With jobseekers making record numbers of online job applications, UK businesses now spend more than £250 million a year on internet recruitment advertising¹.
But as a recruiter, how can you be sure you're maximising your chances of success? Whether you're a seasoned HR professional or recruiting for the first time, the challenges of online recruitment remain the same.
How can you guarantee you're reaching the right jobseekers? How can you be sure that you
won't miss out on the best talent to your competitors? And what can you do to save time filtering
out unsuitable applicants?
Here are reed.co.uk's Top 10 Trade Secrets to help you maximise the success of your online recruitment campaigns.
1. Put yourself in your ideal candidate's shoes
Trying to get inside the head of your ideal candidate can be a critical step in understanding how to
reach them. Think carefully about how they might search for a vacancy.
Are there specific skills or experiences they'll be looking to build on? If so, do relevant terms appear
in your job ad, so your vacancy is returned in relevant searches? Are your job titles aspirational
enough? And is the salary on offer competitive? Run a few searches on the job boards you're
working with to see how your competitors are advertising, what rates they're paying and what you
need to do to make your vacancy stand out.
2. Share your job across the web
Social networks are all around us on the web and they're a great way to promote your vacancy as
widely as possible. Once your vacancy is live on a job board, shorten the URL via a service such as
TinyURL.com or bit.ly and seed it via your social media accounts. Tell contacts on Twitter, Facebook
and LinkedIn that you're recruiting and direct prospective candidates straight to your ad.
3. Fine tune your job ad
Most job boards allow you to edit details of your job whilst it's live, giving you a significant
advantage over traditional press advertising. This is a simple and effective way of testing how best to
present your vacancy to optimise your ad to attract the most relevant response. If you find you're
not reaching the right calibre of candidates, review your job ad whilst it's live. Consider, for example,
the language you use, the layout you choose, the benefits you detail and the minimum requirements
for successful candidates. Make the right changes and you'll quickly start to reach the right
jobseekers.
4. Throw in a trick screening question
Some job boards include simple screening questions as part of the online application process. To
help filter out applicants who haven't paid sufficient attention to the details and relevance of your
vacancy, throw in a question to catch them out.
For instance, if your screening questions are based on Yes/No answers, make sure you always
include a question where you're looking for a ‘No' answer. This can help you filter out candidates
who routinely answer ‘Yes', regardless of the question.
5. Double screen the best applicants
Setting up your own screening process to run online immediately after you've received a promising
application will save you time working through high volumes of good applications.
Online survey services, such as SurveyMonkey or QuestionPro, can be used for free or at minimal
cost and give you the flexibility to ask a number of detailed questions in a format of your own
choice. Just set up your survey and email the URL to the applicants you're most interested in.
6. Actively target your ideal candidate
Your ideal next employee may be happy in their existing role, and not actively looking for a new job.
So, how can you reach this type of candidate?
Most job boards offer a CV Search facility, allowing you to find promising candidates who've
previously registered online. You should be able to search by skills, salary expectations, keywords
and location. Once you have found suitable candidates, you can email them details of your job or
even phone them directly to let them know about the position you have available.
7. Keep a live shortlist
Adding every good application you receive to a shortlist will save you time as you recruit in the
future. So, even if a candidate isn't appointed to the position you're advertising for, you'll have quick
and easy access to them and other promising individuals next time you recruit.
8. CV search for your competitors
For many, hiring staff who have worked for your competitors is an excellent way to bring valuable
experience and help develop your business. If you're working with a job board that gives you access
to a CV database, try searching on the names of competitor businesses in order to view candidates
who may have worked there previously.
9. Write an ad, not a job spec
It may sound obvious but, for many of us, putting together a vacancy advert can quickly become an
exercise in regurgitating the job specification. Whilst details of what's required of the successful
applicant should be included, remember you're selling the position and your organisation. Tell
prospective candidates what makes your company great to work for, how successful it is and what
benefits are on offer and always include details of development opportunities and future prospects
for the role.
10. Interview instantly
The economic climate may have taken its toll on the jobs market, with record numbers of
applications, but as the economy shows signs of recovery, competition for the best talent is still fierce. Try and interview the most promising candidates at the earliest possible opportunity, even
whilst your ad is still live. In this way, you can ensure you don't miss out.
