How to Recruit Employees

Co-authored by Imran Alavi

Last Updated: November 28, 2022 References

Do you have a hot new position to fill at your company? Finding the perfect person for the job is important, since successful employees are the foundation of a lucrative business and a strong company. Don’t worry—we’ve got your back. Keep reading for plenty of recruiting tips and tricks to help you find the best person for the job.

1

Recruit from within the company.

A great way to find a new fit is to look at the loyal staff that already surrounds you. Who has already put in the time required to learn company policies and earn people's trust? You'll save a lot of time if you don't have to risk hiring an outsider to fill a position. Think hard about whether someone you're working with would be right for the role, then encourage them to apply.^{[1]
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- Create a list with the help of other department leaders or administrators of the most important qualities to look for when you recruit successful staff. Discuss elements like attention to detail, experience, education level and flexibility. Your fellow managers can provide input about the qualities that will make an employee most successful and recommend someone else in the company who might be right for the job.

2

Encourage employee referrals.

Letting existing employees know that you're hiring is a great way to recruit new candidates. You'll get referrals from people who know the company in and out, and can recommend people who will be a close fit for the job. Employees wouldn't stake their reputation on unqualified candidates, so you're sure to get some keepers if you go this route.^{[2]
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- Employees in related positions will have connections to good candidates within the industry and be able to refer friends or colleagues that will meet the job's requirements that are looking for a new job.
- Send staff an email that includes the job description and ask them to pass it along to people they know who are qualified.
- Offering incentives for employee referrals can encourage people to take your hunt for the perfect candidate seriously.^{[3]
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3

Utilize your business contacts.

Sometimes a new opening is best filled by someone from outside the company. You can still use your contacts to recruit, rather than asking for applications from complete strangers. Call up people you've worked with over the years who know you and understand what you look for in an employee. Ask them whether they have suggestions as to who might be a good candidate for the position.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Imran Alavi
Marketing Expert
Expert Interview. 31 March 2021}
- You can reach out to colleagues and business contacts for referrals or positive and negative reviews when you're recruiting employees.
- Colleagues in the industry can also advise you about a particular website or trade show that's good for finding successful employees.

4

Make your company and the job sound as attractive as possible.

People won’t want to apply for a lackluster job. Scouting out great employees is one thing, but you'll need to attract the best and brightest by offering a lot in return. Here's how to light up their eyes:^{[5]
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- Play up your company culture. Tell them about what a typical day is like at your company, and give details on the company's "personality." Talk about how much you enjoy working there.
- Offer a competitive salary and benefits.^{[6]
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  Research source} While this isn't always enough to guarantee you'll make the hire, it certainly doesn't hurt.
- Make the position sound prestigious and challenging. These two factors are big incentives for bright potential candidates. Job satisfaction comes from feeling respected and having the opportunity to learn new things and excel in the face of obstacles.
- Offer things other companies don't. Flex time, for example, is a highly valued benefit that many companies don't offer. Allowing people to work from home and take time off when they need it can set your company apart from the rest.

5

Build a candidate pool.

It helps to have a qualified list of potential employees on hand. Hold interview sessions periodically to look and retain the information of candidates that meet the requirements to be a successful employee, even if you don't have room for one right away. This will give you a pool of solid candidates to review when you have an open position.^{[7]
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- Make your pool wider and deeper by asking the candidates themselves for referrals. When you call someone on a candidate's list of references, ask about the candidate, then delve into questions on the background of the person you're talking to. You might be able to recruit the candidate's old manager.

6

Use social networking sites.

Many job seekers use these sites to find jobs that meet their skill sets.^{[8]
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Research source} Recruit successful employees by utilizing online recruiting resources like LinkedIn, or sites specific to your industry that have profiles of people in the field.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Imran Alavi
Marketing Expert
Expert Interview. 31 March 2021}
- Even if someone you're interested in already has a job, there's no harm in setting up a meeting to get to know the person. You can discuss the job opening and see if they're interested. If they aren't, they might have suggestions as to who else would make a good candidate.

7

Write a compelling description of your company.

