5 Ways to Get Top Quality Candidates to Apply

When you receive a high volume of applicants for your available positions, by the time you filter out the unqualified candidates, you may be left with only a few top-quality candidates to pursue. If you are dissatisfied with the applicants you are currently attracting, there are steps you can take to get the attention of prospects that better fit your needs. Learn more with these five ways to get top quality candidates to apply: 

1. Build a Strong Employer Brand

The most in-demand candidates are able to be selective regarding what type of employer for which they want to work. They aren’t solely looking for any job – they want one with an overall workplace that is appealing to them. Build a strong employer brand so top-quality candidates have a clear idea of what it would be like to work for your company. Define and communicate your company culture, core values, and mission, and any other details that set your company apart from other employers, as often as you can across channels (i.e.,  in-person interactions, company website, job postings, etc.)

2. Strategize Your Job Posting

The posting for the job itself must be compelling and attention-grabbing if you want qualified candidates to even notice it, let alone take action and apply. Be strategic with the content of your job posting and description – provide as much detail as possible about the nature of the job, work environment, type of person who will succeed in the role, and the advantages of working at your organization. Overly general or vague job postings can make top prospects suspicious or simply not want to put forth the effort to dig deeper for more information. 

3. Boost Your Online Presence 

It’s highly likely the first action potential candidates take after seeing your job posting is to search your company online to find out more before deciding if they want to apply. Make sure your company has a robust online presence, such as an informative website and engaging social media profiles, to help solidify candidates’ decisions to apply once they learn about it. 

4. Encourage Employee Referrals

There are no better experts than your own team of employees regarding what it takes to be a successful long-term fit for your organization. To get top-quality candidates to apply, encourage employees to refer potential candidates they may know from their professional and/or personal contacts. Since employees will be cognizant of how their referrals reflect on them (and they could potentially have to work with the referred candidate), they will likely only refer serious candidates. 

5. Maintain Relationships with Passive Candidates

The best candidates may not necessarily be job searching at the exact time you have openings; therefore, it’s helpful to look for and keep in contact with passive candidates who have the skills you need, even though they may not be actively job searching (and/or you’re not actively hiring). Examples of passive candidates include: previous applicants, professionals you meet at events, former employees, and employee referrals. 

Attract Top Talent

Find the most qualified prospects to join your team by partnering with The Hire Firm for your recruitment needs. The Hire Firm is a leading job placement agency serving employers in the Northern New Mexico area. Contact us today to learn more about our employer services. 

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