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How to Fill Those Tough Positions

Every company has a handful of hard-to-fill positions: ones that require crazy technical skills, highly specialized experience, or specific skills in a demographic that is not rife with them. When the game gets tough, what recruitments strategies will attract talent for those hard-to-fill positions?

Job descriptions

Times, they have a-changed since you updated your job descriptions. Instead of telling candidates what they need to have to apply, tell them why they can’t help but apply to your company because it’s such an amazing place to work. What sets your company apart from its competitors? How awesome is your company culture? What benefits does your company offer in the way of health care, 401K, vacation, flex schedules, remote work, free Starbucks? What about opportunities for career advancement or fun projects? Of course you’ll need to include the regular job duties and requirements, but frame them in a realistic and achievable way. Do people actually exist who could meet the job criteria?

Social media

We’re sure by now your company has at least one social media platform (preferably more). That’s great, because social outreach is a key way to find candidates who match your specific, tough-to-fill roles. If you’re not posting social content geared toward future employees, start now! Show perspective candidates why your company is a great place to work, and they’ll be watching your Careers page, for sure. So get real, get personal, and watch the applications roll in.

Employee referrals

The great talent you’ve already hired is an excellent way to locate the great talent you haven’t hired. Employee referrals tend to be higher quality, hire on more smoothly, and stay with the company longer. If your organization doesn’t have a formal employee-referral program, consider implementing one!

College recruiting

Grab those talented young people early in their careers so that they can learn and grow with your company! Your new best friends in the recruitment pool are high school students, college students, and recent graduates. Get them involved with job-shadowing programs for high schoolers and internship programs for college students and recent grads—and don’t neglect those campus job fairs. Show these promising young adults how great your company is, and they will seek you out when they are ready to work.

In conclusion

By definition, hard-to-fill positions are going to challenge your company’s recruitment procedures. But by following the above recruitment strategies, you’ll maximize your efforts to attract top talent!

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