Employee recruiting is a powerful part of your hiring toolbox. Asking employees to flesh out an applicant pool capitalizes on a natural human response to invite others to positive experiences. A referral program incentivizes and rewards employees for their contributions to the company.
A Jobvite survey in 2020 found that, after internal hires, employee referrals were the second-most effective hiring source and the second-most useful resume consideration factor. Here are some tips to build an internal referral program that really works.
Your Employees are Your Best Brand Ambassadors
From posts on social media to relaxed after-work happy hours, we all tend to share stories and experiences about work with friends and acquaintances. Ideally, that content is positive and encouraging. Employees who are engaged in and excited about their work – and share it – become the best ambassadors for the company’s brand or culture. If your company sells an end-user product, that’s free advertising. If your company needs to fill positions, that’s expanding your potential applicant pool.
You can reward this behavior by creating opportunities for internal referrals for hiring. Rewards can vary; no one referral program fits all companies. The first steps involve examining company culture so your employees feel inclined to bring qualified candidates to the table.
Employee Recruiting Requires a Strong Foundation
It may seem overly simple, but the most important foundation for collecting hiring referrals from your employees is their job satisfaction. You can’t control each employee’s feelings about every aspect of their job, but you can provide a company culture that values each member of the team. Some tangible ways to achieve this include:
Maintaining Good Company Culture. Conduct surveys that help identify where company culture is thriving and lacking. Then, take that information to improve where possible. Good company culture includes well-known and accepted values like trust, diversity, mentorship, and autonomy. It has clear policies on work and dress code flexibility, automation, and tangible and intangible benefits.
Paying Employees What They’re Worth. Ideally, employees will have been hired at a salary they’re happy with. Implementing a program of consistent salary reviews and an open-door policy for negotiations goes a long way in helping employees feel valued.
Communicating Perks and Benefits Consistently. While keeping some benefits confidential might seem important, it can lead to gossip and jealousy among employees. When people feel cheated or left out of perks, even if the company feels it has valid reasons, it can negatively affect employee morale. A well-communicated and consistent benefits policy encourages transparency and unity.
Communicating Clearly Open Jobs and Responsibilities. Clarity and detail in job postings is important, allowing potential candidates to see all the requirements, benefits, and salary from the first interaction. For internal recruiting, you should provide all the same detailed information, along with any additional tidbits a current employee might need to know, especially if the job opening isn’t in their department. Facts like which team a person might work on, sample projects, details around the office layout, and access to perks are conversational and can help an employee sell the position to a friend.
Rewarding Referrals and Employee Recruiting Efforts. Consider the cost of hiring an employee from a wide open pool. The Society of Human Resource Management puts the median number at around $1,200. If an employee helps you circumvent that cost, a gift card for lunch may not be quite enough. Recruiter Rikka Brandon suggests, “Offering your team an incentive that actually makes a difference to them may just give them the motivation to be intentional and active about recruiting.”
5 Ways to Involve Employees in Recruiting
Now that we’ve identified how to make sure your company is a rewarding workplace for employees to recommend, here are some ideas of how to build an internal referral program:
Start at Onboarding. Every time you bring a new employee on, explain the referral process. Help them feel like an important part of the recruiting team from their first day. Even if you don’t currently have openings, this effort ensures that future opportunities aren’t lost to “I never heard about it.”
Allow Talent Acquisition Team to Present at Company Meetings. Periodic presentations ensure employees can hear about new developments in the program and creates a forum for questions.
Remind Employees How to Find Open Listings. What seems obvious to those involved in the hiring process may not be so clear to busy employees. Ensure there is a centralized location for open positions that’s easy to access. Provide periodic reminders along with highlighting incentives.
Identify a Streamlined Process for Submissions. Every company will have a different preferred way to receive employee referrals. Make sure your organization’s process is simple and direct. You could create a web form or an email address that remains the same, even when people leave their roles. Periodically remind the staff how it works.
Encourage Feedback on the Program. If employee participation is low, you may need to take a hard look at the communication, process, or incentives. Ask for honest feedback without fear of retribution.
Manage Your Candidates with ApplicantStack
Once you’ve examined company culture, created an easy-to-use program for submissions, told everyone about it, and the referrals start coming in, you need a system to make sure none of the stellar candidates fall through the cracks. Even if you don’t end up hiring a referral, it’s vital to respect the efforts of your employees with follow-through.
