Change is a given each year for businesses—turnover, growth, and other shifts are going to happen, so it’s important for employers to plan for “when,” rather than “if.” And the beginning of a new year is the perfect time for leadership teams to evaluate their recruitment strategies, assessing whether they are well-equipped to quickly attract and hire the right candidates. Here’s a bit of guidance to ensure you’re prepared for whatever’s next.
Look to the past … and to the future
What positions did you fill last year? How often did you have openings? How long did it take to make the hires? Looking at 2022’s turnover and hiring activity can provide a roadmap that helps you plan for 2023. Of course, you will need to consider your organization’s strategy, growth initiatives, and other factors that could affect personnel numbers over the course of the year—but understanding the past can create a solid foundation for the future.
Plot (or refine) your strategy
Once you have a rough idea of the roles you could be filling in 2023, you can begin to plan your recruitment strategy. First, evaluate how you’ve approached recruiting in the past, so you can determine what tactics worked well and what needs to be refined. (Not everything went perfectly, right?) Ideally, you will craft a mix of standard recruitment practices and marketing techniques that will attract the right candidates to your organization. A few things to consider:
- Your organization’s careers page and social media presence
- Networking events
- Job fairs
- Your employee referral plan (or lack thereof)
- Internal and external communications regarding recruitment
Once you have a list of actions and events, you can schedule and budget for them—making changes as the year progresses, based on the ever-changing needs of your organization.
Keep the pipeline flowing
Regardless of the number of candidates you expect to hire, you should be networking throughout the year and engaging in regular conversations with potential candidates. You’ve probably heard of “building a bench”: It’s incredibly valuable to establish connections (and keep the conversation going) with people in your network who may be interested in joining your organization at some point.
This is where social media plays a huge role. Share your organization’s posts on LinkedIn regularly and add individuals to your network who have experience and qualifications related to your line of work. You will be surprised how quickly your network grows—and then, when it’s time to hire, you have a ready-made roster of potential candidates. That’s powerful stuff.
Internal versus external
Another aspect to take into account is the number of roles you may fill internally, and what that might mean for external hires. For instance, if your organization frequently promotes from within, you typically will hire for more entry-level roles as employees rise to more senior positions. That should be a factor in your recruitment strategy.
While we are on the topic of employees, don’t forget the power of their networks when it comes to filling roles! Employee referral programs and internal communications about openings can lead to quality, timely hires—making them a vital part of any successful recruitment strategy.
Plan for openings … before you have them
Planning for the number of hires and types of hires—and developing a recruitment strategy to attract candidates who are qualified and fit your culture—is a must for any organization. But if you wait until someone hands in their resignation before thinking about recruiting, you’ll be behind already. We all know how hard it is for existing employees to be without a team member; filling roles quickly can help your people avoid burnout and stress.
This might sound like a lot—but you don’t have to do it alone. Our Alera ConnectHR experts are here to discuss your recruiting strategy and help you develop a process will complement your team and strengthen your organization. Get in touch today, so you’re ready to make that hire tomorrow!
About the Author
Christine Brown, HR Services Partner and Lead Recruiter
Alera ConnectHR
After more than 15 years as a human resource manager with Nordstrom, Christine joined Alera ConnectHR in 2019. She has strong knowledge in recruiting, staffing in large organizations, talent management and acquisition, training, and development, as well as employee engagement.
Christine loves helping her clients and their people thrive, and particularly relishes tackling challenging situations by using positive communication and developing plans for success.
A graduate of the University of Alaska with a degree in political science, she is a regular volunteer with the United Way of Anchorage and served on the steering committee for the Day of Caring for seven years. Christine also has volunteered with Junior Achievement, which inspires and prepares young people to reach their potential. She has also earned the Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SRHM-CP®) designation.
