Recruiting the best talent in this Digital Age often means turning to digital outlets. Even if your business isn’t the most tech-savvy, it’s easy to use technology to connect with potential employees.
‘Help wanted’ resurgence
The posting of “help wanted” signs in your window to attract the perfect walk-in candidate is largely antiquated, and with good reason. To drop everything when an applicant walks in for an immediate interview can be costly – it eats away at your productivity, especially since the walk-in candidate isn’t pre-screened beyond “I saw this sign and want to work here.”
Yet “help wanted” signs have experienced a renaissance, thanks largely to Indeed’s Job Spotter application. This app rewards its users for taking and submitting photos of help wanted signs to the Job Spotter database.
Business owners who see passers-by take such photos might be confused why they snap photos but don’t come in to apply. It’s likely they plan to submit the image to the Job Spotter database. Then again, it’s possible they’ve never seen an actual “help wanted” sign in a window and want a souvenir.
Suspicious ‘help wanted’ signs
“Help wanted” signs that aren’t at the hiring business, don’t explain the position for which they’re hiring, or promise a higher than average hourly rate might lead to some uncomfortable confrontations with law enforcement.
The reason is the discovery in other states that some “help wanted” signs found by the side of busy roads that only advertise a high hourly wage and a phone number are actually the work of human traffickers who seek to draw people into either labor trafficking or sex trafficking.
Although Snopes debunked this theory in one specific instance, law enforcement continues to be on the lookout for these signs. For this reason among others, employers should include as much detail on their “help wanted” signs as possible, especially if the signs are located off the business property.
Internet’s digital ‘help wanted’ sign
Posting your open position on the Internet can yield a large number of eager applicants. That can have its benefits and its drawbacks. While you certainly want a large pool of suitable candidates, you don’t want to sift through big number of applicants unless they’re all right for the job.
Be specific about what you seek within your “help wanted” ad:
- Mention anything that would exclude someone from consideration
- Emphasize mandatory attributes necessary for consideration
- Spotlight minimum experience and educational requirements
So, for example, if a fitness center looks for a new fitness trainer but simply asks “fitness enthusiasts” to apply, they’ll have to deal with numerous applicants who don’t have industry experience, certifications or knowledge of physiology and biomechanics.
If such specific attributes are necessary to do the job well, then list them in the job posting to dissuade unqualified people from even applying.
Where to post openings
Locally based job sites like OmahaJobs.com get more attention from local candidates with far less “noise” from scam posts than larger, national job sites that don’t take much time to review job postings for credibility.
Facebook has an impressive job search feature that lets businesses reach out to their followers and beyond to reveal open positions. Facebook’s job search tool experienced impressive results since its debut almost two years ago, likely due to its large audience and ability to easily share job openings.
Attract ‘the wheat, not the chaff’
Whether you decide to go “old school” and put a “help wanted” sign in your window or you instead turn to the Internet to find your next employee, be clear about what you seek and what you don’t want. To invite anyone who wants a job to apply will be a waste of your time – and theirs.