Knowing your desired company's recruitment strategy is essential for a successful job search.
 
For starters, understanding the type of candidate they are looking for and the methods by which they post available positions can help you find one that suits your specific skills and needs. Furthermore, researching the company’s reputation and culture can often give insight into what kind of person they look for when recruiting new staff members.
 
Knowing this information is key when it comes to tailoring your resume, cover letter, and other application materials; it might even make all the difference in getting an interview call. A company's recruitment strategy shouldn't be overlooked or underestimated by any job seeker who wants to stand out and get ahead in the hiring process.

Five Recruiting Tactics to Find an Ideal Candidate

When recruiting for an ideal candidate, it can be a challenge to find someone that's the right fit. Companies should ensure they're advertising their open positions in places where they will come across passionate and motivated individuals. 

Additionally, companies should consider offering bonuses or referrals to help make their listing stand out from other organizations who are competing for potential candidates. 

So, as a job seeker, you should be aware of five key recruiting tactics which can help you obtain the desired position:

1. Job Boards and Career Sites

Job boards like ICMA's Career Center or USAJOBS, and career sites are now regularly used by recruiters to save time and potentially increase the probability of finding an ideal match. These cost-effective platforms make it easier for recruiters to sift through resumes, pinpoint the qualifications they are looking for more quickly, and easily contact potential candidates.

Furthermore, the ability to continuously monitor profiles on job boards and career sites gives recruiters unprecedented access to applicants, which has revolutionized how hiring works today.

What to do? Make sure your resume 2023 is well-designed and properly represents your professional skills. In this way, you will increase your chances that the recruiter will call you for an interview.

2. LinkedIn

Recruiting potential candidates from job boards and career sites can be a great way to get the message out about your open position, but for more specific needs, it's hard to beat LinkedIn.

With the ability to target specific industry sectors and refine searches in many different criteria, LinkedIn is quickly becoming the preferred tool for recruiters looking to find the ideal candidate. Plus, with endorsements and recommendations now part of LinkedIn profiles, you can be sure that anyone you end up hiring will have proven their expertise.

Recruiters may use a strategy of sending out mass messages to find the right candidate for a job. Yes, this can be really messy for both of them. However, this recruiting may benefit candidates because it gives them more opportunities–sometimes dozens or hundreds of message inquiries for job openings that fit their skill sets.

What to do? Make sure your LinkedIn profile is worth paying attention to. A high-quality professional photo; a description that includes details of your professional skills and places of employment; an existing resume available for download as a PDF document; keywords on the page that will allow the recruiter to see your profile exactly.

3. Applicant Tracking Systems

With so many job applications flooding into recruiters' inboxes, it can take time to distinguish a truly ideal candidate from the rest. That is why recruiters are now turning to applicant tracking systems to quickly and easily pinpoint who is the best match for the position.

These systems can grade resumes based on keywords and other critical items such as professional skills, educational background, and even how well the resume was formatted. This way, these tracking systems can provide a quick overview that serves as an accurate initial assessment of each job applicant's suitability before an in-depth look into their experience is conducted.

What to do? Format your resume so that it is ATS-readable. The right keywords were presented in the job description, the skills the recruiter is looking for, and more.

4. Networking Events

Job recruiters often use networking events to find potential hires that are a perfect fit for the company. These events provide recruiters access to large crowds of candidates where they can meet, greet, and scout the best of the lot.

Networking events attended by recruiters have resulted in many successful job matches, as they offer opportunities to meet the right people and build meaningful relationships. This, in turn, helps them identify outstanding talent–by reading between the lines when conversing with a candidate–without going through hundreds of applications or resumes.

What to do? Just ensure you are always in the right place at the right time and take advantage of every opportunity to make valuable acquaintances.

5. Employee Referrals

Recruiters understand how valuable an employee referral can be in finding the right person for a particular job. Referring candidates who already mesh well with the company culture and fit the requirements reduce the recruitment process length and widen their network of qualified individuals.

Furthermore, an employee referral is more reliable than classified ads or job bulletins, as these are based on the recruiter’s recommendations and suggestions. Hence, they can shorten their screening time and often have no trouble finding people from their contacts who have both skill sets and character traits suitable for a job that keeps them competitive.

What to do? Do you have friends? Communicate with them. They may help you get the desired position.

Your Next Career Step

Job hunting is difficult and stressful. But if you can learn more about how the field of recruiting people works, you can better position yourself to be among the candidates who are found, stand out, and ultimately are selected.
 

Lindsay Karny is a certified professional resume writer and interview coach working at Resume 2023.
 

On the hiring side? Register for ICMA's webinar: Breaking Glass: 10 Emergency Ways to Combat the Hiring Crisis. Jan 17, 2023 1:00pm - 2:30pm ET