How to find good employees for your business

Key takeaways:

• Compelling job listings attract top-tier candidates and set the stage for quality hires.
• Advanced technologies speeds up hiring and enhances employer brand.
• Referrals, company website, social media, and industry events are great avenues to connect with both active and passive candidates.

Hiring the right employees and retaining them is one of the biggest challenges businesses face today. Did you know that 74% of employers struggle to find skilled candidates? This statistic is concerning, especially because the people you bring into your company can help you achieve your business goals.

The job market is more competitive than ever, and businesses often compete with larger companies offering higher salaries and extensive benefits. If you master the roadmap to hiring success, financial constraints become a minor concern.

However, before launching your recruitment efforts, closely examine your company culture—the shared values and behaviors that define your work environment. Equally important is assessing your growth trajectory to understand whether you’re scaling up or needing strategic realignment. Finally, identifying skills gaps in your current workforce pinpoints the areas where new talent can make the most impact.

This article will guide you through actionable ways to help you find and attract the best employees for your company. These steps will help you create a workforce supporting your company’s success regardless of your current goals.

10 recommended strategies for hiring success

1. Craft job listings that stand out

How you present a job posting determines the quality of applicants you receive. A vague or generic listing might attract a flood of unqualified job candidates. At the same time, a well-crafted one draws in top talent.

• Start with a clear and compelling job title. For example, ‘SEO Growth Marketer: Remote, Flexible Hours’ is far more descriptive and eye-catching than a plain ‘Marketing Associate.’
• Make your company overview engaging and informative. Many applicants look to join companies they believe in, so highlight your mission, work culture, and what sets your organization apart.
• Avoid industry jargon or overly complex language. The more straightforward your job description, the better it will resonate with potential candidates.
• Specify key responsibilities. Break them down into digestible sections and clearly distinguish between must-have skills and preferred qualifications. This way, strong applicants are encouraged to apply even if they don’t meet every single criterion.

2. Harness the power of referrals

One of the most effective ways to find top employees is through referrals. Employees, business partners, and even customers can connect you with high-caliber candidates who may not be actively job hunting but are open to the right opportunity. Referral hires often prove to be a great cultural fit than those sourced through traditional job postings.

Incentivize participation to build a robust employee referral program. Offer attractive bonuses, extra time off, or public recognition to encourage your team to tap into their networks.

3. Maximize your social media recruiting

Beyond its power as a marketing tool, social media is a goldmine for recruiting top talent. Millions of professionals engage daily on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and even TikTok—giving you a direct and dynamic way to connect with potential candidates.

To maximize your social media recruiting efforts, select a platform that best fits your industry. LinkedIn is ideal for professional roles and corporate hiring, while Instagram and TikTok resonate with creative sectors and brands seeking to attract younger talent. Tailor your job posts to each platform’s tone and audience to boost engagement and attract the right candidates.

Once you have a platform, you can:

• Create visually appealing job posts highlighting the role and the perks of working at your company.
• Increase the visibility of your posts with relevant hashtags and keywords. Hashtags like #Hiring, #JobSearch, or #CareersInTech paired with location-based or industry-specific tags help attract the right candidates.
• Share posts that showcase current employees, their stories, and their achievements. This simple marketing activity humanizes your company and gives potential candidates a real sense of what it’s like to work there.
• Engage with professional groups or industry-specific forums on various social media platforms. Share relevant job opportunities and interact with members to build valuable connections.
• Respond promptly and thoughtfully when candidates comment on your posts or reach out through direct message. Timely, helpful interactions make candidates feel valued and encourage further applications.

4. Tap into passive candidates

Passive candidates are individuals who, while currently employed, remain receptive to new opportunities and often emerge as the right match for your company. You can convert these top-tier prospects into committed team members using these three strategic steps:

• Build relationships. Passive candidates are not actively seeking new roles, so nurturing a relationship over time is a smart strategy to engage and convert this type of talent. Engage with them beyond their professional contact details—platforms like LinkedIn and other social media are ideal spaces to connect. Reach out with meaningful insights about the opportunity and explain why you believe they would excel in your organization.
• Offer a strong employer brand. Passive candidates are more likely to be drawn to your company if they recognize its positive culture, growth opportunities, and strong reputation. Showcase your company’s values and commitment to work-life balance through your social media, website, and other channels.
• Personalize outreach. When initiating contact, tailor your message to align with each candidate’s skills, interests, and career aspirations. Emphasize how the role complements their long-term goals and offers significant career benefits.

5. Attend industry networking events and job fairs

Industry networking events and job fairs offer a prime chance to engage with potential candidates face-to-face and interact directly with job seekers. These events let you build rapport, assess personalities, and truly gauge a candidate’s passion for their trade.

Participating allows you immediate access to professionals already interested in your industry. Industry-specific job fairs bring together top-tier candidates with specialized skills, making finding the perfect match easier.

Before you attend, define the roles and candidate profiles you’re seeking clearly. Equip yourself with business cards and company brochures to share with prospects, and don’t forget to follow up afterward. A personalized email or LinkedIn message shows initiative and solidifies the connection with the talent you meet.