ApplicantStack is the perfect tool to easily and efficiently sort, rank, and track the candidates in every step of the process. Internal notes can help you track where the referral came from. Your employee can receive their reward and your gratitude for a new valued member of the team.
Countless companies of all sizes and operating in all locations are planning to expand their teams in 2024. As you make plans to recruit and bring on top talent, explore our guide to trends to expect this year. We’re rounding up the 2024 recruiting trends to expect, regardless of the industry or size of your business.
Recruiting Trends Coming in 2024
Here’s what we have covered in our five-part series, and what’s still to come:
When thousands of companies shifted to allow employees to work from home for their safety, some emphasized that the change was temporary, while others expected to remain remote indefinitely. But as the needs of businesses have changed and employees have gotten used to the work-from-home life, conflicts have arisen between those who want to remain remote but are working for companies that expect team members to return to the office.
The shift to allow workers to perform remote work caused a lot of businesses to reconsider their operations and whether people really needed to spend 40+ hours a week in the office. And while there are certainly advantages of in-office work (improved collaboration, access to resources, a sense of belonging, to name a few), many workers love the option to work from home as well.
The hybrid workplace model is an ideal blend of the two worlds, offering employees access to what they want while emphasizing the importance of the company culture and team-based atmosphere.
Benefits of Hybrid Schedules
A hybrid schedule is a more flexible option, which appeals to people in all stages of life. Parents of young children may need a little extra time in the mornings to get everyone ready and out the door. Being able to work from home allows them to use the time they might have spent commuting to take care of the necessary tasks. School pick-up is also much easier to navigate when a worker is remote. Even those without children can benefit from a more peaceful atmosphere, such as a home office that’s free from the distractions of a bustling office.
For employers, a hybrid workplace model can cut costs. You can spend less on physical office space and supplies, as well as the costs associated with keeping the lights on and the workspace fully outfitted with desks for every member of the team.
From a health perspective, the original reason behind the shift to remote work, people may get sick less when working remotely. If an employee isn’t feeling well, they may still be able to knock out a few work tasks at home without the risk of spreading germs around the office. And those who do choose to work in-office will certainly appreciate not being exposed to colds, the flu, and other concerning illnesses.
If your company can swing it, consider how offering a hybrid schedule might work for new hires. This offering can serve as an appealing aspect of an open position, particularly for an applicant who is looking for flexibility. By including the option to create a hybrid schedule, your company can appeal to top talent while aligning with what today’s job-seeker is looking for in their next role.
In the first part of our coverage of recruiting trends to expect this year, we highlighted the importance of upskilling as a hiring and retention tool. Part two outlined the value of automation and how much time it can save when seeking and bringing on top talent.
Next up is the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and how it will impact the hiring process this year and into the future. Review the benefits of utilizing a platform that harnesses the power of AI to filter applications and identify top talent based on specific, pre-determined factors.
Recruiting Trends Coming in 2024
Here’s what has been covered (and is still to come) in our five-part series:
Trend #3: More Artificial Intelligence in the Recruiting Process
In a study performed by Korn Ferry, more than 80 percent of CEOs and senior leaders of companies reported expecting AI to have a major or extreme impact on their organizations. Respondents specifically mentioned the expectation of relying on AI in the recruiting process, as it brings many appealing benefits. Using AI can save money, speed up processes and identify top candidates, even those who don’t have the traditional experience that was once expected.
But two of the risks associated with relying more heavily on AI relate to accuracy and strategy. Growing concerns around the security of AI-powered tools have led to identification of inaccuracy, especially if intruders can adjust how the platforms function. Hiring strategy is unique to each individual organization, and the capability of AI may not quite align.
In addition to recruiters and hiring managers relying more heavily on AI, jobseekers may take part in what it can offer in the process of finding employment. Candidates can utilize the functionality built into AI tools to tailor cover letters and resumes to specific roles, as well as identify positions that might be good fits.
But security remains a risk for anyone relying on AI, as scammers have found ways to leverage these tools to seek personal information and trick trusting candidates into sharing financial details. It’s vital to cross-check any job openings found with AI tools on company websites to ensure that they’re genuine.
Relying on AI will take more of a front seat this year among those involved in hiring. But as is the case with any other up-and-coming resource, verifying the information is essential.
ApplicantStack is a powerful applicant-tracking system designed with the needs of small business owners in mind. It incorporates the functionality used by big business, allowing smaller organizations to compete for top talent. Plus, the platform includes a few standout features, including text messaging to meet candidates where they are, prescreening and knock-out questions to save time, and the ability to schedule interviews instantly.
