Hiring is a complex process, especially if you want to get the right person for your open position. But when your company is growing quickly, someone leaves suddenly, or other disruptors change up your staffing game, you may not have time for a leisurely recruiting process. Even when you need to hire quickly, it’s important to ensure you find the right person for the job. Check out these five tips for hiring urgently, including multiple options to handle it in-house, as well as options for outsourcing with a staffing firm.
1. handle it yourself using job boards
how:
When they need to hire someone quickly, many businesses turn to job boards. They know that job seekers are also showing up on those boards, so there's a reasonable expectation of connecting with someone quickly. You might use job boards such as Monster, Indeed or Workopolis for this purpose.
pros:
Traditional job boards can be effective, especially if what you desire is a deluge of incoming applications. An attractive job posting can do that for you, and it's also relatively inexpensive to post on these sites as an employer.
cons:
You pay for every job you post. If you're planning to post a lot of positions, that can add up over time. Writing job descriptions that attract the right talent also takes some expertise—you can't just slap any old help-wanted advert up and call it a day. And once you do post the position, you're likely to receive a lot of resumes that are poorly self-selected by candidates who are hoping they might have a chance at your position. That means a lot of your time spent searching through and screening applicants.
2. handle it yourself using linkedin
how:
LinkedIn is a mix between a job board and social media site. People use it to network with others and find out about opportunities. You can post a job on LinkedIn and share it with your network, and some people in that network might share it with others.
pros:
Because posts tend to filter through existing networks of professionals on LinkedIn, there's a greater chance you'll attract more qualified candidates. That's especially true for professional, supervisory and management roles.
cons:
LinkedIn doesn't tend to be a good place to source candidates for blue collar or industrial roles. These workers aren't as likely to create profiles on the site or use the network regularly. It also costs money to post job ads and, as with traditional job boards, it takes skill and experience to write job postings that attract the right talent.
3. handle it yourself using networking
how:
People who work for you, your family, your social circles, your business mentor—they all know other people, right? Theoretically, you could put the word out into your own networks that you need to fill a position or ask existing employees for referrals.
pros:
Candidates who are referred to you have built-in references. If someone you trust recommended them, you know they're probably reliable, honest and someone others want to work with. If your staff recommend them, even better. Your existing employees know what it's like to work within the company, so they're more likely to recommend someone who is a good fit culturally and has the right skills to be successful.
cons:
Referrals don't typically work on demand, especially for niche roles that require very specific skill sets. You can't necessarily rely on the fact that someone in your business or network knows an IT coder with JavaScript experience when you need one, for example. You can create a referral program for employees to incentivize them to recommend great talent; however that can be time-consuming without a definite return on that investment.
4. handle it yourself using social media
how:
You can use other types of networks to get the word out about your positions, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and similar social media channels. It can be as simple as posting the link to the job listing to your followers and encouraging them to share. You might also leverage ad options to expand the reach of your posting. For instance, Facebook has a popular job search platform.
pros:
One pro for using social media is that you can get your job listing in front of people who might not actively be looking for a new position at the moment. While you might think the key to hiring someone quickly is connecting with people who are in need of work, that's not always true. If your job posting is interesting enough, you could tempt passive candidates who are not actively looking for work.
cons:
The issue here is that your job posting and your social media post have to capture interest. Organic engagement for brands on social media is relatively low unless you have the skills to connect with audiences. That typically requires a strong brand and social media skills. So, if you're not already active and engaging with your audience, this method may not generate a lot of results.
5. outsource hiring to a staffing partner
how:
Connect with an HR partner who can help you source qualified candidates while you and your in-house HR resources attend to other matters—like existing employees and customers.
pros:
This is the simplest option on this list for most businesses. Once you partner with a staffing firm, they will handle most of the work. You bring your open job to your staffing partner and they will bring the know-how, experience and resources to find strong candidates. Plus, a recruiting firm has existing databases full of vetted candidates, which can reduce the time it takes to bring someone on board—an important consideration when you need to fill a role urgently.
cons:
Using a staffing company typically does cost more than the other options on this list, especially at first glance, as you’re paying for expertise and outsourcing the work associated with hiring. It can also take some time for a new HR partner to get to know your needs and preferences.
consider a hybrid model for best results
Depending on your needs, you may want to consider a hybrid hiring model. This lets you use a variety of tools, including in-house and outsourced resources for hiring urgently. Find out more about this option in our guide on the benefits of a hybrid recruiting model.