Recruiting Optimization

How to attract more ACTIVE job seekers...without spending more

Strategies to Increase Response

1. Have a great job to promote!

   • The more desirable the job, the easier it is to market.
   • Focus on what you can offer to the candidate, not on what the candidate can offer to you.
   • Strive to make your job and your company more desirable.
     • consider pay, training, opportunity for skill development and advancement, work environment, commute time, etc.
       
       

2. Rethink your strategy on job posts.

   • Forget the dull, me-too job titles and typical list of requirements.
   • Define your ideal candidate in your post.
   • Sell the opportunity.
     • Why is this a great job? Who is the best candidate for this job?
   • Differentiate by the language you use.
     • Think like a travel agent - sell the destination!
   • Be upfront about pay and benefits.
     • Posts with pay rates get more response. And more qualified response!
       
       

3. Get every job on your firm's website.

   • Make sure the jobs are really ON YOUR SITE - not on the URL of your staffing software.
   • Make sure every job can be seen by search engines.
   • Make sure each job can be individually optimized (see below).
     
     

4. Optimize the job titles and content.

   
   • Include keywords in the job title, such as specific industries or relevant industry jargon.
   • Include geographic location in the job title and/or the URL of the individual job.
   • Include the word "job" in the URL of the position.
   • Include keywords and keyword phrases in the headlines and body copy.
   • Link keyword phrases back to other pages in your website.
   • Consider writing about the same job different ways - with unique job titles and descriptions.
   • Blog! Blogging is awesome for SEO.
     • Write blog posts about specific job opportunities (even if those jobs are already on your job board).
     • Write posts about the employers you serve.

5. Distribute your jobs...for free!

   • Feed jobs to Simply Hired, Glassdoor, Indeed and other sites that will take them at no cost.
   • Grab an RSS feed of your jobs and push them to Twitter.
   • Grab an RSS feed of jobs for each recruiter and push them to the recruiter's LinkedIn status updates.
   • Share jobs (selectively) on Facebook and LinkedIn - this needs to be done manually.
     • Each recruiter should share jobs they own with their networks.
     • Jobs can be shared as status updates (individuals or company) and with relevant groups.
   • Manually post job info to Google+.
   • Share jobs with other local job sites (colleges, state agencies, etc.).
     
     

6. Develop a talent network.

   
   • Invite your candidates to opt-in for job alerts.
     • Ask every candidate during the interview process.
     • Ask people to opt-in on your website.
     • Email candidates you've worked with in the past to invite them to join.
     • Actively solicit (and reward) referrals.
   • Automatically share new opportunities that match each person's interests.
   • Push weekly hot job emails to your network.
   • Share monthly career advice and other information to nurture relationships with your talent network.
   • Encourage referrals and reactivate old candidates.
     • Have a refer-a-friend option promoted right in your job posts.
     • Provide good rewards for referrals who get placed.
   • Connect with your candidates on LinkedIn and Facebook (either via your company page or individual recruiters).
     • The more connections you have, the more people will see your jobs on social media.
   • Share weekly featured jobs on Facebook.
     
     

7. Network with your clients.

   • Offer to help place people they recruit but do not want to hire.
   • Ask them for help when you are struggling to find the right talent.
     
     

8. Consider PPC (pay-per-click advertising).

   • Use Google Adwords to recruit people who are actively searching for specific types of job opportunities.
   • Use Facebook-sponsored stories to recruit people who match your target demographic criteria.
   • If you are recruiting for a senior-level role, consider LinkedIn-sponsored updates to market directly to specific people in target companies.
   • Use Google remarketing to keep your firm top-of-mind (your ads will follow job seekers around the Internet as they visit websites that are part of Google's advertising network).
     
     

9. Don't forget offline marketing.

   • Job fairs.
   • Local community involvement - strengthen your recruiting brand.
   • Become a best place to work.
   • Study your candidate experience and determine how to offer a better experience than other staffing firms AND other direct employers.
     
     

To attract more active jobs seekers, get more active!

When it comes to recruiting for temporary staffing (and even many full-time jobs), active job seekers are ideal. The challenge is to get your jobs found, make your jobs stand out from other openings, and make it easy for people to respond. The more you do to elevate your brand, increase distribution for your jobs, improve your SEO, and sell your opportunities, the more successful your recruiting efforts will be.