6 Reasons You’re Missing Out on Talented Hires

Have you tried filling a job vacancy at your company recently and had a hard time finding a promising candidate? You are not alone. According to a study by NFIB, 48% of small businesses surveyed reported finding few or no qualified applicants for their open positions.

While traditional talent scouting methods still work, if you want to find and hire the best talent you have to get creative.

Not taking advantage of all of the resources available to you will greatly hinder your job search. Below are 6 big reasons why your business is missing out on talented hires.

#1 – You’re not mobilizing your team to scout for talent

One of the most effective talent magnets is right in front of you – your team. Chances are, they are running in the same circle as the talent you’re looking for and already know someone who might potentially be a good fit for the company, you just haven’t asked them yet. The next time you’re on the lookout for a new employee, try tapping into your team for referrals and consider offering a referral bonus for any successful referral.

#2 – You’re not being open to new channels

Job seekers no longer look for opportunities on job boards alone. They utilize different channels to market their talents creatively. HR shouldn’t be confined to just the traditional online platforms and instead should think outside of the box when trying to find new talents. Looking for employees should extend to social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and personal websites.

Apart from having access to a larger pool of candidates, social media channels also provide additional facts outside the information that candidates include in their resumes such as mutual connections, interests, and behavior based on what they post and share online.

#3 – You’re not putting your best foot forward online

Candidates naturally prefer to be hired by prestigious companies – and most of the time, they do background checks. They check out websites, social media pages, and other accessible information online. When you search your company’s name online, what do you find? Not having a robust presence on these platforms prevents your potential candidates from learning more information about you. Updating your company portfolio, regularly sharing news and updates on your website, and utilizing different social media channels such as posting regular blog entries on LinkedIn are great ways to attract candidates with compelling content.

#4 – You’re scrimping on benefits and compensation packages.

Quality employees are not only hard to find, but they are also expensive to hire. If you want a great person to join your team, you have to be ready to pay a certain price. This doesn’t always mean paying them a higher salary. Try making your compensation package robust and attractive by adding cool perks or being extra generous with your benefits such as free lunch Friday or doubling the number of vacation days.

Related Content: [Free Report]: Zenefits Small Business Benefits Benchmark Report

#5 – You have stringent and inflexible rules

No single applicant will be able to fit your job description to a T so don’t assume you’ll find the “perfect candidate.” An applicant might be overqualified in some aspects of your job description and fall short on others. Ultimately it’s attitude and drive that determine the success or failure of a candidate. Never turn down a potentially good hire just because you think they don’t meet one small aspect that you’re looking for. Taking a chance on a promising candidate and training them instead might yield better results in the long run.

#6 – You are refusing to invest in third-party resources

Headhunters interact with potential candidates on a daily basis. This makes them a great resource for finding new talent – especially if you’re scouting for someone senior. Unsurprisingly, their services don’t come cheap. However, they do have access to high-quality candidates and even inside information on specific industries. The next time you need to fill an important role, try reaching out to headhunters. Chances are, they already know a good starting point for finding your next hire.

Bottom Line

If you are looking for talented hires and feel like you’re not getting anywhere, there’s a good chance you’re limiting yourself by not looking in the right places or exploring all your options.

While looking for potential candidates is not an easy task, expanding your search horizons and being more unconventional with your hiring approach might make things a little easier for you.

We hope the tips we shared above will help make your next employee hunt go a little more smoothly!

Related Content: 5 Ways to be a More Efficient HR Manager