It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in or the size of your company; recruiting and hiring new employees is hard today.

The reason why: There are currently 10 million job openings in the U.S., but only 6 million unemployed workers, according to the latest data from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

What’s to blame for this gap?

Industry experts say there are several reasons some of which include the Great Resignation, people taking early retirement due to the pandemic and a lack of access to childcare.

Recruiting and hiring new employees isn’t something to take lightly. It’s an expensive and time-consuming process. On average, the cost to hire a new employee is $4,700, according to research from Zippia, the career experts. Finding someone with the right experience and qualifications in the U.S. takes around 36 to 42 days. This is a big problem since most candidates are only on the market for 10 days.

With 15% of HR’s expenses allocated toward recruitment, you want the most effective and efficient process in place.

To help you do just that, here are 10 of the best hiring practices to secure top talent:

1.Focus on company culture

When you think about recruitment techniques, company culture isn’t the first thing that pops into your mind. However, when it comes to selling your company to job candidates, a strong company culture can seal the deal. People want to work for companies that have stellar reputations.

Companies that have a good brand communicate to candidates they’re professional and take their business seriously. Plus, people nowadays look up companies on social media and job posting sites that have reviews. If potential candidates read that a company doesn’t pay or treat their employees well, they’ll be gone faster than the speed of light. Typically, there are no second chances. Once they’ve read the bad reviews, their mind is made up.

Make sure your company culture is clear and concise because you want to attract people who are like-minded with your core business values. As far as social media goes, give potential candidates a look at what it’s like to work at your company.

2.Treat candidates like you'd treat your customers

You can’t get a second first impression, so whether the interview is via the phone, Zoom or in-person, make a great first impression. You want candidates to believe you’re excited to meet them. Would you want to work for someone who gives you a lukewarm reception?

Indeed says one of the best recruiting techniques is to treat interviewees just as you would your best customer. That means being respectful of their time – being prompt for interviews whether

they’re in-person, via the phone or a video conference. If the interview is in-person, offer them a beverage and show them where the bathrooms are. And finally, give them your contact information in case they have any follow-up questions.

3.Create an employee referral program

Employees are a valuable recruiting tool. They’ll tell their friends and colleagues if they like working at their company. It’s an easy and fast way to fill your pipeline with qualified candidates. They know what the job entails and are good judges of character.

If you don’t currently have a referral program, it’s important to create one. It should offer incentives and recognition to employees if their referrals are hired. Once it’s created, circulate it to all employees.

4.Adopt technology to help with recruitment

Technology is HR’s friend. There are several different technology platforms available that’ll help streamline the hiring process. They help HR find candidates, manage their data, and screen, onboard and manage talent.

To thrive in the future, most companies should be using data-driven recruitment tools to help them streamline their recruitment and hiring process. Because the faster you can make an offer to a candidate, the less likely you’ll be beaten out by the competition.

5.Recruiting via social media

Social media can be a fantastic way to reach potential job candidates.

There are a wide variety of social media platforms HR can use to reach potential job candidates. And here’s one of the best features: It’s free!

The other nice thing about social media is you can link it to your applicant tracking system or other recruiting software.

Social media is also a great way to paint your company in a positive light, sharing what it’s like to work for the company and what the company does via philanthropy, etc. This causes people to follow your company. So, when you have an open position, advertising it on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc., is a wonderful way to reach people who are like-minded.

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Information provided by: HR Morning