Recruiting.  It is made to be so hard.  There is so much talk about the active and passive candidate.  Who is the best fit for the role?  Where do you find them?  What are the best tools to find candidates.

The way I see it is recruiters need to work smart.  It is vitally important to stay on top of your social media presence.  Recruiters need to stay active on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and any other social media platform that helps you recruit for your niche.   That being said, sometimes the best candidate is right in front of your face.

Referrals Are Still the Best Candidates for Your Job Openings

As an HR professional, referrals for your company should be a top priority.  It is something that is often overlooked and under communicated to the hiring managers.  A referral program does not have to be too complex, but your organization cannot survive without one.

There is so much talk about culture with companies today.  I cannot emphasize the importance of a good culture fit.  As a recruiter, I see people passed over daily.  They have all of the skills for the job, but something is “missing”.

You see, when LinkedIn was first created, the premise was unbelievable.  It was a true networking tool.  Now, I am completely unsure of what they are or what they are trying to accomplish.  Nonetheless,  if someone can personally connect you to an opportunity and can vouch for your skills and expertise, the likelihood of success in that role skyrockets.   So via Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook- whatever tool you decide to use, it is important to have you and your managers reach out to your personal connections.  These connections are the ones that are going to help you the most!  You aren’t doing hard-core sourcing, you are just being SMART.

It is so vital that your employees know that there is a referral program.  They need to know EXACTLY what it pays when they refer someone.  They need to know when they will get paid.  They also need to BELIEVE in the company.  Someone who believes in the company is more likely to refer someone who doesn’t believe in what the company is doing.

In conclusion, using your network and talking to referrals will deliver the longevity that you are looking for, and the culture that you may be missing when hiring someone new.  Don’t forget to make it a priority.  It will make the recruitment process easier also.