"It's hard to find good help" is an expression used by both small business owners and large employers. But your odds of finding top talent can increase through an online recruitment strategy. So how and where do you source employees online? Read on to see the best ways on how to find employees online.
How to find employees online
Online job boards like Indeed, Monster and Craigslist, are the modern-day equivalent of the classified ad. If you're willing to shell out a small listing fee, these sites give you access to many potential employees with skill sets that match what you need. Through online resumes, you can get to know your next hire long before meeting him or her in person.
If you're on a tight budget or prefer to hire an already vetted employee, tap your social media network. That mutual connection on LinkedIn or Facebook isn't just another anonymous face in your virtual vicinity. He or she may also be an employee you can trust to do great work from day one. If your network is small, you can still use social media sites to post custom job ads.
If you're putting out feelers for a new hire, don't forget one of the first places a potential employee will look: your business website. Accepting applications through a dedicated jobs section is ideal. But at a minimum, include a call for hiring along with an email address for job inquiries.
Tips for finding employees online
Don't rely purely on general online boards to source your next employee. Depending on your industry, the most experienced candidates may be more likely to frequent a specialized job board. These include Dice for technology jobs, AllRetailJobs for the retail sector or Idealist for nonprofit jobs. If you're looking for daily or hourly workers, take a look at on-demand staffing platforms like Wonolo‚ it offers a fast fill rate and can be more cost-effective for small business owners in need of temporary help.
If you're struggling to source locally-based employees, it may be time to cast a wider net to the whole internet. Many in-demand jobs can be performed remotely from anywhere in the country or even abroad. Remote-specific job boards like WeWorkRemotely offer the added advantage of attracting remote-friendly workers.
Best practices for finding employees online
Not sure which job board to select for your recruitment efforts? Assess your industry and your recruitment budget. Then, filter out job boards that fall outside of that niche or budget.
You can easily to get over- or underwhelmed by the number of responses from a job ad. One way to avoid this is to create a job ad that clearly defines the day-to-day responsibilities of the role. Don't under- or over-inflate the skills and experience required. A poorly written job description can lead you to receive too many or too few qualified applicants.
When you find an applicant of interest, don't make a full-time hire based on glorified credentials on paper alone. Similarly, don't dismiss an otherwise worthy applicant based on a sparse resume. If you have time, talk to the applicant by phone, in-person or through an online collaborative workspace. This discussion will help you learn who the individual is beyond his or her online persona.
