be questionable.
• Temp agencies: as a highly used employment method in the past, temporary employment agencies can find and shortlist potential candidates for your organization. But the crux of the issue to be borne in mind here is that these agencies generally recruit low-skilled labor.

Modern recruitment methods

Apart from traditional recruitment methods, more modern ones have recently come to the fore with the onset of the internet. The following is a non-exhaustive list of strategies you could follow:

• Social media: we all know the power of social media in our world today. And apart from being considered for “social” networking, it’s increasingly playing centre stage with recruitment efforts. Professional platforms such as LinkedIn are a great way to view, sort, and reach out to prospective talent. Meanwhile, Facebook and Twitter are other great platforms on which candidates can be sourced. Social media provides a relatively inexpensive method of recruiting, although it will require dedication and a time commitment in order to begin the process of outreach and communication with the candidate.

• Artificial intelligence: apart from social media, artificial intelligence (AI) is also playing a dominant role in recruitment. Whether it applies sentiment analysis or uses automated chatbots, AI is being used by some organizations to help them predict which applicants will be a good fit based on personality type and work history patterns. This can yield faster and better results in the recruitment process.

• Applicant Tracking Systems: also referred to as ATS, these are on the rise in the recruitment world for several reasons. They not only help companies find relevant candidates and streamline the application process, but they also help improve efficiency, the overall candidate experience, and reduce administrative tasks. These are automated forms that are filled out by applicants online, and therefore catering to both desktop and mobile is crucial. ATS can also help with collecting applicant information, organizing candidates, and scheduling interviews in addition to other tasks related to the recruitment process. It is also a great time-saving tool and can be less expensive than other recruitment methods.

• Chatbots: these are in the foray of AI but they deserve a special mention. Chatbots are used to screen job applications prior to being passed on to a human recruiter. It’s a great way of sifting through a plethora of applications and can help save recruiters a lot of time doing the manual labor of sifting through resumes one by one.

• Virtual reality: companies these days are trying to stand out from the crowd by engaging prospective employees through virtual reality (VR). VR is a great way of “previewing” what a candidate can expect their work environment to actually be like, no matter where in the world they may be located. In addition, it enables virtual meetings with candidates in three-dimensional spaces, providing introductions to the company office, displaying the workplace culture alongside immersive experiences, etc. Overall, they’re a great modern tool for attracting talent and they signal that the work place is tech savvy and ahead of the times.

• Video interviews: after the Covid-19 pandemic, Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and other video sharing platforms have emerged as an effective means of communication. Implementing video interviews means that candidates do not have to travel hundreds of miles for an initial job interview. It’s also relatively cost effective and enables a one-on-one dialogue between the recruiter and the candidate in order to have a conversation.

• “Inbound” recruiting: this refers to the practice of readjusting what is put out about the company on various digital media sites. Information may include details about the job, although some recruiters are even taking the job title off the JD to try and attract more talent. Other aspects to consider include promoting your company culture online and providing candidates with as much information about the role and the organization as possible to help them make a more informed decision. 

• Casual/informal interviews: interviews don’t have to be a suit-and-tie event. Instead, you can offer to have a more informal interview session with a candidate at a coffee shop in a more relaxed environment. This opens up the space for more open and candid communication. 

• Events: the power of job fairs, open houses, seminars, conferences, sponsorships, and more should not be underestimated. Such events can be used to answer questions any prospects may have and even integrate the experience with a VR tour. One downside is that these events can be costly to organize. 

• Body shopping: this is where professional organizations and training institutes, which are creating a talent pool for future employment, are being approached for talent. This strategy is also known as “employee leasing”.

• Employer review sites: generating positive reviews for your organization on employer review sites is a crucial step because it gives prospective employees an opportunity to find out more about the company culture, perks, pay, and pros and cons.

• Employee referrals: relying on your internal employees to refer new talent is a cost-effective and efficient way of recruiting. Existing employees can act as great brand ambassadors and the incentive for them to bring in someone new means that they can both enjoy a financial reward but also work with friends or people they already know. 
• Recruitment agencies/Recruitment process outsourcing (RPO): recruitment agencies are great for helping you save time and efforts on finding the right candidates because they take care of the entire process for you, including doing background checks on your behalf. They are ideal for more specialist positions. 

Concluding thoughts

A blend of traditional and modern recruitment techniques is possibly the best option for attracting and finding the right talent for your organization. It’s important to remember that prospective employees are becoming increasingly tech-savvy and are deeply looking into the organization before they make the move. As a result, recruiters need to present not only the job description and what is required of a particular role. They should also focus on promoting the employer’s brand through various outreach strategies. This means that the right talent can be found much faster and at more cost-efficient rates.