You have set up the job profile, you have written the vacancy text and you put it online. Now you are actively going to search for the right candidate. So, what steps do you take first?
Perhaps the most obvious or the first thing that comes to mind, is to search via the well-known job boards and LinkedIn. However, try to look a little closer to home first and use Referral Recruitment! Referral Recruitment is a way to recruit potential candidates for your job opening by using the social network of your current employees. In America, this is one of the most used methods to recruit new employees, but it is also becoming more popular in The Netherlands. We have listed the two most important benefits of using Recruitment Referral:
Reliable source
A candidate who has been recommended by one of your employees already has one good reference. Otherwise, your employee would not have recommended to include this person in the application process. Do you have an applicant out of one of your employees’ network, but did the employee not recommend him or her for this position? Make sure you ask for a short reference first.
Employer Branding
Referral Recruitment ensures an active participation of your employees and strengthens your Employer Branding. Let your employees speak on behalf of your organisation by making them ambassadors. This improvse the involvement of your employees. Referral Recruitment ensures an active participation of your employees and strengthens your Employer Branding. Let your employees speak on behalf of your organisation by making them ambassadors. This improvse the involvement of your employees.
It is important to keep in mind that not all employees are eager to actively participate in Referral Recruitment in their everyday rush. That is why you need to make it as approachable as possible:
Ready to go
Make it as easy as possible for all directly involved employees of the new position to share the vacancy in their own network. You can do this by creating ‘ready to go social media posts’ for any social media channel you want them to use. This way, they only have to copy and paste the post. Next, do not forget to use visuals, they draw much more attention to themselves than simple short texts.
Connect with the network
Your organisation can also actively use the network of employees. Your employees may have the right candidate in their own network and you can approach these candidates yourself. However, make sure to only do this with the network of the employees who will work closely with the person in the new position.First things first, contact them and let them know that they can expect a friend request via social media from you (if you are not yet connected) and explain why. Once you are connected, you can search for suitable candidates for the job via their network. Maybe that one former colleague, your employee pleasantly worked with several years ago, is now open to a new challenge! Of course, first ask your employee for a short reference before approaching that person.
Using Recruitment Referral should not be underestimated and should be part of your overall recruitment strategy. Creating the right social media content plays an important role here: dare to be creative, but make sure it is effective!
Do you want to know more about Referral Recruitment and how we can help your organisation improve recruitment? Please contact us for more information!
Esmeralda Tan-A-Kiam
Talent Acquisition & Recruitment Marketing Specialist
Yoores Recruitment Solutions
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