Hiring and recruiting start with getting in a big enough job seeker applicant pool that you feel strong enough to engage from. It’s a terrible hiring position to be in when you have little to no applicants, yet you have pressure to fill the job yesterday.
When posting your job and recruiting, there are some vital factors you need to be aware of to get you the most and best applicants. These steps will allow you to send your job out to all the free job posting sites and start receiving resumes.
Steps to post your job for free
Create an inspiring job description
Many job postings are the same. They are a couple of paragraphs talking about what the employer needs. They talk about the job, responsibilities, and how much the job pays. Unfortunately, this job posting process is exactly what most job seekers hate. Studies have shown that job seekers care more about who the company is than the exact roles. It’s time to stand out from your competition.
Tip: Take the first two paragraphs of your job posting to NOT talk about what the candidate will be doing for you. Talk about who the company is, what the company does, and WHY this company is the best company to be part of.
Craft your hiring scorecard
A hiring scorecard looks a lot like an English paper rubric you had to follow in high school. It outlines the hard critical skills and soft skills the candidate must process. You then score the candidate off of these vital areas. By having consistency, you’ll know exactly which candidates rise above the others. You’ll not be going off memory when deciding exactly who to give the job offer to. This hiring scorecard will allow you to get consistent feedback from your hiring manager and co-workers.
Tip: Create categories in your scorecard to reflect the functions of the role. The best companies have a section called Core Values. They will outline their core values, and each person involved in the hiring process will rate the candidate on how well they align with each of the company’s core values. This does two things: It keeps your interviews focused on what matters most when hiring someone and shows your team how important core values are to your organization. Set that tone of expectations and alignment.
Build your hiring pipeline
If you started getting applicants tomorrow afternoon, do you know what the exact next step would be? In a low unemployment market, your average job seeker is looking for work in less than three weeks. That is wildly fast. You need to be prepared ahead of time with the exact process you will follow to onboard an A-player as soon as you identify one.
Tip: Use an applicant tracking system to move candidates through stages. If you have a hiring team/manager who will also be part of the process, make sure you are on the same page. Set Up pre-scheduled interview times on their calendar and expectations for feedback. Recruiting can be very frustrating when you find a suitable candidate yet hear nothing back from your hiring manager because they forgot to respond. Set clear expectations.
Where can you post your job openings for free
Now that you’ve built your hiring process and created your job description templates, you’re ready to find the best places to post your job.
When posting your job to any social media site, job board, or email campaign, you’ll want to ensure you’re using source tracking campaigns extensions. We’ve built a free tool to help with this:
The power of tracking the URL is identifying which source is driving you the most applicants and the best applicants. A free ATS can get you simple reporting. Imagine if you spend the next 5 hours sharing, posting, and emailing your job post, yet after all that hard work, only two sources got your 90% of the applicants. It’s common. Next time you need to post a job, you’ll know exactly where to go and save yourself all the extra time sharing to non-producing websites.
Job Boards
There are lists of the best job posting sites to use. Many of which offer a free version or a short trial. We are fans of using sites that provide a pay-for-performance model. Limit your exposure to expensive job boards that may generate nothing in return.
Facebook
There are several ways you can share your open job posting with Facebook. The worst way is to copy/paste your job posting URL and put it on your feed. Take the time to share your job in focused groups. Many industries and professional networks have active Facebook groups and allow you to post your assignment. This can create a sharing environment for like-minded candidates. You may also find many local community groups that are active and love to network.
LinkedIn
If your business has a business page on LinkedIn, be sure to share your new opening on your business’s profile page. This allows anyone who is following your business to see the unique opportunity. You should also ask your employee network to share across their LinkedIn accounts.
Classifieds
Most classifieds have an online jobs directory. It’s essential to think outside Craigslist (which is often a paid option) for alternative places to share your posting. The most popular news website in Salt Lake City is KSL.com; you’d be shocked to find out that their job section has more web visitors than any other job board in the region. Take the time to list any news media outlets that may have a classified section online.
Religious
We have seen many successful recruiting processes, including a list of churches and employment support groups through their local religious network. A simple phone call and email address to add to a list can help you spread the word quickly about your job opportunity.
Government Workforce
Many municipalities have a free workforce website to promote companies in their area who are hiring. This is usually run under the Department of Economic Services (DES) or at the county level. Either way, getting involved on their websites can be a beneficial way to generate more job seekers’ interest in your position.
Local Schools
If you have a trade school, community college, or university, this is a beautiful place to post your job. If you’re hiring for a position requiring some work experience, reach out to their career services center and ask about their communication with alumni. They may have an active Facebook or LinkedIn alumni group where they will share their position.
After you post your job
If you’ve posted your job and still not getting suitable applicants, it might be worth looking at a few of our favorite paid options. When using VIVAHR, you’ll see alternative premium options to send your job to their sites automatically. No extra work and pricing starting at just $99 per job posting for 30-day premium visibility.
