From 2010 to 2017, the U.S. unemployment rate has dropped from 9.8 to 4.5 percent (source: BLS). Here in Oregon, job opportunities are even more plentiful – our current unemployment rate is less than 4 percent. While that’s great news for employees and job candidates, it can be a frustrating situation for employers. During this time, when candidates are hard to find, how can you source the best talent for your job openings?
Word of Mouth
As soon as possible, let your current employees and other industry contacts know about the job opening. They may know someone who is looking for work and who fits your needs perfectly. You could get some recommendations before you even post the job anywhere. Some companies even offer an employee referral program with a cash bonus. This is helpful for industries with exceptionally hard-to-fill positions, such as the medical field.
Do you take advantage of LinkedIn when looking for top talent? With LinkedIn, you can search through your own network of contacts to find potential candidates. You can also use it to advertise your company’s current job opportunities. When it comes to social media, more job seekers look to LinkedIn than any other platform – 65 percent, compared to only 1 percent who expect to find a job on Twitter (source: Inc).
Staffing Firms
Using a staffing firm is an easy and effective way to make sure every job opening you have gets filled with top talent. At Staffing Partners, we require background checks and drug screenings before we will consider working with a candidate. Once those prescreening requirements are met, we interview each candidate individually and assess their skills, work history and technical ability.
When you request an employee, one of our recruiting experts will contact you to discuss the particulars of your job opening. Then, they get to work looking for the perfect candidate. And because you have one point of contact from start to finish, you will never have trouble checking in or asking questions.
Find out why Staffing Partners rates as one of the top staffing firms in Oregon. We have three locations – in Eugene, Bend and Beaverton – or you can reach out 24/7 with our convenient online form.
