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How to Create an Effective Recruitment Strategy

Road-luck-failure.jpgIt's halfway through the year and planning is in the air. For many talent acquisition leaders, this means setting the stage for what the recruitment strategy will be in 2018. If you are struggling with the planning process, let these expert tips on creating a recruitment strategy guide you to plentiful talent pools. 

Many companies, especially mid-sized and smaller companies, struggle to plan and execute a cost-effective recruitment strategy. This is usually due to a lack of one or more of the following: a structured recruiting process, access to hiring metrics, or workforce planning resources. 

Before you even put a pen to paper, have you stopped to evaluate the effectiveness of your current recruitment strategy? While it might seem a bit basic, it's a critical and often overlooked first step for those tasked with talent acquisition and retention. 

 


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That's because your future success hinders on the successes and failures of previous attempts. And while we all like to remember the good times, it's important to identify those brilliant ideas that just didn't pan out. Not only does this improve the focus of your future recruitment efforts, but if well documented, serves as an on-going playbook.

 

Expert Tips for Planning Your Next Recruitment Strategy 

Whether it is remedying a certain aspect of the recruitment strategy or the full lifecycle from hiring to onboarding, there is a systematic approach to mapping out this process. 

 

Start with Data

Start with whatever HR data insights you have at hand. The total number of unfilled jobs. Recruiter to open positions ratios. Fill rate or time to fill. If you're lacking data, get feedback from hiring managers, even if it’s just anecdotal. Figure out if you are drowning, just need some adjustments, or if you need to start from scratch.

 

Talk to Your Recruiters or Partners

Get a sense of what’s working and what’s not in terms of recruiter performance. Be candid with them and ask them to be candid with you. Are you giving them what they need to be successful? How have things changed this year and what do they see for next year?

 

Consult with Executives 

Assess your company’s vision of recruiting. Ask executives about their perception of your recruiting efforts and recruiting costs. Are they satisfied with the results? Is recruiting a priority? Is it even on their radar? This will help you understand the type of executive support you will get for changes or investments.

 

Evaluate Your Risk

Look at any areas where you have processes in place to ensure compliance. Do you have quick visibility into these types of recruiting processes and documentation? Is it hard to come by or even nonexistent? Is it clear who has responsibility for these processes?

Once you’ve gathered some of this information, prioritize where you need to focus your efforts. If you have no data or are worried about risk (or unsure where you have risk), these are two areas you can’t ignore.


It’s going to take more than one great idea or a single, static recruiting strategy to make a difference. You’ll likely have to leverage a few different strategies. Having those strategies ready now will put you ahead of the curve next year.

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