From using StackOverflow to source technical candidates to asking freelance partners for referrals, here are 12 answers to the question, “What are some non-traditional sources that you use to recruit job candidates? How has it proven successful to you?”
- StackOverflow is Good Source For Technical Candidates
- Post Job Openings on Reddit
- Use Social Media Platforms
- Recruiting Through Linkedin Groups
- Hire Fresh College Graduates that Has Consistent Grades
- Use Employee Ambassadors and Influencer Programs
- Source Candidates Through Local Volunteering Activities
- Hosting Free Workshops Can Help You Find and Train Recruits Simultaneously
- Create an Employee Referral Program
- Find Off Market Candidates in Facebook Groups
- Recruit Staff for Your Niche By Using Niche Magazines
- Ask Freelance Partners for Referrals
StackOverflow is Good Source For Technical Candidates
StackOverflow has been one of my go-to non-traditional sources when it comes to recruiting tech candidates. I find StackOverflow incredibly useful because I can review the public answers that job applicants have given to questions other developers have posted in the StackOverflow forums.
This allows me to get a good sense of an applicant’s technical proficiency and also assess their problem-solving skills. This is especially useful for positions requiring advanced technical abilities, as StackOverflow enables me to get very specific about which topics a candidate may be proficient in. It has proven successful for me many times.
Antreas Koutis, Administrative Manager, Financer
Post Job Openings on Reddit
One non-traditional source that we use to recruit job candidates is Reddit. Reddit is a social media platform where people can post and discuss topics of interest. We post job openings on subreddits that are relevant to our industry and target audience. This has been successful for us because it reaches a new audience of potential candidates who may not have seen our job postings elsewhere.
Matthew Ramirez, CEO, Rephrasely
Use Social Media Platforms
One non-traditional source of job candidates that I use is social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Through these platforms, I can quickly get in touch with potential job candidates who may not have considered applying for the position otherwise. These platforms also allow me to learn more about a candidate’s background, interests, and skills before having to take the time and expense of a formal job interview.
Amira Irfan, Founder and CEO, A Self Guru
Recruiting Through Linkedin Groups
One non-traditional source of job candidates that I have tried is LinkedIn groups. By engaging on the platform and identifying potential applicants, I have been able to reach people who might otherwise be overlooked in a conventional recruitment setting. Also, groups give a reason for outreach beyond a cold message, which might get ignored. Overall, utilizing social media has enabled me to tailor my message more precisely and identify great potential talent.
Carly Hill, Operations Manager, VirtualHolidayParty.com
Hire Fresh College Graduates that Have Consistent Grades
We have found an increasingly successful recruitment and hiring strategy which involves hiring fresh college graduates who have consistent grades. This non-traditional source has allowed us to focus our efforts on finding the right candidates who would be most suitable for the roles we’re recruiting for, rather than spending valuable time sorting through a list of experienced job seekers who may not fit with our company.
We believe this helps us find talented individuals quickly and efficiently, allowing us to focus on furthering their professional development within our organization. So far, this non-traditional method of recruitment has proven successful in terms of selecting long-term team members who are passionate and bring unique skills to their positions.
Jim Campbell, Owner, Camp Media
Use Employee Ambassadors and Influencer Programs
We have switched to using employee ambassador and influencer programs to attract scarce talent. By using these programs, we identify employees in specific communities and approach them to become part of the program. Once onboarded, we build their external social media profiles authentically within their areas of expertise and guide their content to create awareness and visibility of our employer brand within their audience. This has led to higher levels of employee engagement, and we have also seen a significant rise in applications from these pools, increasing brand awareness and a more credible and personal talent attraction strategy.
Dieter Veldsman, HR and Od Thought Leadership, Academy to Innovate HR
Source Candidates Through Local Volunteering Activities
I have found great success in recruiting candidates through local volunteering activities. I have attended several of these in my area and had the chance to interact with volunteers. It has proven to be an excellent way to find potential candidates for positions in our company.
Many of the volunteers had the right qualifications and skill set that we were looking for, and I was able to exchange contact information with them. Later, when we had open positions, we contacted them and it worked out great. This has been a very successful way for me to find candidates that I would not have found otherwise. So, in my opinion, local volunteering activities can be a great source of qualified job candidates.
Arkadiusz Terpilowski, Head of Growth and Co-founder, Primetric
Hosting Free Workshops Can Help You Find and Train Recruits Simultaneously
In an effort to try out a new recruitment strategy, we decided to host free workshops. They covered a variety of topics that were relevant to the types of roles we were hiring for, and attendees had the opportunity to learn from experts in the field as well as network with potential employers.
To my surprise, the workshops were a huge success. Not only did we have a great turnout, but we also received a lot of positive feedback from attendees who found the content to be valuable and informative. But the most valuable outcome was that the workshops attracted a diverse and talented pool of job candidates. The attendees were not only engaged during the workshop but also interacted with our team, which helped us to assess their skills, passion, and cultural fit.
As a result, we were able to fill several open positions with top-notch candidates who had attended the workshop and jump-started their learning process. In the following months, we plan to keep this strategy going!
Piotrek Sosnowski, Chief People and Culture Officer, HiJunior
Create an Employee Referral Program
Employee referrals are our best way to find talented and qualified candidates for our job openings. By focusing on friends and family referrals, we quickly identify potential candidates who are already familiar with our culture and family values. This method of recruitment has helped us find great long-term hires who fit in well with the existing team. Additionally, it is a cost-effective way to recruit new talent from our employee referral program versus spending on recruitment ads.
Donna Werner, Chief Administrative Officer and Co-founder, GhostBed
Find Off Market Candidates in Facebook Groups
Facebook groups have proven to be an invaluable tool for recruiting job candidates. Not only do they provide access to pools of potential employees, but they also allow employers to find candidates already in employment. This can be a great way for organizations to recruit experienced, qualified professionals who may not otherwise be available.
By joining relevant groups and actively engaging with potential candidates, employers can build relationships and create conversations that could lead to new employment opportunities. Additionally, by participating in these groups, employers can get a better sense of the current job market, open positions, and skills in demand.
Mark McShane, Marketing Director, Leeds First Aid Courses
Recruit Staff for Your Niche By Using Niche Magazines
Magazines in our niche have been an effective source of recruiting job candidates. We find that the print format allows us to target a specific audience, and the articles in these magazines often feature candidates with specialized skills who are looking for opportunities. In addition, we use the magazine as a platform to showcase our brand and attract candidates who are passionate about the sector. This has proven to be an effective way of recruiting job candidates since it allows us to reach a wide range of potential employees from all over the world.
Derek Bruce, Senior Director, Newcastle First Aid Courses
Ask Freelance Partners for Referrals
Our non-traditional source of recruiting job candidates is asking our trusted freelance partners for referrals to the roles we have open in our organization. This move has consistently proved effective in enabling us to land hires who are proficient at what they do, owing to their previous experience in the gig economy. Moreover, their learning curve is usually less steep since they are already familiar with remote work and can easily fit in with our distributed teams and start work immediately.
Alvin Wei, Co-founder and CMO, SEOAnt