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Overlooked Recruiting Tools |
Having a hard time finding talented employees for your company? You may be overlooking a couple of great recruiting tools -- your staff members and your files. Here are a couple of ideas:
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Idea #1
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Ask your own employees. By recruiting staff members to become recruiters, you'll find the quality of candidates goes up while the time and expense involved in hiring goes down.
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Your associates probably know other people in the community who are interested in switching jobs. They may also know experienced people looking to change careers.
Staff members know your organization better than anyone. Typically, they only refer candidates they believe are capable. After all, if employees recommend poor workers, it might reflect badly on them. To encourage your associates to recruit the best candidates, consider rewarding them with a bonus.
Tie the amount to the position you are hiring, as well as to a minimum length of time that the new staff member must be employed. The staff-recruiting bonus for a manager would be greater than for an entry-level job. Your firm could pay 33 percent of the bonus to the employee when the candidate accepts a position, another 33 percent after three months, and the remainder after six months of employment. Put the policy in writing and make sure everyone gets a copy.
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Idea #2
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Search the files your company has on outstanding candidates interviewed in the past who turned down jobs. |
Once an applicant declines an offer of employment, many companies make the mistake of closing the door. But just because a person passes on a job now doesn't mean that sometime down the road -- six months or a year later -- the candidate won't reconsider.
By maintaining a relationship with those who came close to accepting a position, you have a good chance of luring them later. Hold onto information about standouts for three years. Certainly, you should keep the resumes on file but go a step further. Periodically keep in touch with exceptional candidates.
Set up a system so that the company sends updates to promising candidates. E-mail or send information if you move, expand, win an award or get some press coverage. Chances are, these people will be flattered that you're thinking about them. By nurturing relationships with applicants that make a lasting impression, your organization remains in their minds.
Identifying people who are the right match for your company is half the battle. Keeping in touch with them can be a critical part of a successful recruitment strategy.
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Another Idea: Shave Labor Costs by Using Part-Timers
Every business wants to recruit the best people, but many excellent workers simply aren't available full-time or the cost of hiring them is too high. One solution is to consider part-timers.
For example, a mother with small children may be unwilling to return to the workforce full-time but wants to work a few hours a day. A retiree might be interested in working only a couple days a week. And, of course, college students are perfect candidates for evening and weekend employment.
Many part-time candidates have strong job experience, top skills, and a great work ethic. Another good reason to hire them: Your company can shave labor costs. If you have two part-timers each working half time in a position (or job-sharing) versus one full-timer working eight hours, you don't have to provide fringe benefits, such as health insurance, life insurance, sick leave and vacation. So two part-timers for one slot costs about 20 to 40 percent less.
Take the example of a manufacturer who was spending an average of $6,000 annually for each worker for "fringes." The company decided to convert 20 full-time positions to 40 part-time jobs. As a result, all stations are still manned and the firm pays just as much in wages as it did before. But because fringe benefits aren't provided to part-timers, the company is way ahead. By eliminating the $6,000 cost times 20 employees, it added $120,000 annually to the bottom line. |
As a service to our readers, we will sometimes provide valuable information which may be outside our broad areas of expertise. We encourage you to work with your other professional advisors on these topics. |
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Our firm provides the information in this e-newsletter for general guidance only, and does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax advice, accounting services, investment advice, or professional consulting of any kind. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional tax, accounting, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation. Tax articles in this e-newsletter are not intended to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding accuracy-related penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. The information is provided "as is," with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose.
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