Need A Job Position Filled Fast? Here’s How to Find Employees on Short Notice
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Restructuring, layoffs, departure of senior members — all can disrupt your business operations in unexpected ways. You may find yourself scrambling to find new employees on short notice, and it can be a challenge when you’re balancing a pressing need for full staffing and a limited time frame. But by setting up a proper strategy, we assure you that you can find qualified candidates quickly.
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If you’re not sure how to find employees on short notice, the best first thing to do is be flexible and keep an open mind. When you need extra hands on deck, and right away, you may have to switch up your usual hiring process. You don’t have weeks to launch a major hiring campaign, and may have to rely on non-traditional methods like blasting sponsored posts on social media, or calling around your network. Consider whether contract or temp workers could also alleviate some of the burden while you search for a full-time candidate to fill the position. Using sites with quick-apply tools like on ZipRecruiter could also improve applicant conversions for candidates browsing your open positions.
Either way, there’s no time to waste — you don’t want to lose goodwill from your client base while you’re short-staffed, but you also don’t want to come off as too desperate in your job postings and get taken advantage of. So what can you do?
No matter why you need to fill positions fast, these tips will help you find the best employees on short notice.
1. Post to Job Sites With Maximum Reach
To find the most qualified candidates fast, make it easier on yourself and create a listing through a job search site that offers premium services on the business end, so you can quickly filter for the necessary qualifications, handle the interview process, and have a resume database at your fingertips to find the right candidate.
There are hundreds of sites to choose from, but one particularly helpful site is ZipRecruiter, which offers customizable templates for job descriptions, different positions, and screener questions that simplify the processes of posting listings, so you can get them up quickly and hire in no time.
There are also tools, like ZipRecruiter‘s “TrafficBoost,” that give your job posting a little extra boost, including increased placement and visibility across their linked job boards. TrafficBoost helps secure more eyeballs too without purely relying on your SEO skills, since the tool will promote the position until it receives the number of views you’re aiming for (100-300 views per post), or for up to 30 days
2. Utilize Your Brand’s Presence On Social Media
One of the best ways to be proactive about hiring on short notice is by using your company’s digital presence. Sites like Glassdoor offer analytical tools to determine who your target market is, candidate demographics, and how potential candidates are engaging with your job listings.
You can use all this information to your advantage to tailor your job listings with specific keywords, and even use social media to your advantage. Many job boards too will let you add-on targeted advertising to display your job posting with the right kind of messaging (i.e. mentioning the job is hiring remotely, with a recent starting date, etc).
3. Reach Out To Your Network
Instead of solely focussing on bringing in unknown employees, use your professional network to your advantage. Don’t be afraid to reach out to other businesses and ask if they know anyone who might be interested in your open positions. If you already have potential candidates in mind, you can always reach out through LinkedIn’s InMail to see if they’re open to applying.
This is especially effective if you already have a strong network in your industry. But even if you don’t, consider setting up an employee referral program to offer incentives to current employees for referring acquaintances for your open positions. This can be a quick way of bringing in vetted candidates that you know have the experience and come highly-recommended by others.
4. Handle The Entire Application Process Virtually
For all the steps involved in a tight turn-around application process, you should make sure they’re able to be handled virtually. If there’s a skills test, can it be transferred online? Do you have a method for scheduling phone interviews, and does your company have a preferred video conferencing software?
That being said, if you know your interview process is still extensive despite being online, and that might turn away potential employees who need a job fast. But there are still passive ways to bring the candidates to you quickly — ZipRecruiter uses a powerful matching algorithm and AI technology to create instant matches between your listings and the right candidates. It takes information about a job seeker’s skills (such as education, skills, and experience) and connects all kinds of businesses, including yours, with millions of potential applicants currently on the web.
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