Recruitment Efforts Not Working? Here’s How to PIVOT!

As a manager, you know the importance of hiring the right people to grow your business. However, if your recruitment efforts aren’t working, it can be frustrating and costly. In this blog post, we’ll explore some strategies to PIVOT! and reevaluate your recruitment efforts to ensure that you find the best candidates for your company.

Assess Your Current Recruitment Strategies

The first step is to assess which recruitment strategies are working and which are not. Start by evaluating all the channels that you’re currently using to attract candidates. This includes job boards, social media, advertising, and recruitment agencies.

Check on the status of these channels to ensure that they’re delivering the desired results. For example, if you’re using a recruiting or advertising service and not receiving any applications, it might be time to try something else. Analyze your data to determine which channels are generating the most candidates and which ones need to be improved or discontinued.

There are several ways to analyze if your current recruitment strategies are working:

1. Track the source of your hires: Keep a record of where your new hires are coming from. This can help you identify which recruitment channels are bringing in the most successful candidates. Finding this out can be as simple as asking a question in the application process. 
2. Measure your conversion rates: Conversion rates refer to the number of candidates who complete the application process and are ultimately hired. Analyzing your conversion rates can help you identify any bottlenecks in your recruitment process and areas where you can improve.
3. Monitor your time-to-hire: Time-to-hire is the amount of time it takes to fill a vacant position. Tracking this metric can help you identify any inefficiencies in your recruitment process and areas where you can streamline. Sometimes candidates lose interest if the time between when they complete the application to the time they get called for an interview is too lengthy.
4. Analyze your cost-per-hire: Cost-per-hire is the total cost of filling a vacant position, including advertising, recruiting fees, and staff time. Analyzing this metric can help you identify any areas where you can reduce costs and improve efficiency.
5. Conduct candidate surveys: Surveys can help you gather feedback from candidates about their experience with your recruitment process. This can provide valuable insights into areas where you can improve and help you create a more positive candidate experience.

By analyzing these metrics and gathering feedback from candidates, you can identify areas where your recruitment strategies are working well and areas where you need to make improvements.

By regularly evaluating and adjusting your recruitment strategies, you can optimize your efforts and attract the best candidates for your company.

If a particular channel is not delivering the desired results, consider diverting those resources to other more successful endeavors. Focus your efforts on the channels that are generating the most candidates, as these are likely to be the most effective for your organization. By regularly evaluating and adjusting your recruitment strategies, you can optimize your efforts and attract the best candidates for your company.

Change Your Focus to More Successful Recruitment Channels

Ideally, now that you have identified the successful recruitment channels, you will re-allocate more of your recruitment budget and energy towards these channels. For example, if you find that most of your successful hires are coming through employee referrals, consider implementing a referral program to encourage your employees to refer qualified candidates.

Alternatively, if you find that your social media advertising campaigns are generating a lot of interest and engagement, consider investing more resources in social media marketing to reach a wider audience. You could also experiment with different types of social media content to see what resonates with your target candidates.

It’s important to continually monitor the performance of your recruitment channels and make adjustments as needed. If you notice a particular channel is no longer generating the same level of results, consider reallocating your resources towards a more successful channel.

Ultimately, focusing on the most successful recruitment channels can help you attract better quality candidates more efficiently, and save time and resources in the long run.

Improve Your Job Descriptions and Application Process

Improving your job descriptions and application process can help you attract the right candidates and make the hiring process more efficient. If Job Descriptions are not currently on your responsibility list but you’d like to have some input, read our blog article to learn how to get involved. If you do have input, here are some steps you can take:

1. Review and refine your job descriptions:  Take a look at your current job descriptions and assess if they clearly outline the responsibilities and requirements of the position. If they’re too vague or don’t accurately reflect the role, it’s time to make some changes. Include specific details about the job, such as daily tasks, expected outcomes, and essential qualifications.
2. Make them appealing and concise:  While it’s essential to be specific, you should also aim to make your job descriptions engaging and easy to read. Use bullet points and short paragraphs to break up the text and emphasize key points. Use persuasive language that highlights the benefits of working for your company, such as opportunities for career growth or a positive work culture.
3. Optimize for search engines:  Make sure that your job descriptions are optimized for search engines so that potential candidates can find them easily. Use relevant keywords in your job titles and throughout the description but avoid keyword stuffing.
4. Streamline your application process:  Simplify your application process to make it easier for candidates to apply. Use an applicant tracking system to automate the process and reduce the amount of time you spend on administrative tasks.
5. Conduct usability testing:  Test your application process to ensure that it’s user-friendly and easy to navigate. Have employees test and get feedback from candidates as they go through the process on any issues or areas for improvement.

By improving your job descriptions and application process, you can increase the chances of attracting the right candidates and streamline the hiring process. In our Finding the Right Candidate Mini-Course, we detail this process and provide additional resources to get your Job Descriptions just right.

Create a Strong Employer Brand

In today’s competitive job market, creating a strong employer brand is essential to attract top talent. Your employer brand is the perception that candidates have of your company as an employer. It encompasses everything from your company culture to your values and mission.

Creating a strong employer brand involves showcasing what makes your company unique and attractive to candidates. To create a strong employer brand, you should start by evaluating your current company culture, values, and mission. Identify what makes your company stand out from others and what qualities are important to your ideal candidates. You can then develop messaging and content that highlights these unique aspects of your company and speaks to your target audience.

Here are some steps to creating a strong employer brand:

1. Develop your employer brand messaging: Craft a clear and compelling message that communicates what your company stands for and what sets it apart from others. This messaging should be consistent across all channels.
2. Highlight your company culture: Share stories and photos of your team members and events that showcase your company culture. Showcasing your company culture can help candidates get a sense of what it’s like to work for your organization and can help you attract those who share your values.
3. Showcase your employee benefits: Highlight your employee benefits, such as health insurance, 401(k) matching, or work-from-home policies. These benefits can be a major factor in attracting top talent, and showcasing them can help you stand out from other employers.
4. Demonstrate your commitment to diversity and inclusion: Show that your company values diversity and inclusion by sharing stories or initiatives that demonstrate this commitment. Highlighting diversity and inclusion initiatives can help you attract a more diverse pool of candidates. 
5. Get your employees involved: Encourage your employees to share their positive experiences working for your company on social media or through employee referral programs. Word of mouth from your current employees can be a powerful tool for building your employer brand.

By following these steps, you can create a strong employer brand that attracts top talent and helps your company stand out in a competitive job market.

Recruiting the right talent is crucial for the success of your business. By pivoting and reevaluating your recruitment efforts, you can ensure that you find the best candidates for your company. By assessing your current recruitment strategies, examining the most successful recruitment channels, improving your job descriptions and application process, and creating a strong employer brand, you can optimize your recruitment efforts and find the best talent for your team.

To learn more about Finding the Right Candidate, enroll in our mini-course.