Maybe you’re already dominating the war for talent with an amazing employer brand and a modern recruitment marketing strategy, but you’re still not meeting your hiring goals. Sure, the right online marketing methods can make all the difference for your recruitment efforts, but how can you reach blue-collar candidates that aren’t spending time online?
According to 2021 hiring data from LinkedIn, vacant job positions can lead to lost productivity, lost revenue, and even lost growth opportunities from not having an employee fill a job position. With countless employers struggling to hire qualified candidates, experts predict that the human talent shortage could rise to 85 million vacant positions—with $8.5 trillion in unrealized annual revenue—by 2023.
Fortunately, there are multiple strategies to build a hiring pipeline outside of online job boards, social media, and digital ads. Here’s how to recruit offline candidates so you can fill your talent pool with top-tier talent.
Build Connections at Industry Events
Whether you’re in manufacturing or logistics, industry events offer great opportunities to find and recruit new hires. They’re typically saturated with active job seekers who want to meet with potential recruiters.
To make the most of industry events, you’ll need to prepare. If a list of attendees is available, be sure to review the list for qualified talent and culture fits. Here, you might dig deeper into social media profiles and previous work experience to learn more about potential job candidates for your company.
Remember: Building personal connections with candidates is always better than making small talk to meet as many people as possible. While most of our professional conversations happen via digital platforms, the art of face-to-face conversation is essential when it comes to in-person recruitment. No matter how amazing your employer brand is, your employees are the real heart of your business. You—and your team—need to tap into your interpersonal skills to show job candidates why you’d make a great match.
The main issue with industry events? Most events only happen once a year or every few months, so you’ll have to time your recruitment efforts accordingly. If you’re struggling to find qualified candidates for your current open job positions, consider attending weekly or monthly meetup groups to build connections. Local niche meetups are easy to find on Meetup and Eventbrite, and most events are free to attend.
Start an Employee Referral Program
Your current employees are your best brand advocates, so why not tap into their professional connections with an employee referral program? For many companies, the best employees are those referred by other employees. They’re often more productive and less likely to quit since they start with a more realistic view of the job.
So, how can you build an effective employee referral program? First, make sure your employees are familiar with the requirements of the positions you’re looking to fill. Your workers probably already know what a good “culture fit” looks like, but specific job requirements can be harder to pick up, especially if they’re referring people across different departments.
Next, keep your referred candidates updated throughout the hiring process. If you leave a job candidate with radio silence, your employees will be less likely to refer another candidate, which can have a detrimental impact on your referral program. Even when a candidate isn’t hired, be sure to thank your employee for their efforts.
Last (but definitely not least), include both monetary and non-monetary incentives for your employees. Sure, money is always a popular incentive for employee referral programs, but offering an experience (think: vouchers, gift cards, or PTO) can better market your referral program. Plus, some incentives, like vouchers and time off, are less expensive than monetary rewards.
Quality referrals can also come from people you trust, like an external recruiter. If you’re looking to fill vacant job positions, try sending your colleagues an email asking for referrals. Be sure to describe the role you’re sourcing for and the most position’s important requirements to drive the best referrals.
Attend Career Fairs
Think of job fairs as speed dating for recruiting. Career fairs offer amazing opportunities to connect with potential candidates, including younger candidates like high schoolers and trade school students. But to highlight your employer brand and attract qualified job candidates, you’ll need to plan your job fair recruitment strategy.
Most importantly, you’ll need to choose team members to represent your company at the event. Since recruiters and HR staff network regularly, they’re best suited to discuss open job positions with candidates and manage administrative tasks, like gathering resumes and contact details. They can also schedule interviews with interested candidates to save time on hiring.
Meanwhile, hiring managers may be more knowledgeable about the job requirements of specific positions, so they can easily screen and interview candidates on-site. They can also define the day-to-day responsibilities of open job positions and answer questions from job seekers during the career fair.
Even if you’re already bringing some recruiters and hiring managers, it’s best to include other team members, too. Why? It’s simple: Your existing employees can provide a genuine glimpse into your work culture. Students can also build authentic connections with entry-level employees than managers since they’re more likely to relate. If you’re hiring for several open job roles across multiple departments, try representing each department with an employee from each.
Network at Trade Shows
Exhibitions and trade shows offer countless marketing opportunities for small businesses and large organizations. But they also offer another key benefit—they’re a powerful platform to recruit qualified job candidates. Think about it: Trade shows bring together professionals based around your industry, all while providing a venue to show off your company’s value proposition and unique employer brand.
Just like career fairs and industry events, you’ll need to plan a few months in advance. While you’re designing your exhibition stand and prepping your team, ensure your booth appeals to prospective job candidates. At the same time, invite team members to the show that can answer questions related to recruitment, available job opportunities, and company culture.
Instead of just showing up to the exhibition and hoping for the best, take the time to research the show—including the schedule, type of attendees, and what other businesses are setting up booths. This way, you’ll know when and where you need to be to find qualified candidates for your team.
From your exhibition booth to business cards, every aspect of your recruitment strategy (and trade show stand) needs to be on brand. Your logos, designs, and any other marketing materials should provide an accurate representation of your brand. Your goal is to position your company as an industry authority—and you need a cohesive brand to show potential job candidates why you’re worth working for over the competition.
Build a Comprehensive Recruitment Strategy
Even in the age of social media and automated recruitment, nothing beats actually meeting a candidate in person. Connecting with prospective candidates is an amazing way to build trust and support—and it can even make the difference between a lost lead and a loyal employee.
When you’re ready to supplement your talent acquisition strategy with offline hiring methods, we’re here to help. Download our self-audit checklist and schedule a discovery call to craft a holistic recruitment marketing strategy.
