A major challenge for many companies is trying to find suitable candidates to fill open positions. There are many options available and there is no right or wrong answer as to which technique is best. Depending on the organisation, one method may yield better results than another. Although there are many options available, this article discusses some of the more prevalent techniques used in today’s market.
Referrals
A widely-held belief is that candidates referred by existing company employees are generally more reliable, perform better, and stay with a company longer than someone unknown. This unique method of recruitment might not be the most comprehensive way to generate a highly-qualified pool of candidates, but it may offer some cost/time saving benefits.
Resume Database Searches
Most resume databases through job boards contain resumes from a wide number of industries and also candidates from various locations. Such databases can give companies instant access to talent, as and when needed. A great advantage with reputable resume databases is that they are constantly receiving new resumes.
Job and Career Fairs
At such events, employers and recruiters get a chance to meet with prospective job seekers. These events are generally composed of individual company booths where employers get to meet people face-to-face, collect resumes and exchange business cards. One big advantage of a job/career fair is that employers have a chance to perform preliminary interviews very quickly with many candidates.
Recruitment Firms
Recruitment firms are able to offer employers a wide choice of pre-screened candidates from various industries. In this option, most of the time and expense is borne by the recruitment firm. As part of their screening process, they carry out reference/background checks with a candidate’s previous employers. Recruitment firms are also able to provide companies with current salary trends based on market conditions. Another major advantage that recruiters offer is the ability to tap into a number of passive candidates (i.e., job seekers who are not actively looking for a position) that are registered with them.
Job Boards
Employers that use job boards are able to fully manage their advertising and recruitment from start to finish. Employers are able to advertise positions and see how many views their postings generate. Job boards allow employers to check applicant resumes and contact the best candidates for interviews.
Social Media
Over the past few years social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter have helped companies find a lot of successful candidates. Some of these platforms allow companies to advertise available jobs, create groups and connect with virtually thousands of people. The main advantages to using social media sites are that postings can be put up at little to no cost, and are available for world-wide viewing almost instantly, although results may be inconsistent.
Website
The ‘Careers’ area of your company’s website would be an ideal place to advertise current positions. This approach would draw interest from people that are already familiar with your brand or company.
Conclusion
Some key considerations prior to seeking out candidates for your open positions would be to ensure that an accurate job description, organization chart and salary range have been defined. Employers also need to allow enough time to find candidates, interview them and fill vacant positions. With such a large number of recruitment techniques available, employers can go with many or just one, or a combination of methods depending on their needs, budget and time available.
About Marc Belaiche
Marc Belaiche (pronounced “BA-LAY-SH”) is President of TorontoJobs.ca, an internet recruitment and staffing company specializing in helping companies find candidates in the Greater Toronto Area.
Marc is the author of “Tales from the Recruiter – A Canadian Recruiter’s Perspective on How To Find that Perfect Job”. Marc has been in the recruitment industry since 1995. Prior to TorontoJobs, Marc was a Recruiting Manager in the staffing industry. Prior to that, Marc worked at Prudential Insurance and KPMG in accounting and auditing roles.
Marc is a Chartered Accountant and is a member of the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) and is on the Toronto HRPA Events Committee as well as on the Board of the Halton-Peel C.A. Association. Marc has made many radio and television appearances as well as conducted many presentations on recruitment across Canada. Marc has extensive experience in on-line advertising, e-commerce and recruitment.
TorontoJobs.ca provides the following services:
Internet recruitment, including a job board and resume access service
Full recruitment services including temporary and permanent staffing
Outplacement services for companies who have downsized staff
TorontoJobs.ca is also a Profit Hot 50 Fastest Growing Companies in Canada winner.
Marc is also President of TorontoEntrepreneurs.ca, presenters of the annual Toronto Entrepreneurs Conference & Trade Show.
A graduate of the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Commerce, Marc is married with two children and lives in Mississauga.
