All business owners understand the challenge of finding the right talent for their team. It's an even bigger challenge in the Technology space, which can be illustrated in the negative unemployment rate for technical engineers being experienced in India. There are many job opportunities available, but just not enough qualified candidates. In today’s challenging market, organizations that take a strategic approach to hiring and retaining the best talent are the ones best positioned for long-term success.

As organizations grow, there are a few things business leaders and search teams should keep in mind to assure they are building strong organizations around them.

Clearly State Job Requirements

Simple as it may sound, this is the first step to ensure you’re attracting the right talent. It is crucial to clearly state what you’re looking for in your next employee, and to set specific expectations for candidates. The job title should be both accurate and descriptive. Listing something for an “Engineer” is too vague in today’s specialized landscape, but a “Technical Help Desk Support Specialist” provides clarity.

When detailing job duties, only include those essential to the role. Listing every single responsibility can be cumbersome, and keep in mind you want to make the role appealing to candidates. If the job is not appealing to you, it won't be appealing to potential job-seekers. Focus on the important skills and technologies necessary to be successful in the role.

Understand What to Look For

When sourcing new candidates, it’s important to look for consistent employment history with positive career progression. Candidates with less than a year experience at their previous employer could be a red flag. Consistency shows loyalty and is a sign of someone with the ability to be an ideal team player. Additionally, positive career progression within their company illustrates their ability to grow, and perhaps be a leader within the organization given the right circumstances.

A strong candidate is also someone who is confident in their skills and is engaged in the technology industry. Not only should they be comfortable discussing applicable job responsibilities,

but they should understand trends in the space. This shows a commitment to their field, their career, and their growth.

Know Where to Find Them

After having a clearly defined job description and knowing the key traits for a great potential hire, where do you find them? Many options give you access to applicants, but there are few that give you access to the RIGHT applicants.

As a technologist, you're likely targeting the passive job seeker only willing to move for the right opportunity. Passive job seekers will not be posting resumes on job boards, so you’ll need to identify alternate means to create a pool of candidates. The first place to look is at your current Team. Your employees should be able to create an instant testimonial for your company and provide a level of trust to potential candidates. Good people usually know good people.

Investing in LinkedIn is another great option which provides you direct access to the specific types of candidates you're looking for. You can easily search your competitors, vendors, and even recent grads from local colleges for potential candidates.
Other great places to find top talent are internship programs, industry events, as well as job fairs that target specific specialties.

Utilize Social Media Effectively

Sharing engaging content via social media achieves two goals, it provides you a way to highlight your staff in ways that benefit their morale and intrigue potential candidates about the benefits of working at your company. It's an opportunity to give your business some personality. TAKE IT!

As mentioned, LinkedIn is a great resource for identifying the right candidates; and while more than likely your primary resource, don't underestimate other platforms to serve certain purposes. Facebook and Instagram are great places to highlight employee engagement. You should not only be sure to post content on these platforms, but you should encourage your Teams to share as well. This will help you gain additional and cost-effective visibility in the right Networks.
Keep in mind when a potential candidate is researching your company, it's likely that they will look at your social media pages. Make sure what you're putting in front of them shows not just what you do, but who you are as a company.

Create a Clear Referral Program

Referrals are one of, if not, the best way to hire great candidates. You should have a Program which encourages your employees to help with recruitment by offering incentives for bringing in Talent.
Create a clear and concise policy with specific guidelines for your Referral Program. Make sure there are no potential misunderstandings, and your employees know exactly what they receive for bringing a new member to the Team. Assure incentives are paid after successful conclusion of the referred candidate's onboarding period.

Make your team aware of open positions that need to be filled, and reward employees quickly once their referral has passed whatever period-of-time you choose. This will keep your team motivated to help in your search for the most ideal candidates.
This challenging market can make it difficult to identify your next Star Player, and assure they are a part of your organization for many years to come. You want to build a Team for long-term success, and position current employees to show the personality of your staff and the culture of your business.