How to Catch a Secret Squirrel in 10 Steps

Hiring a secret squirrel in today’s market takes finesse. While there are a million steps in between these that can help you to be successful in catching that cleared candidate before the next recruiter, these are critical to ensuring your hiring practices are the best they can be this year.

1. Audit your current application process and get rid of time-consuming steps that may cause candidates to drop off.
2. List the salary in the job title of your careers page and any other place you post – studies have shown it attracts more clicks.
3. Invest in recruitment marketing software that allows you to communicate with your current listserv.
4. Block your calendar for your sourcing strategies – spend x amount of time looking through resumes, x amount of time calling secret squirrels, and x amount of time doing follow up comms.
5. Set aside budget for advertising / media to showcase your employer brand. Secret squirrels require multiple touch points to start to gain interest in you as a potential employer.
6. Cultivate partnerships with other organizations or recruiters that you can lean on when you’re in a bind and your strategies may start to fail.
7. Know your data – understand how long a position usually remains vacant on your site, your cost to fill, the cost of a vacant position at that level, etc. Then, when you’re hiring managers decline to meet an increase during the salary negotiation, you can inform them that it might be peanuts compared to how long it may remain open after you’ve invested time.
8. Take some time to travel, whether that be to a conference, hiring event or something else. You could be hitting the same talent and need a refresh on places you’re looking for these secret squirrels (i.e., Hiring Our Heroes has some amazing events in many countries!).
9. Get a clearance through your contractor if you can. This will allow you to get more info on exactly what positions will be doing, helping you to better target these squirrels. You also might be able to attend classified only events, potentially meeting other talent that might not be online.
10. All in all, cut the BS. Most people can see right through it if you’re a recruiter that is still haggling with candidates, who most certainly have the power right now.

THE CLEARED RECRUITING CHRONICLES: YOUR WEEKLY DoD RECRUITING TIPS TO OUT COMPETE THE NEXT NATIONAL SECURITY STAFFER.