Key takeaways:

•  Job boards can help you put your open positions in front of more people, but you may be inundated with unqualified applicants.
• 6 recruiting alternatives to job boards:
  1. Referrals
  2. Higher institutions and trade schools
  3. Recruiters
  4. Social media
  5. Professional organizations
  6. Small job boards

Large job posting platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn continue to grow, especially as job searches are almost completely done online by today’s candidates. Indeed sees 250 million unique monthly visitors and has 225 million resumes on file. Despite this plethora of activity, many organizations are struggling to find talent on these big job boards and are looking for alternative ways to recruit top talent.

Here is a look at job boards and their challenges, and different ways to find candidates for open positions outside of these big job websites.

A job board is a place where companies post their open positions. A classic example of a job board is “the classifieds,” – job postings in the newspaper. Today, job seekers frequent online job boards and find positions based on a set of search terms and filters. Job postings will include details like organization information, qualification requirements, salary and benefits information, work expectations and others.

Some job boards allow candidates to apply directly through their platform, while others send people to the company’s website or other online application form.

While job boards are giant hubs where lots of candidates look for a new job, they’re not always the most effective place for recruitment. This could be for many different reasons, including:

• The size and scope of some job boards mean that lots of unqualified candidates can apply to numerous open jobs in mere moments, making the review process harder and more frustrating for employers.
• Candidates become overwhelmed on large or convoluted job boards and give up.
• More qualified applicants may feel like one in a billion when using a job board and may believe that their cover letter or resume will never be seen.
• Job board formats can feel less personal than other recruitment tactics, making it harder for organizations to evaluate cultural fit or other considerations outside what’s listed on a resume.
• There isn’t a lot of opportunity for targeting ideal candidates when using a generic, big job board site.

Today’s recruiters need to focus on a strategy that goes beyond using job boards, even if they are still part of the strategy. Sometimes, it takes going back to focusing on traditional recruiting strategies like networking and referrals to find the best talent for open positions.

As a Human Resources professional, what can you focus on when job boards become frustrating and ineffective? Take a look at these six alternative methods for recruiting:

1. Referrals

Reviewing random applications on big job sites can feel cold and time-consuming. Try implementing a referral plan, where you involve current or even former employees. Ask the company’s current workforce for recommendations after giving out the job details. This method helps you narrow people down, and you’re considering people who can be vouched for by talent you already have and trust.

You can also offer some kind of incentive to employees for referring someone for a job. Maybe they get a bonus or perk if it works out. An employee referral program is fairly easy to create and implement and can pay off in the long run.

2. Higher institutions and trade schools

Depending on the type and level of position you’re seeking, it can be helpful to post jobs with local trade schools and universities to find eager, qualified people. Some schools have their own job listings, whether online or in school buildings, where you can post what you have available and include contact or application information.

Your company can also visit schools during job fairs or other events to get the word out about the organization and connect with soon-to-be or new graduates.

3. Recruiters

Another effective way to find top talent is to work with a recruiter if you don’t already have this position on staff. Recruiters know how to network and use tools like LinkedIn to contact the most qualified, promising candidates. They know exactly what qualifications and keywords to look for, and they’re experts at cold outreach to make messaging seem much less cold. They can help make a strong case for your company when talking to the most qualified people.

4. Social media

Today’s online job searches go beyond job boards and extend to social media platforms. While LinkedIn is the main hub for career networking, recruiters, companies and job seekers now use other platforms to find qualified candidates. People who follow your organization on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other sites may be interested in your current job openings, so don’t forget to post when you have a position to fill, and encourage people to share with their networks. Most job seekers (79%) and 86% of younger job seekers say they will likely use social media in their job search.

5. Professional organizations

Lots of qualified applicants may be involved with professional organizations, whether local, regional or national. These are great resources to connect with people in meaningful ways and get the word out about your positions. They may have their own job boards or will be willing to send your post directly to their networks via email or social media.

6. Small job boards

Finally, remember that all job boards may not have the same challenges as the huge ones. There are many niche websites you can use to find qualified candidates who aren’t just applying to every job they see online. Whatever industry your open position is in, find out where top talent looks for jobs and post in those outlets.

When you need additional resources for recruiting and hiring, StaffLink Outsourcing can help. We are a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) and can work alongside your HR department to provide HR management, payroll, risk management, benefits administration and other services. We are a boutique company and therefore can offer much greater flexibility in our offerings and what portions of HR management we can carve out.

To get started, request a proposal or contact us at (954) 423-8262 for more information.