Whether you are recruiting because you have a vacancy, or are simply being proactive and building your talent bank, you should leverage the most efficient methods to find the right people. Some recruitment goals are:

• Identifying the talent needed to do the job.
• Attracting the candidates who best match your needs.
• Promoting your company as a dynamic place where people want to work, known as employer brand.

Firstly, there are two pools from which to select employees: internal and external. Before you begin your external search, the most qualified person for your vacancy may already be working for you. A “promote-from-within” policy can serve to boost employee morale, attract recruits looking for advancement opportunities, and reduce training costs, since the employee is already oriented to the organization. However, if you have a limited number of current employees or you wish to seek new energy and ideas that come from hiring “new blood,” this may not be your method of choice.

External recruiting methods can be grouped into two general categories: short-term and long-term techniques.

Short-term techniques are designed to stimulate an immediate flow of applicants and can include:

• Advertising in newspapers, online, or social media
• Employee referrals
• Networking through your connections and professional associations
• Recruiting and employment agencies

Long-term techniques often involve developing relationships with the employment community and promoting your company as a desirable place to work. Consider working with:

• Local Schools
  Try contacting the counselling departments of local schools for opportunities to talk to the students about your company and career paths offered, post your vacancies on their bulletin boards, or advertise through their newsletters
• Campus Recruitment
  On-campus recruitment days can be a win-win opportunity. You post jobs for which you are seeking candidates. The college or university sets up a screening day where you can briefly meet a variety of students. You then choose whom to invite back to continue the recruitment and screening process.
• Career Fairs
  Either through an educational institution or your professional organization, a career fair is a vehicle where you can set up a booth, along with other companies, to promote your employer brand.
• Open House
  Some companies set aside a regularly scheduled period of time when they invite candidates to drop off their resumes and briefly meet with a company representative. This technique ensures a constant flow of applicants and allows you to meet many prospective employees.
• HR Partner Agency
  Partnered HR is designed to provide you with the HR you need when you need it. Partnered HR scales with you as your needs evolve and can include RPO, HR services, payroll processing, and benefits administration.

With so much talent available, learning how to 'hire smart' is absolutely essential. Want to ensure you don't miss key steps in the hiring process? Check out one of our free resources!

Susan Alley, VP of HR Services

Alley is a senior executive with significant consulting experience in human resources in both unionized and non-unionized environments. Alley has provided strategic and practical solutions to internal and external client corporations in a variety of industry sectors including financial services, hospitality, real estate, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, government, professional services and high tech. Her strong leadership, communication and problem solving skills, coupled with a broad range of experience, provide a strategic and disciplined approach to customer service, business, and human resources management.