What if I told you that now is the best time to recruit top talent? You don't even need to invest in more hiring platforms or third-party services to do it. Despite the pandemic, Systems Engineering is continuing our recruitment efforts. We wanted to share our five most effective and low-resource recruitment strategies with you.
Look Inward
As you know, your current staff is your most valuable asset. Employees already have an intimate knowledge of your business operations. You likely have established a high level of trust in their judgment. This trust is an excellent reason for an inward appeal to those employees for suggested candidates. Your staff likely has an entire social network of candidates they connect with. By implementing an Employee Referral Bonus Program, you incentivize them to link and share current openings. This type of program is a great way to curate qualified candidates for you and provide an extra incentive for them.
Repurpose Technology
For the unforeseeable future, the interview process has changed. Video conferencing for most meetings is likely here to stay. The good news is you may already have access to the perfect collaboration tools. If your company is using Office 365, then you have access to the Microsoft Teams conferencing platform. This tool combines video conferencing and document sharing in one secure and seamless platform. Another platform 
we use is Cisco WebEx for panel interviews and a unique job shadowing experience. Using the screen share functions, employees can remotely showcase the day-to-day responsibilities of technical roles. The use of video conferencing provides a dynamic interview experience between the candidates and hiring managers. We understand this technology may be new for some organizations and somewhat intimidating.
Hyperlocal Approach
Consider industry partners and groups in your local area to help get the word out. Local chambers and industry associations exist to foster business around the community. Employment outreach is part of that promotion. Many talented individuals reference these local groups when looking for employment. As part of your membership, they can let the community know what positions you are recruiting for. Utilizing existing professional relationships is an easy way to seek out talent in your own backyard.
Spring Cleaning
You only get one chance to make a BAD first impression. Nothing says careless like poor grammar and misspellings. If you want to recruit top-quality candidates, your first impression needs to be top quality as well. Take a fresh look at your job postings and web page copy. Also, take time to refresh and update your employer profiles and external job postings. You may want to rethink or add employee testimonials, company photos, and any other recruiting content.
Transparent Communications
Employment candidates will likely have questions surrounding your company's reaction to the pandemic. Be prepared for inquiries related to the company response and intended path forward. Additionally, concerns about hiring and onboarding in a remote work environment are likely to be raised.
These are a handful of recommendations for recruiting new talent during a pandemic. We hope you found some useful information you can apply to attract the right candidates to your organization. Our goal is to enable the exceptional for our clients, our teams, and our communities.
Please reach out to us with any questions you may have. We encourage clients of Systems Engineering to reach out to your account manager to review any of the tools or ideas referenced in this post. Please visit our website at www.systemsengineering.com, or email us at info@systemsengineering.com.
Jen Hughes is the Employee Success Manager at Systems Engineering. She focuses on recruitment, employee growth & professional development. Jen also supports a variety of workplace culture initiatives including employee ownership, health & well-being, and community engagement.
