1. Innovation in Recruitment:
Best Practices to Source and Attract Top Talent
Technology has dramatically changed the way we live our lives, and in particular, the way in
which we communicate. Cell phones, laptops, iPods, email, Instant Messaging, text messaging,
social networks – all have combined to produce a shift in our efforts to source, attract and
communicate with candidates. We’re coming into an age where new technology and a changing
demographic create recruitment challenges – but also create opportunity if we embrace it.
With the baby boomers quickly approaching retirement age, the need to source younger talent
is growing. The challenge we face is a lack of top talent entering the workforce. For employers,
differentiation and creativity will be key components in an effort to source and attract top tier
candidates. The question is, how do you make your organization stand out in the eyes of a
candidate? The best way to differentiate your organization is through a powerful employment
brand.
What is employment branding? It’s the process of communicating the employment value
proposition and employment experience at your organization. And it’s important to remember
that the method in which you communicate this message is just as important as the message
itself. Are you forward-thinking and innovative in your sourcing strategies? Are you developing
new ideas to attract talent? Are you using new tools to communicate and reach the right
candidate? Candidates take notice of this and form a perception of your facility.
As the recruitment landscape grows increasingly more competitive, employers are faced with
the challenge of being more creative and strategic when it comes to attracting and engaging
candidates. To successfully reach top new talent, employers must develop an innovative
recruitment strategy: a plan to find the right candidate and promote brand identity through
unique channels. Here are 10 steps to help you build a more effective and proactive
recruitment strategy for your organization:
1. Analyze the Success of Existing Recruitment Strategies
This will help you identify where to (and where not to) invest your time, energy and resources
moving forward.
2. Establish Short-Term and Long-Term Goals
Plan for your immediate hiring priorities and then create long-term goals to enhance your
recruitment function. Ensure your recruitment plan mirrors your business plan.
3. Identify Your Target Audience
Recognizing your area of need and ideal candidate will help you develop a more targeted
recruitment plan. Build a candidate profile.
4. Conduct Employee Focus Groups with Your Top Talent

2. Discovering the habits of your top employees – associations they join, publications they read,
Web sites they frequent, blog feeds they receive, newsletters they read – will lead you to
other top prospective candidates.
5. Determine Budget
This will allow you to focus on the most effective solutions for your organization and build a
customized strategy for your needs.
6. Build Your Internal Recruitment Platform
When building your strategy, start by solidifying your internal platform, with a strong Employee
Referral Program and a dedicated career site. Include videos, testimonials, an employee blog,
podcasts and a talent network to engage candidates.
7. Build Your External Recruitment Platform (Think Strategy)
Your external platform should be less about “apply now” and more about building candidate
relationships. Develop a strong digital and alternative recruitment marketing platform where
you measure ROI. Differentiate your organization with unique job postings and custom
templates. Promote your career site through existing employees while including Search Engine
Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, social networks and mobile as part of your strategy.
Make a point to read and comment on industry blogs.
8. Establish Metrics
Once your plan is built, establish goals and implement metrics to help track the ROI and success
of your program.
9. Implement and Evaluate
Implement the plan and evaluate it quarterly to identify areas of improvement and ensure
maximum ROI. Remain flexible and don’t be afraid to make changes. Encourage creative
thinking and craft ideas to separate your organization from the competition.
10. Involve Your Employees
Your employees are the single greatest way to communicate your employment brand. It’s your
employees talking about your organization – how they feel, what inspires them and why they
love working there – that helps build your brand. Encourage your top performing employees to
write articles and speak at events, promoting your organization as an employer of choice. Your
employees will be the catalyst for your organization achieving “best place to work” status, and
will ultimately inspire and attract top talent to your organization.
Creating an innovative recruitment strategy will not only differentiate your organization but
allow you to communicate your message to the right candidates. If you are unique and forward-
thinking in the way you attract and engage talent, candidates will take notice, and the talent will
come to you.
-Matt Kaiser
Vice President
NAS Recruitment Communications