Quality employees can make or break a business of any size but are vital to the health and success of a small business. Whether you need to replace a worker who’s left or your business is expanding, hiring top talent takes energy, time, and company resources.
According to benchmark studies conducted by the Society of Human Resource Management, the average cost per hire is $4,683. Though that number might feel like it applies more to large corporations, consider that the median cost came in at $1,244. If your budget for recruiting feels small, here are five ways to help stretch it a little further.
1. Consider Hiring From Within
Small business owners and managers often have the advantage of personally getting to know the strengths and talents of their employees. As businesses grow and change, employees may want to take on new roles within the company but may not see a clear path for a changing job description. As you define the parameters of a new job in the company, consider looking around at the employees you already have. It may require some creativity to add or subtract responsibilities from an existing employee into a newly created job description, but it’s possible a perfect candidate or candidates are already a part of your team.
If your business is undertaking a multiple hire situation, something like an anonymous survey of employees may reveal current employees’ hidden career goals or talents. This information can provide clarity on both promoting from within and drafting a job posting.
2. Optimize Your Job Postings
Armed with data from your existing employees, current and future business plans, and immediate hiring needs, spend some time carefully crafting your job postings. You could involve current managers or department leaders to help describe specific duties and desired skills. Watch out for common buzzwords in both job titles and descriptions that could be interpreted more than one way. An applicant with extensive customer service experience, for example, may apply for a vaguely described “account manager” position, but in your business, that job requires bookkeeping experience. Be sure the posting includes detailed information about requirements for:
Qualifications
Education
Experience
Skills
Special requirements (such as atypical work hours or travel)
And include details for:
Flexible work arrangements (in-person or remote work possibilities)
Paid time off (such as company holidays, starting vacation time, and sick leave policies)
Salary range
An Indeed survey revealed that employers often felt the need to revise job postings because they received too many under-qualified candidates. It will save both yours and the applicants’ time if your posting is clear about non-negotiables.
3. Evaluate Where Your Budget Is Best Spent
Small business owners often carry the load of performing various tasks. Whether your business is just starting out or you’ve seen quick growth that outpaced the hours available in a day, it’s likely there are helpful tools that you may not have had time to research. A personal approach to identifying and crafting job descriptions may feel like a valuable use of your time. Once the applications and resumes start pouring in, however, delegation of some tasks might ease some of the additional load. That’s where an applicant tracking system (ATS) like ApplicantStack comes in.
We’ve all been there: sifting through a long email thread with multiple people to locate some nugget of information about an applicant. Or trying to remember where and how you saved a resume file on your hard drive, only to come up with an empty search box. From your first application to making offers, ApplicantStack organizes and sorts relevant information for all involved to evaluate. It makes for smooth collaboration and prevents dreaded errors that can cause your company to miss out on a perfect hire.
4. Hire Young Talent
Experience and education are hard and fast requirements in some sectors, but consider if your company has room to grow by hiring young people just entering the workforce. These individuals may bring an level of enthusiasm and willingness to learn that benefits the team, and come in prepared for a starting salary commensurate with their position. Your company may consider mentorship as one of its core values to prepare new workers for a long and fulfilling careers.
5. Re-Evaluate Your Public Brand
Ask yourself (or your marketing team) some probing questions about how potential candidates are introduced to your company. It’s common practice for a job candidate to start their research with the basics.
How do you present yourself publicly?
If you have social media accounts, are they updated regularly with useful and informative posts? If you don’t post regularly, do they look neglected? Are they an important part of your business identity?
Does your website accurately reflect the current course of your business? Are hours of operation, contact information, or staff pages updated? Does it function properly or are there broken links or pages?
In terms of cost, social media and website updates can take anything from company time to the investment in an agency rebrand. Low-cost solutions like courses from a social media coach or simple text and photo website updates might make a big difference in your public persona.
New hires in a small business represent exciting growth. Hopefully these five tips can help you recruit quality talent even on a budget. Success awaits with careful consideration of your internal resources and external tools like ApplicantStack. You’ll be organized and on the way to hiring the best workers for your company.
In the first part of our coverage of recruiting trends to expect this year, we highlighted the importance of upskilling as a hiring and retention tool. Next up is the value of automation, specifically in hiring.
The recruiting process can be very time- and labor-intensive, often involving multiple people within the organization. Between posting open positions, sifting through applications, scheduling interviews, and conducting all the work on the back end, your team could end up spending hours to fill just one role. Explore the advantages of automation in the hiring process and how this trend can cut the time and energy spent on finding and bringing on top talent.
