If you’re using 2014 recruiting methods today, you’re missing out on the best cleared talent. The cleared talent pool isn’t likely to grow in 2015. Demand will be higher than ever, and you need to be on your game if you want to land the best. Here are our 10 best tips for improving your recruiting in 2015 and making it your best recruiting year ever.
1. Review what worked in 2014
What were your biggest recruiting successes of 2014? Who were your best hires? Jot down what worked best and how you attained your biggest successes. In a competitive recruiting cycle it can be easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day that you fail to remember what really worked.
2. Acknowledge Where You Fall short
You’re not good at everything. Nobody’s perfect (you see that in candidates every day). Successful people can pinpoint their weaknesses. Invest in professional development in 2015, whether it’s a conference or committing to one professional development webinar at your desk each month.
3. Figure out the hours
Recruiting isn’t a 9-5 career. Especially not in 2015. It’s probably going to take more evening and weekend hours than ever, as the candidate pool shrinks and the competition for passive talent grows. Use your day time hours to build your pipeline, edit your job listings and message your candidates. Reserve some evening hours for phone screens and networking. Whatever you do, don’t end up in a situation where you’re working 12-hour days, every day. Even in a competitive market, you don’t need to burn yourself out to find the best.
4. build your team
Teamwork makes the dream work. Recruiters are often great with people but can feel disconnected from others within their company. Make building a support team a priority in 2015. Include trusted industry partners, management within your company and colleagues at other organizations.
5. Slay the Task Dragon
Unfortunately, you probably can’t hire a personal assistant, but you should consider how you can streamline or outsource your biggest time-sucks. If writing isn’t your strong suit, lean on someone else within your company to review every job posting. If you don’t have time to attend an event, ask a colleague to keep an eye out for a specific candidate you’ve been trying to connect with.
6. Build your pipeline
2015 is the year you MUST have a pipeline of cleared talent and a method for keeping candidates warm. You don’t want to end up in a situation where a contract is awarded, you have a short time-to-fill deadline and no candidates in mind for the position. Think about your hottest and hardest to fill positions and start putting in time now to create connections, establish relationships and create a pipeline of candidates who may be a good fit when the positions come available. Make yourself a resource, and think about creative ways to stay in touch.
7. Develop a strategy for recruiting passive and anonymous candidates
The companies with the greatest success in 2015 will have proven strategies for reaching out to passive and anonymous candidates. When it comes to these coveted individuals, every detail matters, from what hyperlinks you send to the subject lines of your messages.
8. Tap into an ecosystem
Here at ClearanceJobs we know there is an entire ecosystem of cleared talent. We reach out to them via social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, partnerships with job posting sponsors, newsletters, and more. We have more than 676,000 registered candidates on ClearanceJobs.com, but we don’t let our relationship with cleared talent stop there. How can you tap into the ecosystem of professionals you’re trying to reach? That’s the kind of multi-faceted recruiting attitude you’ll need to succeed in 2015.
9. Build your brand
Set aside time now to update your online presence. Make sure your name is consistent across platforms and that your company information is current. Invest time in putting up a creative profile photo – it’s often your online first impression.
10. Put Data to Work
2015 is not the year to throw the spaghetti and see what sticks. You need to dig into the data and use it to inform your hiring processes. What’s your retention rate? What percentage of your messages get a response, and which are ignored? Of those that are ignored, are there any recurring themes? Online networking platforms provide more data than ever, but if you don’t put that data to work, it’s pointless. In 2015, tame the data dinosaur and take your recruiting to the next level.
What’s your current method for establishing when a passive candidate is ready to make a move? Guess and hope? With Active Talent Radar on the Cleared Network, you know the moment the candidate starts conducting activity that indicates career movement. No need to watch and wait – Active Talent Radar is like your passive-to-active personal assistant. Oh, and you don’t need to worry about remembering personal details, because you’ve been keeping the candidate warm through regular ‘check-ins’ with your Cleared Network pipeline. Learn more.