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Recruitment Strategies
Don't wait until you receive a resignation from one of your employees to plan for a vacancy. Employee turnover can be unpredictable and usually occurs at the most inopportune times.
You can successfully plan for expected and unexpected openings by thinking about the following questions:
Don't forget your current staff as you get ready to recruit. Are there any staff members who might be ready to move up into the higher position? If the person leaving is in a high level position, you might be able to promote from within to fill the position. Then you might find it easier to fill the entry level position of the promoted employee. If you decide to promote from within, you will still need to advertise the opening.
Do you know your competition and what they are doing to attract candidates? If you are losing employees or good candidates to local competition, it is essential that you know what they are offering so you can make comparisons and take proactive measures. If you can't match the salaries, there may be other benefits that you can highlight in your advertising such as flexible work schedules, continuing education, professional development, etc.
If you are trying to recruit for a "hard to fill" job, or the local competition is too tough, you may decide to expand your recruiting efforts from local to statewide, national, or even international.
Keep in mind, though, that most of the time your agency will not pay for interview costs or relocation expenses. DHHS does not sponsor foreign national applicants. These applicants must independently handle the legal process and pay for any costs involved in applying for proper authorization to work in the United States. Applicants must ensure that their visa status (employment eligibility) is in order.
You are probably aware if this job classification may have historically high turnover and may be difficult to fill when openings occur. Check with Human Resources to see if there is labor market data or compensation options in place so you can pay the incoming employee at a higher rate. If you are unsure about the job classification, ask your HR representative to help you by analyzing turnover reports to review trends. You may find that you have to conduct more extensive recruitment to reach more qualified and interested employees.
If you have recruited for this or a similar position in the recent past, you may have applications of qualified applicants who previously applied. You may contact these people and advise them to apply for this position. Of course, this does not guarantee that they will be hired, but it may provide you with a quality pool of applicants from which to choose.
Labor market statistics are available from the Employment Security Commission.
America's Career Infonet has occupational and wage information by profession.
The US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics has an online Occupational Outlook Handbook.
