Fewer than one-in-four employees — 23 percent — are actively searching for a job, according to a CEB survey involving more than 20,000 employees in 40 countries
In addition, more than 40 percent plan to stay at their current employer through next spring, suggesting competition for available talent is likely to be fierce for the remainder of 2016.
In today’s market, convincing top candidates you’re the best employment choice isn’t always easy.
As a result, some organizations — including the four listed below — are utilizing creative recruitment programs to find and attract qualified hires. Could any of their methods work for you?
Personalized contact with top candidates
After difficulties finding qualified talent on job posting sites, video game company Red 5 Studios identified 100 ideal candidates; researched their preferences on social media sites and blogs and sent each one a customized iPod with a recorded message from the company’s CEO, according to Bloomberg.
The result? More than 90 recipients replied, three left their position to join Red 5 Studios — and the recruitment campaign helped raise the company’s profile, attracting additional potential hires.
Reaching out to candidates in their work environment
Creative agency 180LA used Snapchat geofilters in its recent recruitment program, targeting several West Coast tech companies and ad agencies with social media manager candidates who would likely be on Snapchat, according to Adweek. The messages contained application instructions and other information; more than 40 potential candidates contacted the company within 10 hours.
Targeting top candidates where they play
When B2B agency Gyro decided to hire in its Manchester and London offices, the company sponsored a month-long recruitment campaign designed to reach high-quality candidates through an ad printed on 100,000 sandwich bags that were distributed at independent cafes near its competitors.
Offer a visual depiction of what the job is like
Sixty-seven percent of employers believe retention rates would be higher if candidates had a clearer picture of what to expect before accepting a position, according to a survey from job information site Glassdoor.
The Swedish Armed Forces, which has created a number of unique recruitment campaigns in recent years — including releasing a teamwork-based video game — embraced that recruitment campaign concept last year when it let interested parties video chat with four enlisted, on-duty members to find out more about what their jobs involve.
When your organization finds it has an open position to fill, you can employ a number of other methods to recruit top candidates — using social media recruiting, passive recruiting, employee alumni networks and other recruitment program techniques.
However, your recruitment efforts will be more successful if you establish a talent pipeline to ensure you have a consistent amount of high quality candidates before you urgently need them. If your organization hasn’t already created one, find out how to get started.