How Top Companies Recruit Candidates

Recently, Southwest Airlines had a wonderful problem: The company received 342,664 resumes for 7,207 positions. The airline attributes its success to the way it receives applications through the careers page on its website, which has information about jobs, benefits, company culture and internships, as well as tips on what it’s like to work at Southwest.

Job seekers who know where they’d like to work often begin by checking out the company’s website to find available openings and then apply online to get their applications into the system quickly. As part of a recruiting campaign, managers must explain what makes their company different, what candidates will gain from joining their team and how their vision comes to life.

To even the playing field with the big companies, smaller businesses must focus on developing the most fitting platforms to share their recruiting efforts.

Here are some great ideas they can borrow from the big guys:

• Job boards continue to play a significant role in company recruiting. Major employers post open positions on job boards such as Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com and Dice.com. Job seekers create profiles and upload resumes and letters to apply for jobs.
• Job search engines let job seekers see listings quickly, which is why firms use them to recruit directly. Managers who want their ads featured on a search engine should investigate paying an extra fee for premium web placement.
• LinkedIn Recruiting Solutions enables companies to easily source candidates, share and advertise jobs, and create company career pages to attract and engage talent.
• Managers need to present themselves and their companies authentically. The more they show what day-to-day life at the company is like, the more their potential candidates will be drawn to working with them.
• Quality is sometimes better than quantity. A couple of well-chosen platforms might garner better results than casting a wide net will. And small companies can manage a few well-chosen platforms more easily.
• Big companies leverage the power of current employees in their recruiting efforts with formal programs that include bonuses for successful referrals. Small companies can do this too. They might start by imitating Google’s signature “sourcing jams,” regularly asking employees to comb through their LinkedIn and Facebook contacts and offering great referral rewards. Some companies have had success by having employees put a “We’re Hiring” link in their email signatures that directs readers to the company’s HR site.

Managers should think strategically

Smaller companies don’t have to think small. Even if they can’t offer all the perks of a larger business, they have other advantages. Managers need to keep in mind that candidates are likely to research company reviews and ratings when deciding where to apply, so a positive reputation as an employer is important.

While technology has changed many aspects of the job hunt, building a network and personal recommendations remain important. Work with us to find out how you can make a small company as successful at recruiting as the big kids on the block.