6. Offer competitive compensation and perks

Compensation plays a role in attracting top talent, but it’s just one element of a broader appeal. Today’s job seekers crave a holistic package beyond just a paycheck. Set your business apart by offering a comprehensive benefits package that your employees consider valuable.

While you may not always match the salaries of larger companies, you can level the playing field with creative perks to make your offer more attractive. Consider offering:

• Flexible work hours
• Additional paid time off
• Remote work options

Additionally, focus on benefits that promote well-being. Robust health insurance, wellness programs, mental health support, and gym memberships are all compelling options. With work-life balance a top priority for many, perks like parental leave or mental health vacation policies can be just as enticing as a high salary.

Beyond competitive pay, professional development opportunities can truly set your company apart. Employers who invest in career advancement attract growth-minded candidates. Training programs, mentorship, and clear pathways for advancement build skills and foster loyalty.

7. Streamline hiring with technology

Recruiting top talent can be a long, drawn-out process, often resulting in delays and missed opportunities with exceptional candidates. However, by integrating technology into your recruitment strategy, you can streamline your hiring process.

One of the most effective tools to adopt is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). This technology automates key hiring tasks such as posting jobs, sorting resumes, and scheduling interviews. Advanced recruitment solutions like Talenture, Manatal, and Fetcher use this technology, allowing you to filter out unqualified applicants easily and focus on the best-fit candidates.

Furthermore, consider building a dedicated careers page on your website. This will allow you to manage job postings, accept applications, and showcase your employer brand in one place.

8. Build a diverse talent pipeline

Building a diverse talent pipeline is a proactive effort that reaches out to candidates from various backgrounds, experiences, and identities. Companies with diverse teams gain fresh perspectives that can spark innovation, lead to better decision-making, and boost overall performance.

Here’s how you can build a more diverse talent pipeline:

• Assess your current diversity efforts. Begin by evaluating the current composition of your workforce. Review key metrics such as gender, ethnicity, age, and disability status to pinpoint where diversity is lacking.
• Define clear diversity goals. Based on your analysis, set specific diversity targets. For example, you might aim to increase the representation of underrepresented groups by a certain percentage within a year or diversify your leadership team.
• Revise job descriptions. Use inclusive language that appeals to a broad range of candidates. Avoid terminology that might inadvertently discourage certain groups. Tools like Textio can help optimize recruitment materials to attract diverse, qualified applicants.
• Implement blind hiring practices. Minimize bias using standardized assessments focusing on skills and qualifications rather than personal attributes. AI-powered tools, such as Fetcher, can help reduce unconscious bias during resume screening by evaluating candidates based on merit.
• Foster an inclusive interview process. Design your interview panels to be diverse. A varied panel avoids a narrow focus on similar backgrounds. It opens the door to a broad spectrum of viewpoints and builds a more inclusive culture.

9. Accelerate your recruitment process

Qualified candidates often have multiple opportunities and can move on quickly if the hiring process drags. This delay can cost you qualified talent and leave key roles unfilled. Speeding up your recruitment process minimizes the risk of losing top-tier candidates.

Streamline your hiring stages. Instead of multiple rounds of interviews, focus on the core steps that effectively assess skills and cultural fit.

Additionally, automate parts of the process using technologies like ATS and Artificial Intelligence to sift through resumes and pinpoint the best candidates swiftly.

10. Develop an employer brand that attracts

An employer brand is the overall experience you create for your employees and how the job market views your company. A compelling one attracts top talent and helps retain your best team members.

Here are a few strategies to build and maintain a powerful employer brand:

• Define your company values and culture. What makes your company unique? Is it your commitment to work-life balance, your drive for innovation, or the transparency and collaboration within your teams? Identify what sets you apart and communicate these qualities consistently across all your recruitment materials.
• Leverage employee testimonials. Real stories from your team are powerful tools to highlight your company culture and work environment. Encourage employees to share their experiences through blog posts, videos, or social media.
• Build a dedicated website. A website is a vital platform for showcasing your employer brand. A dedicated recruitment page on your site can highlight company values, share employee stories, and make it easy for potential candidates to apply directly. Web.com’s Website Builder can help you create an optimized recruitment site that attracts top talent and enhances your hiring efforts. Our ‘Website + Marketing’ plan even comes with an appointment scheduling functionality built in, so you won’t have to use another separate tool to schedule interviews.
• Engage on social media. Share content about company events, team achievements, and behind-the-scenes moments on your social media platforms. Highlight your mission, culture, and growth trajectory and position your company as an attractive workplace.

Your next great hire awaits!

Finding the right employees is a cornerstone of your business’s growth and success. By implementing these proven strategies, you can streamline your hiring process and attract exceptional talents that will drive your business forward.

If you’re ready to elevate your hiring efforts, Web.com is here to help. Create a careers page that stands out with our AI Website builder. With its intuitive drag-and-drop builder and a wide selection of professionally designed templates, you can easily craft a visually engaging and responsive site that reflects your unique company culture and values.

Ready to take the next step? Get started with Web.com today and watch the right talent find you!

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