Teamwork is everything when it comes to bringing in the best candidates. This might not sound revolutionary, but it is critical in today’s tough talent market. Knowing this, I’ve asked my partners to share some advice to kickstart your recruiting strategies in 2023.
Here are five tips to consider.
Stay Positive
“Creating a positive candidate experience is so important. Even if you don’t have an opening, stay in touch with candidates who applied and/or interviewed that you didn’t hire. Document the process so you can find them and reach out when you do have that exciting role. To make this happen, you need a central figure within talent acquisition. You don’t want to rely on hiring managers because recruiting is just one part of their much bigger job. You need a project manager to keep your process consistent and in check.”
– Amy Stuntz, CTS, Search Consultant
Showcase Culture
“One thing I look for as a social media manager is how your company showcases culture. What are your employees doing in and out of the office? How do you create a positive work environment? You can only portray so much during an interview. Consistent, in-action content lets candidates see you in a positive light and say, ‘I could see myself being happy here.’ Share pictures from vacations to highlight your PTO policy. Post about the baby shower you threw before your employee went on parental leave. Tag a company that catered an office lunch because you support local businesses. Create videos of home office tours to showcase your remote work flexibility. Show employees receiving new certificates because of your continuing ed investments.”
– Sierra Palmer, Office and Brand Manager
Communicate
“Communication is always the first thing that jumps out to me. That goes both ways. You expect open and honest dialogue from candidates about what they are looking for. The same holds true for companies. You want to be vulnerable. The interview process isn’t the time to keep things close to the vest. Allow access to hiring managers for healthy continued dialogue with candidates. Don’t be afraid to share your hiring successes and failures. Talk about the reason for the opening. Explain what you’re really looking for in this role and don’t hold back.”
– Chris Winterboer, CPC, RHU, Senior Partner
Put Candidates at Ease
“Five years ago, I interviewed for my first professional job. The experience felt like an interrogation. Last year, when I decided to make a job change, I was nervous to interview, expecting more of the same all over again. Thankfully, I found the dynamic had changed a lot. My interviews were more relaxed. A hiring manager who understands the pressure of interviewing makes all the difference to the job seeker. Use something as simple as humor to put people at ease. You’ll find candidates are less tense and have fewer trip ups, all of which leads to a much more successful interview for everyone.”
– Jordan Hahn, Search Associate
Be Strategic
“We see many companies invest in talent acquisition and recruiting through personnel and tools, like job boards or applicant tracking systems. While recruiting and talent acquisition will always require an investment, the key is to deploy those resources in a strategically targeted way that meets your unique needs. Nearly every organization spending time and money, yet still finding themselves struggling to recruit and hire, have not taken the time to assess, diagnose, plan, and deploy an effective talent acquisition strategy. If you haven’t done this already, this is where you should begin. If you feel you have and continue to face talent acquisition challenges, you may need to bring in someone from the outside to assist.”
– Kris Gibson, CPC, Managing Partner
“Ask the Insurance Recruiter” is a monthly column written by Mary Newgard, Partner and published in partnership with Insurance Journal Magazine. Visit Insurance Journal Magazine’s website for a complete list of previous articles. For questions and comments, email Mary at mnewgard@csgrecruiting.com.