Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM APRIL 2022 40 I 'm not going to bore you with how hard it is to find people today, with 12 million open jobs and an unemployment rate of 4 percent. Instead, here are some practical recruitment strategies for you to (ahem) employ: 1. Employee referral programs are a great source of new talent that should have a solid place in your organization's talent acqui- sition strategy. Employee referral programs are not only often cited as being a cheaper, quicker, more reliable recruiting tool; referred candidates tend to stay longer with an organization than candidates hired through job boards or career websites. 2. Contact past candidates – both the runners-up who came in second in an earlier round of hiring, and those who turned down your job offer. Things are different now, and their situation may have changed, so they may be willing to reconsider. If they still say "No, thanks," ask them for a referral. 3. Look at your recent retirees. Maybe the retirement thing isn't all they had hoped for. They still have some good years left to give, and they'll make perfect hires in important ways: they know the job, the people and the culture. Work something out. 4. Learn the difference between job requirements and prefer- ences. No wonder you can't find anyone – you've made your filter too restrictive! You've described a perfect candidate that doesn't exist, with overly specific skills and experience that aren't neces- sary for success in the job you're looking to fill. I'm not saying you should lower your standards, I'm just saying maybe you should keep them realistic and be willing to hire potential and develop it. These days, we may not have the luxury of looking for those perfect "ready-made" candidates. 5. Consider the special-needs community. There's lots of good talent there, yet employers tend to overlook this excellent source. There are very likely resources in your area that can help you connect. These are dependable people who are kind and who care. 6. Request referrals from new employees during their first week, while they're excited about their new job. This is an excellent source of recruits, because good people know other good people. 7. Work on your website. Look at your Careers section through the eyes of a prospective employee. Is there anything that would make you look twice — or make you move on? Elements of an effective recruitment page include your employer brand, video testimonials from happy employees, a window into your world, and why a candidate should consider you. 8. Make your job postings fun. So many are boring – they're just plodding lists of "duties and responsibilities." Don't forget to give prospective employees good reasons to work for you, including the strength of your business and the opportunities for advance- ment. Don't forget to mention your affiliation with BrandSource, a national 5,000-plus-member strong consortium with $24 bil- lion in buying power! This might neutralize your business's "mom and pop store" perception in a sea of other job offerings. 9. Open with a captivating summary. Provide an overview that gets job seekers excited about the role and the company – there's a lot of job clutter out there that you need to break through! 10. Highlight your culture. Seventy-two percent of job seekers say it's extremely or very important to see specifics about a company's culture. Take the opportunity to highlight your val- ues and your people. For example: "XYZ Appliance promotes a culture of agility, collaboration, customer-centricity, results and respect." Happy hiring! HELP WANTED! Ten recruiting strategies to help you win the talent war RO Daniel Abramson Business Service Trends Daniel Abramson is Managing Lead of HRSource, a comprehensive collection of customized employment tools and turnkey solutions exclusive to members of the AVB/BrandSource buying organization. For more information, contact Daniel at (540) 535-8484 or daniel@staffdynamics.biz.

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