Leveraging Your Best Recruiting Tool

Linda Gravett, Ph.D., SPHR, CEQC

Have you developed a section of your company web site as a recruiting tool? If not, you’re missing an excellent opportunity to reach out across the globe and touch someone who might be the definitive candidate for your next opening!

If you’re planning to design or update a recruiting segment, here are some suggestions to capitalize on the site’s ability to attract a diverse pool of candidates:

Create a broad content to appeal to a wide audience in terms of age, race, ethnicity and culture – highlight mentor initiatives; community volunteer opportunities; career development options; and diversity of benefits.
Ensure that the job opportunities segment is current and easy to navigate, or candidates will visit once and not return.
Develop an online job application process so you can store resumes and search your applicant pool electronically. Be sure to implement an auto-response system that acknowledges receipt of electronically transmitted applications.
Recent press releases, newspaper, or journal articles and brief highlights about your company and industry are all excellent items for the online section about the company.
Feature current employees with their background, education, and hobbies.
Add technical and product information so that interviewers are required to spend less time explaining what your company does to applicants.
Include a section about the corporate culture and key leaders in the organization.
Describe work-life benefits that are available, such as telecommuting opportunities.

For other ideas about recruiting and leveraging a diverse workforce, see Bridging the Generation Gap, by Dr. Linda Gravett and Ms. Robin Throckmorton, and Using Your Emotional Intelligence to Develop Others, by Dr. Sheri Caldwell and Dr. Linda Gravett, available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Nobles bookstores!