As the country emerges from the pandemic, businesses across the country are having trouble hiring qualified candidates for their open positions. In fact, a recent survey reported that 42% of business owners have openings they can’t fill.

There are many reasons why employers are having a tough time hiring new people, from lingering concerns about COVID-19 to a lack of child care, that is preventing people from returning to the workforce.

If you’re a business owner or leader, there are many factors out of your control that affect your hiring prospects. But there are some changes you could make to your recruiting strategy that will strengthen your chances of landing great people for your open positions. Here are some ideas:

Target Passive Candidates

Passive candidates are those who are already employed and not actively looking for a new role but are open to hearing about new opportunities. These professionals are especially attractive to employers who are having trouble finding active candidates with the right qualifications. 

When pursuing passive candidates, simply posting your open position on a job board and hoping they apply won’t work. You need to actively go after passive candidates. You could utilize social media, especially LinkedIn, to find these candidates. Employee referrals are also a solid source for passive candidates. 

The only downside to recruiting passive candidates? It takes longer than recruiting active candidates. You may not have time to find and recruit passive candidates. That’s why many companies work with a staffing firm like Burchard & Associates to find passive candidates.

Incentivize Referrals 

Your employees are one of your best resources for new talent. That’s why you should incentivize them to provide you with referrals for your open positions. Incentive programs for referrals have tons of benefits, including higher retention rates, better quality candidates and shorter time to hire. Not to mention that giving your current employees a chance to earn extra money will help you retain your current talent. 

Improve Your Candidate Experience 

Even if you are attracting top talent to apply for your available positions, they will abandon the application process if it doesn’t provide a positive candidate experience. As we’ve mentioned previously, 38% of candidates are more likely to accept a job with a company that has a positive candidate experience. 

If your company uses an online application process, consider testing different changes, such as a shorter application or streamlined process. Candidates also appreciate frequent updates on the status of their applications, so increased communication throughout the process is vital. 

Work with a Staffing Agency  

When companies are struggling to find qualified candidates, or don’t have the time to actively recruit passive candidates, they utilize a staffing firm like Burchard & Associates. 

With deep talent pools and effective outreach to passive candidates, staffing firms are able to reach talented candidates many companies are unable to reach on their own. And with increased workloads that come with being short-staffed, you are able to focus on your responsibilities while the staffing firms find and present top talent for your open positions. 

Contact Burchard & Associates

If you need accounting and finance talent in the St. Louis area, contact Burchard & Associates today.