If you’re a HR Manager, without a doubt one of the most difficult tasks you’re tasked with is filling up a vacancy with a star employee. Whilst it’s true there are several external factors that could affect the level of applications for example Christmas, here at Bluetown we’ve devised a great list of hints and tips that can guarantee you a stream of candidates and great results regardless of the time of the year. So here’s our list to attract your new recruits.
- Write an engaging advert
Gone are the days when you could simply list the responsibilities needed for the position and wait for the applications to pour in. You’ll need to put almost as much effort in the job description as you would expect your applicants to put in responding to it. This means a quality job advert.
Make the post informative, interesting and most of all engaging. The applicants should have a clear idea of the nature of the company, what will be expected from them and what skills are necessary to fulfil those duties. By the time the applicants read the whole advert (and believe us few actually do), they should feel excited about the vacancy. They will actually send you a tailored Cover Letter (not the one-size-fits-all) and will put the effort to get the position.
- Optimise the advert
If your position is highly technical and might be difficult to find, then you should consider adding keywords in the description. By doing so your advert will come up in more search results and will also rank better. This of course leads to more exposure and ultimately more applications.
Also, make sure you’ve listed your vacancy in the right categories and sub-categories if you’re posting your advert online. This might sound like a no-brainer, but we see this mistake over and over again. Otherwise not only will you get the wrong type of applications, but you might also miss on the good ones.
- Don’t rush it
Having a short deadline to fill a vacancy almost always leads to problems. Because you are constantly pressured to find a person, you might be much more likely to compromise on the values and skills of the applicant. Our advice is simple – don’t.
Generally speaking we’d recommend a minimum of one month to see a turnaround from going live with your vacancy to conducting first and second stage interviews. Multiple hires for the same position may have varying time scales to hires. You’ll want to attract a good number of applications to ensure you get the best quality and find the perfect fit for your organisation. Make the period shorter and you’re missing out. Extend it and the applicant might have forgotten about the application… or has already been grabbed by another company.
- Use an Expert Online Recruitment Company
Okay so you’re pretty much good to go but it’s who you choose to help you fill your vacancy that’s equally as important. Employing an expert online recruitment company that understands the recruitment market and where candidates with the relevant experience are searching is pivotal when determining success rates. Companies are more often than not being left in the dark when it comes to attracting candidates online and can lead to HR functions overspending and not reaching yearly targets.
Bluetownonline are experts in filling vacancies and we pride ourselves at being the specialists in online recruitment. We’re able to predict trends, use specialist optimisation techniques whilst managing the recruiting process understanding the actual needs of the business before getting started.
To discuss how we can assist you in filling your job vacancy, contact us today at 0207 183 6293 or watch our video.
