Pages

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Box. Me. Outside.

"Think Outside Of The Box"
Probably one of the more annoying corporate phrases around, definitely one of the most overused. Although, now that everyone is outside of the box it might be edgier to just think inside of the box. More room.

I blab about this because when it comes to hiring, you got it, we need to think outside of the box. Sigh. I apologize but I had no choice! Now there are the regular channels we think of when hiring and those include:
  1. Posting Jobs
  2. Career Fairs
  3. Reviewing resumes on job boards and in databases
  4. Candidate Depot (I joke but oh how I wish it existed!)
Then there are the unconventional ways to find talent and get people aware of job opportunities. As a manager you know the role for which you're hiring better than anyone. You might not have all of the tools you want but there are definitely ways for you to get out there and drum up more interest in your roles. 

How? Well, I am glad you asked! Below is a list of other, unconventional, ways to find talent:

Social Media 
You can find diamonds through social media. It takes some savvy research skillz and time but if you are equipped with both, go for it! I would start with your personal Facebook network. You might not like mixing work with pleasure but don't you want to help your friends (or friends of friends) find better job opportunities? It's a win/win for everyone and I always appreciate when my facebook friends share jobs. It's also true that I will always share the opportunity to someone I think might be interested, always.

Networking Events
Looking for a marketer? Attend some local marketing events where active professionals are hanging around mingling with one another. Replace marketer and marketing with any other industry name and repeat.

Dating Sites
I'm sure you might find a few people who are embellishing their jobs, but it's also great place to look for people who are openly promoting themselves. I would recommend finding names and then look for another way to actually contact this person. Your fiance might not appreciate you contacting "candidates" through OK Cupid and HR might be squeamish too. Definitely use only as a source of name generation.

Tap into Top Talent's Networks
What's that other saying that is overused? Birds of a Feather Flock Together? It's true. If you're looking for UX Designers, odds are they know other UX Designers. It's pretty simple logic, yet, we often forget to ask those superstars we already have working with us!

Align with Marketing
Marketing events for your company are targeted towards the customer, right? Why does the customer and a potential employee have to be different? They don't. In fact, a customer might be a perfect employee since they're already a brand advocate. 

The main point is, always be recruiting. If you're going to get the best talent out there then you have got to keep your eyes and ears open at all times. Most likely they're right there in front of you.