According to Glassdoor.com the average corporate job posting receives 250 resume submissions. Out of those applicants only 4 - 6 are interviewed and 1 person is hired. How do you manage your time with hundreds of applicants per job post? (please comment below, you can also view the original post here)
For hiring companies, the internet means exposure to out of state and out of country talent. It also means that anyone in the world can apply to any job by simply clicking a button. Half the time candidates aren't even reading the full job description before they tap, Submit Resume. People used to spend time applying to jobs, now they can easily apply to hundreds of jobs a day.
Over 50% of our applicants submit a resume on a mobile device. - Zip Recruiter
It's no wonder that job postings are overflowing with unqualified and irrelevant submissions. Although the internet has created open access and tons of opportunity it has also created a new problem for hiring companies. Endless hours spent sifting through unqualified resume submissions.
On the other hand, a massive influx of resumes can be a good thing. In fact, it can be a great thing! More applicants can equate to more quality applicants. So, how do you make sure your job post is attracting a ton of the right candidates?You must become a marketing guru. Here are a couple of tips.
Copywriting - Make sure your job ad is written by a copywriting expert. Copywriters know how to write in ways that are persuasive and easy to understand. A well written job description should encourage your prospect to take action. Just like any advertisement would. If you're on a shoestring budget check out fiverr.com it's full of professional copywriters for $5.
Attention - Your job ad should grab attention. Think of ways that you're job title can stand out. GET CREATIVE! Most job ads only show a title and very little description, the name of your company and your logo. You don't have much to work with to make a first impression. I like to research the most popular "job title searches" to see how I can best reach my target audience.
Traffic - Once you have a catchy title, logo, description etc., you must start driving quality traffic to your job ad. For some companies it's easy to drive traffic because of brand recognition.
For example: A marketing position at Snapchat will generate more interest than a marketing position at Joe's Plumbing.
- Promoting your job posts on several different job boards can help you cast a wider net and attract more of your target audience. Identify the job boards that will perform best for your specific role and hit them hard (there's hundreds!). Many job boards have extra promotion options that cost money but can be very effective. Especially in combination with good copy. ;)
- Posting your job on social media networks can help you reach many more people. Find out where your target audience is hanging out online and develop a strategy to start engaging people. Identifying and penetrating online communities is an art but very effective when done correctly. Simply posting your job on Twitter or Facebook doesn't do much.
- Go old school. Attending events and mixers can be an effective way to meet new people who could be potential applicants for your jobs. Make sure you pick events that are sure to have you target audience and start handing out business cards. Gather emails and direct the interested prospects to your application page.
- Ask for referrals. Reach out to people you know and ask if they might know someone who is interested in a new job. Many jobs are filled based on referrals and many companies pay big bucks for referrals.
Advice - If you are or want to be a recruiter, it helps to be super social. If you go out regularly to events, concerts, dinners with friends or you have hobbies and just like to be outside and socializing, you will be more successful. Invest your money in entertainment for yourself and friends. Have fun with it but make sure you get a ROI.
Recruiting professionals are constantly looking for the best new place to post jobs or look for talent. Generating interest from the right applicants will always be a major challenge that creative and driven people will always overcome. Remember, an increase in your marketing efforts will increase the amount of qualified and unqualified resumes submissions. You will have your work cut out for you.
A note from the author - We're entrepreneurs with backgrounds in recruiting. We understand social media, growth hacking, marketing, tech and hard work. Ask us how we can generate 100 targeted applicants in one day on Twitter. Or how we can identify where your target candidates are in Los Angeles and market to them on Instagram.
This article was written by Quintin Ford, a recruitment entrepreneur located in Playa Vista, CA. Quintin is the Founder of OCEAN | STREET and avid blogger and social media guru. Learn more about Quintin on LinkedIn.
