RECRUITING QUALIFIED CANDIDATES
RECRUITING QUALIFIED CANDIDATES
Gaining access to qualified candidates is critical to the success of your hiring effort. You must create a pool of applicants that have the talent to fill your open opportunities. There are many ways you can accomplish this task. You need to get the word out through as many channels as possible. The key is to really utilize all channels! The word “qualified” is very important. A large pool of unqualified candidates isn’t nearly as valuable to you as a small pool of qualified candidates. Utilizing targeted, relevant channels to get the word out about your opening will help ensure that the proportion of qualified individuals in your pool is as high as possible.
Typical channels include Recruiting Firms, Networking, Newspaper Ads, Internet, Referrals from Colleagues, Trade Publications, College Campus Recruiting, Job Fairs and Professional Associations. You can also enhance your pipeline and keep it current by using programs such as partnerships with colleges, universities and community organizations. One final way to secure qualified candidates is by creating any type of Internship Program within your Company whenever possible. Internships allow you to observe candidates first hand. When you can actually observe Interns, you know whether or not you have a qualified candidate for your opportunities.
Another preferred method for surfacing qualified candidates is through employee referrals. This is a very effective way to expand your candidate pool. Many Corporations encourage employee referrals by offering monetary rewards for referrals hired. This is a win/win situation for everyone involved! This type of referral program is less costly than others and also provides high caliber applicants. When an employee refers a candidate, they are unlikely going to refer an unqualified individual.
In a candidate poor market place, it is crucial to have many sources to go to when you need to fill your openings. The better relationships you have in place with outside sources, the better results you will have when you need them! Attempt to build solid, professional and loyal relationships with anyone who can provide you with that top caliber candidate who will continue to be so difficult to find!
Nancy J. Phillips, CPC
