7 Innovative Ways Recruiters are Attracting Top Talent

Recruiting isn’t what it used to be. And for most recruiters, that’s a good thing. These days, there’s less reading through stacks of formal resumes and cover letters, and more interacting with candidates on a casual — and often digital — basis. Here are seven modern methods recruiters are using to bring in new talent:

1. Open-ended job postings

You may have heard that Zappos did away with job titles -- but did you know that digital media company Upworthy recently listed an “Open-Ended Job” with no title or specifications? Whether this will become a trend remains to be seen, but it does remind recruiters of an important lesson: hire people, not skills. Whether a candidate is passionate about your company and mission is often more important than whether they can type a certain speed or have experience in a specific field. Skills can be taught; attitude can’t. (Click here to tweet this quote.)

2. Video interviews

Gone are the days of flying a bunch of candidates to your office for final interviews. With today’s video technology, that’s an unnecessary waste of time and money. Savvy recruiters are interviewing their shortlist on Skype, Google Hangouts, or recruitment-specific video software. With these video interviews, you’ll probably find a candidate or two who’s clearly not a good fit. Once you weed them out, you can then invite the top few to an in-person interview with the whole team.

3. Online networking events

Though attending career fairs and networking events in person can be a valuable experience, let’s be honest: they also cost a lot of time and money. That’s why many recruiters are now turning to online networking events. Humble brag: This is our speciality! It gives you access to a wide range of candidates, without spending precious hours traveling or talking to people who aren’t a good fit. And we’re not just saying that because we offer an online-event platform; here at Brazen, we use online events to make hires, too. Want a free demo of our online-event platform? Request one here.

4. Social media

Social media and recruiting seem to be a match made in heaven. Networks like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are great places to find potential employees, share job postings, and develop relationships with recruits. You can also encourage your employees to recruit people from their own networks. Even more importantly, studies show people recruited via social media are more likely to be hired, and stay on longer than candidates found via other methods. This is one of the quickest, easiest and most effective ways to update your recruitment practices.

5. Big data

Though it may sound like something out a sci-fi movie, big data is a real tool that’s making recruiters’ jobs easier. Instead of searching through the filing cabinet to find potential candidates, hiring managers are using specialized computer programs to analyze thousands of applications and resumes, filtering them by skills and qualifications -- after which it’s your job to pick the winners. This means better candidates and a more enjoyable job for you!

6. Other effective digital tools

In addition to specialized recruiting software, plenty of other digital tools are now helping recruiters do their job better. Some popular tools include SurveyMonkey (for assessing candidates on specific subjects), writing tests (to make sure the candidates really want the job), and Google Hangouts (to highlight job openings and engage with potential candidates).

7. Unique company-specific policies

Some companies are really going out on a limb, forging entirely new recruitment paths. They’re experimenting to see what works for them, and in the process, crafting their own unique hiring practices. For example, online retail giant Zappos (which we mentioned doesn’t use job titles), no longer posts job openings. Instead, they encourage wannabe employees to network with recruiters on their own private social network. Tech company Automattic requires all potential hires to audition with the company, during which they do actual work and are paid $25/hour. Around 40% of applicants make the final cut. Over the past decade, technology has transformed the world of recruiting, and it shows no signs of stopping. Through it all, however, the special skill possessed by all great recruiters remains: the ability to see through all the tweets, jargon and interview questions to find someone who’s truly a great fit for the company. Have you tried any of these innovative recruitment techniques at your company? Ryan Healy is COO and Co-Founder of Brazen Careerist. Follow Ryan on Twitter or connect with him on LinkedIn.