Full-Service HR

Recruiting on a Limited Budget

Ella Baker
Recruiting on a Budget
Reading time 6 Mins
Published on Aug 15
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Strategies that won’t break the bank

When you operate a small or mid-size business, it can seem daunting to go toe-to-toe trying to hire new talent against larger companies with seemingly endless budgets for recruiting. With the right strategies and putting your resources to use where they best serve your needs, you don’t have to spend large amounts of money to recruit the right candidates. Recruiting on a budget lets you take on a more creative approach, allowing you to target potential talent that you might have otherwise missed.

Use your social network connections

Posting jobs on social networks like LinkedIn or Facebook can be costly with little return on your investment for the value of the candidates you receive. Rather than spending money haphazardly posting your open position and hoping the right candidates will apply, put your social network to work for you and utilize your connections to identify potential targets.

Join LinkedIn groups to look for professionals in the arena for which you’re hiring. As a member of the group, you can connect with the other members and post your opening within the group free of charge. Typically, members of these groups are looking to advance and grow their skills and knowledge, so you’ll know that you will be putting your job posting directly before the eyes of dedicated professionals.

Use your existing contacts to search for potential employees within your industry or for people you trust who may be able to refer someone. Additionally, you could research your competitors and identify people who have worked there that have the skills, knowledge, and competency you’re searching for. Finding someone who is already familiar with your industry and the work you do will allow them and you to be ahead of the curveball when you hire them.

Social networks don’t have to be just social. Put your connections to work for you to help you find your next hire. With a little time and effort, you can use your connections to identify potential targets while saving your company money.

Referrals

Word of mouth will always be your greatest recruiting tool. Providing a positive, well-balanced work environment for your employees will have them talking to their friends and acquaintances about your company. You can harness that goodwill to help you find more talent when needed, and to help maintain a pipeline of potential candidates.

Encourage employees to refer friends and acquaintances who would be a good fit for your needs. You may consider creating incentives for referrals, but these don’t have to be costly or extravagant. When hiring someone referred by an existing employee, some companies have chosen to offer retail gift cards or an extra day of PTO as an incentive to the referring employee.

You can also seek referrals from your vendors and other sales people who frequently come into your office. Most of the time, these individuals are working with other companies within your industry and may know of a candidate looking for a new position or to make a move. Tell them what you’re looking for and ask if they know anyone that might be interested. This can help you build your team while cementing your good relationship with a trusted vendor.

Go back to school

Most colleges and universities have job boards for their students to search for positions, either when they’re graduating or for the summer. While these may be easy to overlook, most of these job boards don’t charge for posting and you will have access to a talent pool that is hungry for experience and to grow their skills.

Particularly for entry level positions, local college and university career centers and job postings can allow you to connect with qualified candidates. Additionally, for more senior positions, many business colleges and graduate programs cater to individuals seeking additional education to further their qualifications. Many of these schools and programs have their own career centers aimed at helping students find more advanced positions. Others frequently share job postings with students and alumni, meaning that your already free job posting will get even more exposure.

Look for free posting sites

There are a wealth of free posting sites and opportunities available to companies that are willing to sort through a lot of applications to find the right candidates. While some of these posting opportunities may provide more leads than others, getting your job posting in front of potential candidates’ eyes in the key.

Take advantage of your membership in your industry’s local trade association group to reach talent who are passionate about the work you do. Many of these associations offer free job postings in their bulletins, newsletters, or on their website. A bonus to posting in these groups – you’ll know that your candidates already have a significant interest in the industry.

While it has been spurned of late, Craigslist remains a popular choice for businesses looking to spread the word about their job openings. Postings on the site are always free and millions of people visit the job board every day. You may have to sift through a lot of unqualified applicants, but you may just find a diamond in the rough.

An additional source of free job postings is your local unemployment office. You can provide these agencies with an updated copy of your job needs on a regular basis and they will put your posting in front of the many motivated candidates that use this resource.

Candidate recruitment and Sheakley

Recruitment is never the easiest of tasks and a limited budget can make that task seem insurmountable. A little creativity, some extra leg work, and expanding your horizons on where to post your openings can help you achieve your hiring needs while staying within budget. With more than 115 years of combined experience, Sheakley’s HR outsourcing and PEO team can help you determine the best course of action to achieve your company’s goals.

Get your free HR consultation with a Sheakley representative today. Stay up-to-date on all things Sheakley by subscribing to our blog and following us on social media. Join in the discussion by commenting below.


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