Recruiting Trends Coming in 2024
Here’s what has been covered (and still to come) in our five-part series:
According to a talent survey focused on the future of work, more than 90 percent of HR professionals plan to increase their use of automation in the hiring process, among other everyday tasks. In the recruiting world, automating certain processes can minimize the time spent on tasks substantially, freeing up bandwidth for team members to focus on other things. Additionally, automation can shorten the time-to-hire and reduce the cost-per-hire when used effectively.
So, how will automation factor into your hiring processes in 2024? The answer to that question depends on what you want to adopt. Using an applicant tracking system like ApplicantStack allows you to simplify many of the steps in the process of bringing on a new team member. The system can post job listings to multiple boards instantly, as well as support candidate outreach and follow-up efforts.
When you want to schedule an interview, you can meet candidates where they are with text-based communication. Some outreach efforts happen automatically, based on workflows set up early in the process. You can also utilize integrations to handle background checks and other tasks.
Screening candidates is easier than ever with automation, as the platform can look for specific keywords and phrases to weed out candidates who may not be qualified. The result is an automated process that is highly convenient for all involved, including applicants.
The Benefits of Automation in Hiring
Every organization aims to improve productivity among its team members. And hiring automation can help you move closer to that goal, as it eliminates manual processes that take a lot of time and effort. Those involved in recruiting can focus on more meaningful tasks rather than spending hours sifting through resumes or posting to multiple job boards.
Another advantage is the ability to boost the quality of each hire made. When your team members focus on the quality of the candidates, they can identify individuals with characteristics that align with the company culture and job responsibilities. Automation can also eliminate some of the variables that don’t necessarily predict performance, making it a must-implement in high-volume verticals like call/contact centers, quick-service restaurants and retail facilities.
Explore how ApplicantStack can help you feel more prepared for this 2024 hiring trend and stay competitive with the countless organizations that are planning to expand their teams this year. You can even try it for free! Post your job, utilize the tools built in, and enjoy an easier hiring experience from start to finish.
Keep an eye on our blog as we cover the next four 2024 recruiting trends to expect. In the next post, we’ll highlight the use of artificial intelligence among recruiters.
Is your company planning to hire in 2024? If so, you’re among the nearly 60 percent of businesses that expect to add new permanent positions in the first half of the year. This number comes from the State of U.S. Hiring Survey, conducted by Robert Half, a talent solutions and business consulting firm. Another 39 percent of respondents reported anticipating hiring to fill vacant positions.
As you gear up for recruiting processes and efforts, take a look at what you can expect this year. We’re rounding up the 2024 recruiting trends to expect among companies of all sizes.
Recruiting Trends Coming in 2024
Here’s what we’ll cover in our five-part series:
An Increase in Upskilling
The Value of Automation
More AI in Recruiting
Hybrid Work Shifts
More Entry-Level Hiring
Trend #1: Increase in Upskilling
Upskilling is a trend in the workplace that involves expanding an individual’s skillset and abilities. In the past, college grads went into roles feeling like they had the skills needed to perform their duties. But in today’s fast-changing workplace, needs shift and people take on all different roles, particularly when working in startups or establishing their own companies.
In the recruiting world, upskilling is important because it gives potential new hires a glimpse into what they can expect in a role. Providing opportunities to learn and develop additional skills is essential in any workplace, as doing so can contribute to improved retention. Among jobseekers, more than half report wanting to work in a place where they have access to learning and development programs.
Another advantage of upskilling is that it can make existing employees more qualified to take on new roles. If you have a star team member who is reliable, supportive and willing to work hard, why not help them move up and continue to bring their existing talents to your workforce? Offering the chance to learn new skills and become more ready to take on additional responsibilities will only help your business.
According to a survey of CEOs across the globe, more than 90 percent of company leaders who introduce upskilling opportunities see significant benefits. Some of these include improved talent acquisition, higher employee retention rates, increased productivity, and a workforce that includes resilient individuals.
By investing in upskilling, your company may be able to attract more talented individuals and retain those who are interested in improving their abilities. It’s a trend that likely won’t be going anywhere soon, so jump onboard and look for ways to help employees, whether new hires or seasoned staff members, in their efforts to grow and advance.
Keep an eye on our blog as we cover the next four 2024 recruiting trends to expect. Next up: the value of automation in hiring.
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