Highly qualified employees want to work for a company that is interesting and exciting. The best candidates will pass right over a boring or poorly written job description. Your job description should catch potential employees' attention by presenting a killer description of your company's mission and the vital role you seek to fill.
- Write what makes your company special and better than its competitors.
- Write about your company's main goal. Make it sound important, whether you aim to save endangered animals or make the very best toothpaste on the market.

8

Convey the company's personality.

Potential employees are going to want to get a feel for what it would be like to work for you. Air your company's true personality to attract candidates who will be a good fit. The language and content of your description should give readers a sense of what you're all about.
- If your company is prestigious and formal, use serious, painstakingly correct language.
- If your company is playful and innovative, feel free to use slang or jokes to let people know that having a big personality is part of the job.

9

Define the position you're filling.

This helps prevent under-qualified people from swamping you with applications. Start by listing the title and the key background requirements. Then, include detailed information about what the job entails, including general and specific responsibilities.^{[10]
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- Make the job sound great, but be honest about the not-so-glamourous aspects of the work. For example, if you're hiring an office manager, you might want candidates to be prepared to run the office at a high level while also being willing to order supplies and keep the office looking nice. People who aren't interested in the less engaging work of being an office manager will know not to apply.
- Don't go overboard listing more than 5 or so background, field and educational requirements. If you get too specific, you might weed out great candidates who can quickly pick up on how to do the job even if they haven't had the exact experience you're looking for. A person's work ethic and attitude can be just as important to their success as other skills or qualifications.

10

Give application instructions.

Ask for a resume and cover letter as well as any other materials you might want. Include your contact information and instructions for how to submit the materials. You might want to specify how you want the documents formatted and whether you prefer they be sent over email, fax, as an attachment, etc.
- The way a candidate submits his or her application can be telling. If someone has trouble following basic instructions, you might not want to hire them.

11

Post the opening to job sites and job boards.

Posting your opening in public spaces is sure to get you a ton of applicants. The drawback is that you're sure to get a ton of applicants. You'll have a lot of resumes to sift through no matter what, so choose where you post the job opening wisely. Target job sites that draw people who are likely to be qualified for the position, rather than posting randomly in places that will be viewed by people who aren't qualified.
- Post the opening on your company website, on a page labeled "Careers" or "Jobs." This will draw applicants who actually took the time to check out your company, rather than stumbling on a posting in a public forum.
- Post the opening in industry forums and relevant job sites. For example, if you're in the film industry, post the job opening on industry sites that will be frequently viewed by people who are already in the know.
- Post the opening on general job sites if you want a lot of applicants. If you're hoping to get as many applications as possible, post on Craigslist, Monster.com and similar massive job sites.^{[11]
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  Research source} Beware that you'll be likely to get some spammy replies.

12

Give advertising a try.

Ads in trade magazines or websites attract candidates in a bold, flashy way. In fact, advertising jobs on billboards is becoming trendy among the most competitive companies.^{[12]
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13

Find the best applicants and start the interview process.

Look for candidates that demonstrate the experience, skills, and personality you're seeking. Then, select a manageable number of people to interview. From there you'll be able to make a well-informed decision about who to hire for the position.^{[13]
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- If you find your posting isn't recruiting the right kind of people for the job, go back and tweak it.
- Be patient and go through as many application and interviews as necessary to find someone you're confident will do a good job. It's easy to get overwhelmed during the hiring process, but your hard work will pay off in the end.

Expert Q&A

Question

Where do employers look for employees?

Imran Alavi
Marketing Expert
Imran Alavi is a Marketing & App Development Expert and the CEO of Proleadsoft, a Digital Marketing and App Development firm based in San Francisco, CA. With over 10 years of experience, he specializes in Web Design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (Google, Facebook, LinkedIn AdWords), App Development, and Software strategies for businesses. Imran holds a BS in Computer Science from the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, an MS in Computer Science from San Francisco State University, and has completed Stanford University Continuing Studies courses in Business, Marketing, and Communication.

Imran Alavi

Marketing Expert

Expert Answer

Talk to personal contacts you've made to see if they recommend anyone for the position.