When you place a job advert online or are using your method of choice, you expect the applications to come rolling in. However, even when unemployment levels are high, there’s no guarantee you’ll get a load of candidates, let alone experienced ones. So, what do you do if your job posting doesn’t bring in the right people?
Get an objective eye to look at your job advert
While you may think you’ve written an amazing job advert that’ll bring in some talent, the truth is, you may have committed one of the common mistakes that employers make when advertising jobs:
- Not being clear about what the job is
- Being ridiculously specific or having pages and pages of job responsibilities – both of which will put off even eager candidates
- Not showing the salary range
- Not showing off the perks of the job – i.e. healthcare or remote working
There are plenty of tips online that show you how to write an effective job advert, so consider giving it a rewrite before you repost.
Try different platforms
Not all job sites are equal, and some naturally have a better pool of applicants. If you haven’t had enough responses to your job advert, consider using online tools to post your job advert to multiple sites and manage the responses. While you don’t want to spam the advert to irrelevant sites, posting to different platforms will increase the likelihood that you’ll get the right candidate.
Offer a better job title
Your job description is important, but nobody will even click on your advert if it doesn’t have an interesting title. Many people will move jobs based on getting a better title, even if it doesn’t mean more money, so job titles matter. Consider switching the title to make it more exciting and appealing.
Do some networking
A lot of guides focus on using networking to find a job; however, it can also be used to find potential employees, especially for more specialist roles. Go to industry events and find networking opportunities, then get chatting to people who you think might suit the role. Whether it’s new graduates or experienced professionals, all sorts of people network, and you may be surprised who you meet along the way.
Consider internal recruitment
Another option is to look to your current employees for someone to fill the role. Whether they’re a junior looking to step up, or someone who has expressed interest in moving to a new department, you may well have the perfect candidate under your roof already. This is often a good way to build employee loyalty, and it’s less expensive than hiring externally, so it’s often a win-win.
It can be disheartening when you don’t find any suitable candidates for an open position. However, the key is not to give up. Have a look at your job advert, tweak it if possible, and find better platforms to post it on. This will make it more likely you’ll get some great applicants and find one that becomes your next employee.
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