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10 Hiring Tips For Sourcing Right Candidate Data

Successful recruiting in today’s job market requires that hiring managers learn to source and utilize the most relevant candidate data in their hiring process. Let’s take a look at how a complete comprehensive recruiting platform can help your company take the guesswork out of the hiring process while improving the quality and speed of getting to closure.

Rapid advances in technology and ways in which people communicate and network has quickly rendered old methods of recruiting obsolete. The Society for Human Resource Management recently reported that the average job listing takes well over one month to fill. This means that recruiters using antiquated methods are not reaching their target audience because of fundamental changes in the hiring culture.

Here are 10 tips for candidate data sourcing that when used in conjunction with modern recruiting software can make your hiring experience a pleasant one.

1. Do Your Homework and ask for relevant applicant information

Getting a complete understanding of the position you are hiring for is critical. Hastily scanning over the job requirements can lead you to search for the wrong terms and come up with a batch of irrelevant results. If you come across terms in the job description that you are not familiar with, research them until you understand the meanings of technical lingo and acronyms like ROI (return on investment) and ISO (International Organization for Standardization.)

Also, make sure the job title is consistent with the most current terms. Searching antiquated job titles is another way to get useless candidate data.

2. Reach Across the Aisle

Once you understand the fundamentals of the position you are going to fill, remember that in a tech savvy world there are a growing number of professionals with transferable skills. For example, if you are looking to fill an Information Security Analyst position, including that term along with Web Developer and Computer Systems Analyst in your search terms can yield a more fertile batch of results. Similarly, workers in the non-tech world also possess adaptable aptitudes. A job opening for Aircraft Mechanic and Service Technician might easily be filled by a candidate with experience as a Transportation Inspector.

3. Network with Potential Candidates

Once your initial search yields results, realize that you are tapping into a potentially large network of candidate data. A potential recruit that you contact may not be currently looking for a new position, however, they may know someone in their field who is. One of the tenets of successful selling is to ask for the sale and it applied here. When you are speaking with a candidate who is not currently available, simply ask them if they can refer you to anyone who might be looking for a great opportunity.

4. Use a Diverse Social Recruiting Strategy

Personal preference relegates some people to specific social platforms, that’s why it is important to broadcast your recruiting message across LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Google+. A comprehensive social recruiting initiative will ensure that you curate candidate data from various public sources including relevant social platforms where the individual may have chosen to share their profile and other information relevant to their experience.

5. Filling Positions through Employee Referrals

A valuable recruiting resource is the pool of talent who is currently helping create job openings: your employees. Reaching out to your staff for candidate data is a great way to pre-qualify applicants and to create trust and goodwill within the company. Referral incentives are helpful here, and they don’t necessarily have to be super-generous or lavish.

A nice reward will help drive referrals, however, and considering the time it may save you — investing in an attractive referral rewards program is worth the money. Also, making the referral process quick and easy will increase the number of employees who engage in it. Lastly, don’t forget to extend due gratitude. Recognize top referrers, even a “thank you” from their direct manager gives them high levels of satisfaction at work.

6. Candidate Data Management

Implementing hiring software to  manage candidate data during the recruiting process is a key way to save time and money in the future. By keeping potential employees engaged through email and platform messaging, you can leverage your current recruiting efforts for future gain. Instead of doing the work twice to locate qualified recruits, you can stay connected with the current batch which can save you from doubling your recruiting efforts down the road.

7. Carefully Review Candidate Information

Any resume rendered by your candidate data search can result in a good hire. Regardless of how long ago a resume was posted, what may seem like a passive candidate may actually be someone who is actively searching. Remember there are lots of job boards and recruiting sites out there. A potential employee may not have gotten around to updating their resume on every single one of them. Also, remember that an individual with a resume that matches your search criteria can also become a great source for a referral and someone to stay engaged with through effective candidate relationship management.

8. There’s Power in Numbers

It is a prudent practice to avoid the FIFO method (First In, First Out) and to instead go with the BIFO (Best In, First Out) strategy. This means that you should not submit the first two or three candidate data matches for consideration after contacting them. Rather, you should contact a minimum of 10 to 15 qualified candidates, analyze and distill the data down to the top two or three and proceed from there.

9. Successful Employer Branding

Managing and tailoring your employment brand to be friendly, helpful and easy to navigate will drive referrals and hiring conversions. A simple and straightforward application platform is the most successful strategy to date. A cumbersome, redundant and impersonal application process is part of an antiquated paradigm and what has proved to be a feature that drives potential recruits away and squanders your efforts to gather useful candidate data.

10. Cast a Wide Net

A comprehensive recruitment marketing campaign involving multiple sources including job-boards as well as social platforms, is a good way to cull the most candidate data. Distribute your message across skill-specific blogs, industry specific job boards and of course, trade-related groups on all major social media platforms.

Gathering candidate data for your next hiring initiative does not have to be a mystery or a shot in the dark. Rather, it can be a streamlined undertaking by using state-of-the-art recruitment software, networking, social media, and simply asking for a bit of information from qualified sources.

Photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash