Put a Careers link on your website.
This is one way you can get the word out when you're hiring. Putting ads out is nice but most jobs get filled by people who know people. The good ones aren't always looking for a job. This process allows you to reach out to your network without your message getting diluted.
Make the link big and bold at the top so people don't have to scroll down to see it. Announce to the world WE'RE HIRING! One mistake I see is that people just put CAREERS as a menu item on the top of their page. That's not a bad thing but not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about a link like you see in the image above that really gets attention.
If you have more than one open position, that link should go to an overview page with a very short description of each position you're recruiting for and a link to a separate page with more detail and instructions how to apply for every position you have open. Each position needs a separate page. That page does the following:
- Explain what the position looks like and who the ideal candidate is
- Why yours is such a great place to work. Give it some personality. Pictures, color, maybe video!!
- Make sure it has a CTA - the action people need to take to apply. This is a filter. If they don't follow the instructions, they are not the right person. This would be different for different positions.
Then you can use that page in two ways. Do both.
1 - Print it as a PDF
2 - Link to it in everything you send out - even in your email signature.
Then send that pdf and that link to everyone you know telling them that you're hiring and ask them to send it out to their entire network. Remember, the point here is not that they will want the job, but that they'll forward your email to others they know who might.
Keep reaching out to as many individuals as you can think of - not just people who might want the job, but people who might have other networks of people that you don't know. Be sure to send them the link and/or a PDF of your opening so they can easily send it around. Send it to:
- People who used to work for you
- Vendors (often know people who are unhappy where they are)
- Friends
- Enemies
- Competitors (if you're on good terms)
- Training schools (if there are any)
- Everyone else you can think of
Here are some examples
Check out how these companies do their career pages.
