7 Out of the Box Recruiting Strategies To Hire Top Talent

Recruiting the right talent is getting harder by the day since there are thousands of other businesses probably searching for the same software developer or digital marker with the same skills and qualifications that you need. This large competition has made it next to impossible for your simple job ads on Facebook or LinkedIn to attract the right talent. So this is where you get creative with your strategy and come up with some out-of-the-box recruitment strategies.

In this article, we will share 7 out of the box recruiting strategies that you can use to hire top talent. These ideas are based on real examples from successful companies and experts in the field. These strategies also contain relevant statistics, facts, and resources to help you implement these approaches effectively.

7 Out of the Box Recruitment Strategies You Didn’t Know

1. Use Social Media & Ads Where There’s Less Competition

To make the most of social media, you need to go beyond the usual platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, and explore niche channels that cater to your target audience. So, why restrict your hiring posts to LinkedIn or Twitter? There are other interesting social platforms like Spotify which has over 489 million monthly active millennial users that can be leveraged. [2] Reddit and Quora are also good places to place your job ads.

For example, Goldman Sachs reached out to young talent by adding job ads on the popular music platform and Snapchat stories. [3]

One thing to keep in mind is don’t only use these platforms to advertise your job openings, use them to create engaging content to nurture and educate your candidates while showcasing your company culture, values, and opportunities.

Hubspot is a good example of a company that uses Pinterest boards to introduce its teams, and offices while sharing career tips with potential candidates. [4] Chipotle is also a company that posts informational content on its TikTok page as part of its recruiting strategy. [5] In addition to that, the National Public Radio interns manage an Instagram account where they share their experiences and engage with potential junior candidates.

The more people know about your company, the more they trust you and are attracted to you, but remember that using these platforms depends on your creativity and the people your job is targeting.

2. On-Campus Recruiting

One of the best methods of finding talent is on campus recruiting. Universities and colleges are full of students and graduates who are eager to learn, grow, and contribute to your organization. However, to attract them, you need to build strong relationships with the academic community and offer them valuable opportunities.

One creative way to do this is to offer internships and co-op programs that provide students with hands-on experience and mentorship. Internships and co-op programs can help you identify and nurture potential future hires, as well as increase your brand awareness and reputation among students.

Google utilizes this strategy by offering various internship programs for students of different backgrounds, levels, and interests. [6] Here are some universities that Google recruits interns from:

Stanford University
UC Berkeley
MIT
Carnegie Mellon
University of Pennsylvania
San Diego State University

Shopify also offers a computing education outreach for universities where they build the next generation of technology and entrepreneurship by investing in computing education. [7]

Another strategy you can leverage when working with universities and colleges will be to host career fairs or information sessions on campus. This way, you can showcase your company, network with students and faculty, and collect resumes and applications. For example, Microsoft hosts career fairs and information sessions at various universities around the world. [8 ]Similarly, Deloitte also hosts information sessions and workshops to introduce students to its culture, values, and opportunities. [9]

A third way to collaborate with universities and colleges is to build relationships with professors and career services. Professors and career services can help you access talent, promote your company, and provide referrals and recommendations.

3. Implement Referral Programs

Another strategy will be to leverage your existing employees’ networks and find qualified candidates who are more likely to fit your culture, perform well, and stay longer. According to a report [10], referrals are:

4x more likely to be offered a job than website applicants
45% more likely to stay longer than four years, compared to 25% of job board hires
30-50% of all hires, despite being only 7% of applications
$1,000 less expensive on average than other hiring sources
88% rated as the best source of applicants by employers
2.6% to 6.6% more likely to accept job offers

To implement a successful referral program, you need to consider the following elements:

Incentives: Offer rewards for employees who refer candidates, such as cash, gift cards, extra vacation days, or recognition. Most companies offer a cash incentive to motivate their employees. For example, Hubspot offers $30,000 to existing employees who refer successful developer and designer applicants. [11]
Creating a streamlined referral process: You should make it easy for your employees to refer candidates and track their progress. You can use employee referral software, such as Referral Rock or Vincere, to create and share personalized referral links, monitor the referrals’ status, and automate the reward payments. You should also provide feedback to your employees on their referrals and acknowledge their efforts.
Promoting the program internally and externally: It is a good idea to raise awareness and excitement about your referral program among your employees and potential candidates. You can use various channels, such as email, social media, and newsletters to spread the word and showcase the benefits of working for your company. Here is an Employee Referral Program email template that you can use if you don’t have one.
Recognition: Praise your employees for their referrals, by publicly acknowledging their contribution, highlighting their impact, and celebrating their success.

4. Explore Niche Recruitment Channels

Sometimes, the best candidates are not actively looking for a job, or they are not using traditional job boards and platforms. To reach them, you need to explore unconventional recruitment channels that can help you tap into hidden talent pools and catch their attention.

One way to do this is to attend industry-specific events and conferences, where you can meet and network with professionals who share your interests and goals. This can help you showcase your company, learn about the latest trends and innovations, and build relationships with potential candidates.

Another way to explore unconventional recruitment channels will be to utilize niche job boards and forums, where you can find candidates who are passionate and knowledgeable about specific topics, skills, or industries. The advantage of this is that you can target your job ads, filter your candidates, and increase your response rate. Here are some examples of niche job boards that you can leverage as a recruiter.

For tech and coding jobs, you can check out Crunch Board, and Stack Overflow.
For retail jobs, you can check out All Retail Jobs
For construction jobs, you can check out ConstructionJobs
For healthcare jobs, you can check out HealthcareJobSite and Health Careers
For finance and accounting jobs, you can check out eFinancialCareers

Other out of the box recruitment strategies under unconventional channels is exploring unconventional recruitment channels through professional associations and organizations, where you can find candidates who are committed to advancing their careers and staying updated on their fields. Joining these associations can help you access talent, promote your company, and provide referrals and recommendations.

