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Dear Colleagues,
Welcome
to Part 2 of our continuing series on how to hire a new
employee. The focus of this newsletter is: Where to
advertise your position vacancies?
As
discussed last month, having a clear job description – knowing
what it is that you want an employee to do – is important.
Just as important, however, is knowing where to find the
talent that you need. In this edition, we’ll discuss various
advertising options and their cost effectiveness, and we’ll
share some helpful advice to help save you time, money and
energy when advertising your vacancies.
Stay
tuned next month for advice on how to screen applications once
they start coming in.
For
more information, contact us at 604.688.3879.
All the
best for a productive month!
Cheers,
Cissy
Pau
Clear
HR Consulting
Advertising Your Vacancies: Looking Beyond Want
Ads
Anyone who has ever tried to hire a new employee has their
fair share of horror stories. They advertised on a bulletin
board at the local community centre and no one applied. They
spent $1,200 for an ad in the newspaper and got hundreds of
applications, but no one was really qualified. They hired the
daughter of someone who was a recommendation from someone
else, who was the brother of their hairdresser – the person
didn’t work out.
There
are a sea of sources available to you to advertise your job
openings. First, though, you need to put
your mind to where the best places would be to advertise the
position. Don’t automatically use the want ads in the
newspaper or on-line job boards. These may not be your best
options.
Some
questions to ask yourself:
- What
does the ideal person whom I want to hire read regularly and
in what format (e.g. newspaper, trade journals, on-line)?
- Where
do they spent their time (e.g. at school, at the gym, at a
professional association)?
- Who do
I know who may know people whom I’d like to hire?
- Are
there any associations or groups where the people I’m
looking for belong?
Thinking
about these issues first will help you target your advertising
source to the people and places where your ideal candidate can
be found.
Below is a list of options which may be suitable
for you to find your ideal candidate:
1.
Word of mouth
One
of the best ways to find qualified employees is to ask for
referrals from friends, family, existing employees, colleagues
and business contacts. They are already familiar with your
company and will have a better idea of what type of employee
would fit in well. And it’s free!
2.
Schools
Many
schools, whether they be high schools, colleges, universities
or trade schools, offer free or low-fee job posting
sources to employers. Many also
have work experience programs or practicums for students
wanting to enter a particular field of work. Provided you
have the time required to train the student,
you will often find someone flexible, highly motivated and
eager to learn.
3.
Trade associations and specialty organizations
Trade associations and organizations often have free
or low-fee job posting services to advertise jobs for their members, usually on-line or
in a newsletter. This is a great way to target your
advertising to a captive audience. If you’re looking for an
accountant, for example, contact the accounting associations
(e.g. CMA, CA, CGA) and advertise in their member
publications. By targeting the advertising location, you will
increase your chances of getting better qualified applicants.
4.
Newspaper advertisements
Before placing a newspaper ad, think about whether the person you want
to hire would look for a job in the newspaper. Also, think
about which newspapers they would read. Your options
are endless, from local community papers to regional papers
to national publications. Different publications appeal to different
audiences. Prices for an ad range from under $100 to thousands
of dollars. These sources can also generate hundreds of
applications, often from unqualified candidates, so make sure you can handle
a high volume
of resumes before you place an ad.
5.
Job search websites
Consider job search
websites if you think your ideal candidate looks for work on
on-line. There are many general websites (e.g. monster.ca) where a job seeker can search for jobs in various
industries in different regions. There are also industry
specific sites where jobs in specific fields (e.g.
information technology, engineering, etc.) can be posted.
Some job search sites also have a service
where employers can review a resume database to see if
any registered users match their qualifications. Depending
on the site you choose, the price for posting an on-line
job ranges from free to several hundred dollars.
6.
Agencies and search firms
For a
fee, agencies and search firms can manage specific portions or
all of your hiring process. Depending on the amount of
time you have, the money and resources you would like to dedicate to
a
search, the urgency to fill the position and
the role that the position plays in your organization,
agencies and search firms could be the answer for you. Fees
are often on a project basis, a contingency-basis or are based on a percentage of
the position’s salary.
Beyond
theses sources, there are dozens of other places you can
advertise your vacancies. Bottom line is to be strategic and
creative when finding the best employee for your company.
For
a free consultation on developing your recruitment
advertising strategy or on any
other HR issue, contact us at info@clearhrconsulting.com.
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