For example, IBM partners with various professional associations and organizations, such as the Society of Women Engineers, the National Society of Black Engineers, and the Association of Latino Professionals for America.

5. Showcase Company Culture and Values

According to statistics, 76% of employees believe that well-defined business goals help cultivate a positive work culture. [3] And more than 50% of CEOs and CFOs say that corporate culture influences productivity, creativity, profitability, firm value, and growth rates. [4] These statistics show that a lot of companies are already incorporating their culture into their work environment and likely attracting the right candidate. What can give you an edge over these large companies is your creativity.

Here are some ways to showcase your company culture and values creatively to recruit and attract talents:

Create a video series that features your employees talking about their roles, projects, challenges, and achievements, as well as their personal stories, hobbies, and passions. You can also include some fun and candid moments, such as office pranks, team outings, or birthday celebrations. This can help you show the human side of your company, and highlight the diversity, creativity, and camaraderie of your team. You can share these videos and pictures on your website, social media, and job boards. For example, Manatal just celebrated its Halloween party, showcasing the company’s culture and friendly work environment.

Design a virtual tour that allows candidates to explore your office, meet your team, and learn about your culture and values. You can use interactive elements, such as 360-degree photos, videos, audio, quizzes, and games, to make the tour more engaging and immersive. You can also include some surprises, such as hidden Easter eggs, trivia, or jokes, to make the tour more fun and memorable. You can embed the tour on your website, or send it to candidates via email or chat. For example, WeWork has created a 360-degree VR tour of some of its offices to give recruits a chance to experience the corporate culture and get a look and feel of office spaces.

6. Collaborate and Engage With Influencers or Industry Experts

Another creative out-of-the-box recruitment strategy is to collaborate or engage with influencers or industry experts who have a strong reputation and authority in your niche. This can help boost your brand awareness and credibility. Influencers and industry experts can help you reach a large and engaged audience, provide valuable insights and advice, and enhance your brand image.

For example, when a recruiter is chiming on on layoffs in a specific field, they will often ask their network to reach out and help those affected. These are perfect times to find talent for your openings as well as help out those in need and build rapport at the same time.

Another way to collaborate with influencers or industry experts is to host webinars or workshops with them, where they can share their knowledge, experience, and tips with your audience. This can help you provide valuable content, generate leads, and showcase your expertise.

You can also leverage their networks to reach a wider audience by asking them to promote your brand, product, or service to their followers, subscribers, or contacts. This can help increase your brand awareness.

Here are some general influencers in the recruitment industry that you can follow and collaborate with

Stacy Donovan Zapar: She is the founder of The Talent Agency. She has over 300,000 followers on LinkedIn, where she shares her insights and tips on recruitment, employer branding, and talent acquisition.
Hung Lee: He is the curator for Recruiting Brainfood, a weekly newsletter that provides the latest news, trends, and insights on the recruitment industry. He has over 100,000 subscribers to his newsletter and over 60,000 followers on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Matt Alder: The host of The Recruiting Future Podcast, a show that features interviews with thought leaders and practitioners in the HR and recruitment space. He has over 17,000 followers on LinkedIn and Twitter and over 300 episodes of his podcast.
Katrina Collier: She is the speaker and author of The Robot-Proof Recruiter, a book that teaches recruiters how to use human skills and technology to attract and hire the best talent. She has over 27,000 followers on LinkedIn and Twitter and over 100 speaking engagements worldwide.
Lou Adler: The CEO and founder of The Adler Group, a consulting and training firm that helps companies hire top talent using performance-based hiring methods. He has over 1.3 million followers on LinkedIn, where he posts articles and videos on hiring best practices.

7. Measure and Analyze

Creative recruiting ideas can help you attract and evaluate candidates in innovative ways, but how do you know if they are working for you? To answer this question, you need to measure and analyze the effectiveness of your out of the box recruiting strategies using data-driven methods. Here is how to do it:

Tracking the sources of successful hires: This is a way to measure which of your recruiting channels and methods are generating the most and the best hires for your company. You can use various tools and methods, such as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), data analysis software, or recruitment surveys, to track and report the sources of your successful hires. For example, you can use Manatal to help you track the source of hire for each candidate.
Collecting feedback from candidates and employees: This is a way to measure the satisfaction and engagement of your candidates and employees throughout the recruitment process. You can use various tools and methods, such as feedback forms, net promoter scores, social media reviews, or online ratings, to collect and analyze feedback from your candidates and employees. For instance, you can use SurveyMonkey, an online survey tool that helps you create and distribute feedback surveys to your candidates and employees, and provides you with insights and reports on their responses.
Making adjustments and improvements based on data and insights: Based on the insight and data collected, you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of your creative recruiting ideas, and make informed decisions to improve them. You can use various tools and methods, such as data analysis software, dashboards, or reports, to visualize and communicate your data and insights, and to implement changes and actions based on them.

Conclusion

Finding and hiring the best talent can be a challenge. However, by thinking creatively and using some out of the box recruiting strategies, as discussed in this article, you can attract more qualified candidates, showcase your company culture, and make your hiring process more fun and engaging. Whether you use social media, virtual realities, referrals, or events, you can stand out from the crowd and find the perfect fit for your team. Remember, recruiting is not only about filling a vacancy but also about building a relationship with potential employees. So, be creative, be authentic, and be ready to welcome your new hires.

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Citations

1. Careerarc

2. Spotify

3. Insider

4. Pinterest

5. TikTok

6. Google

7. Shopify

8. Microsoft

9. Deloitte

10. Zippia