⚡ Get All Content for 20% Off ⚡

4 Places to Find Job Candidates You Probably Never Considered With new trends in recruiting and changes in the workplace, there are new pools of talent to explore.

By Andre Lavoie

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

We're all familiar with the traditional candidate sources such as employee referrals and job fairs. But if you're not getting the results you want, it's time to look at some new options. With new trends in recruiting and changes in the workplace, there are new pools of talent to explore.

However, all candidate sources are not equal. The type of employee you find on a job board will be different than the one you receive through a referral. It's important to understand what types of potential employees are available from each source, the benefits they bring with them and how to reach them.

Here are four new candidate sources and how to use them effectively:

1. Former employees

Feelings are changing about rehiring old employees. In a 2015 report from the Workplace Institute and WorkplaceTrends.com, over three-quarters of surveyed HR professionals and almost two-thirds of managers said they are more likely to take back an old employee than they were in the past.

Related: Why Smart Entrepreneurs Are Swiping 'Right' on Recruiting Apps

Former employees, also known as boomerang employees, are employees who leave a company and then return in the future. They have inherent benefits, including having to spend less time and fewer resources onboarding and training them.

With boomerang employees, you already know what type of employee they are. If a top sales-team member left for a higher salary, that doesn't mean you can't woo them back to work for you. It's worth the effort to try to get a high performer to return.

Keep tabs on top talent that has moved on to new opportunities. Follow their progression and get a feel for their level of satisfaction. If it seems like they're unhappy with the new company, reach out to them by email or LinkedIn and see if they'd like to meet up for coffee to talk about the options waiting for them back at your company.

Be prepared to give them what they weren't getting from you in the first place. Perhaps you still can't up their salary, but if another reason they left was a lack of challenging work, ask them what other responsibilities they'd like to take on.

2. Website visitors

Job seekers are taking the time to research a potential employer by checking out their websites. They're looking for what the company does and what it's like to work there.

These job seekers are coming to you. They are interested in your company and what you are doing. This will make engaging them as potential employees easy, as long as the content on your website actually reflects your workplace.

It's important to give job seekers the information they want on your website. Don't just include current job postings, give them information about your company culture with a brand video or testimonials from your current employees.

Let them communicate their interest by providing your recruiter's contact information in an easy-to-find place. That way, they can send their resumes and begin to build a relationship that will allow you to find a place for them in your company.

Related: 4 Tips to Hiring The Right Candidate

3. Social media (besides LinkedIn)

Everyone knows that LinkedIn is a great way to find out about potential employees and to connect with them. But a lot of recruiters are ignoring other social-media platforms. The 2014 Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey surveyed more than 1,800 recruiting and HR professionals. Only 26 percent of respondents said they had hired a candidate through Facebook and 14 percent through Twitter.

Talent of all backgrounds use social media as part of their job searches, which means sharing job openings on social media can reach a variety of talent.

Using social media to look for candidates can also help you judge a job seeker's interest and involvement with your industry. If you start noticing the same Facebook member leaving thought-provoking comments on industry posts, consider contacting them.

If a potential employee stands out to you on social media, follow them. Their tweets and posts will give you a better idea of who they are. Also, tweet and post your job posts on social media. That way, even if talent isn't actively looking for new opportunities on job sites, the openings at your company will still show up on their feed.

4. Your customers

It might seem odd to cross the line between customer and employee, but why wouldn't you want to consider someone who buys your product as a possible employee?

The nice thing about turning customers into employees is they already believe in and support your company. If they're willing to spend their money to be part of what you're doing, think about how excited they'd be when you offer them a salaried position.

The best way for you to tell your customers about your job openings is your newsletter. Including links to job posts not only shares the opportunities you have available, but also shows customers they mean more to you and that you'd like for you to be part of the team.

What other new candidate sources have you found that work for you? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Andre Lavoie

Entrepreneur; CEO and Co-Founder, ClearCompany

Andre Lavoie is the CEO of ClearCompany, the talent-management solution that helps companies identify, hire and retain more A players. You can connect with him and the ClearCompany team on Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter.

 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Remote Side Hustle a 43-Year-Old Musician Works on for 1 Hour a Day Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month: 'All From the Comfort of Home'

Sam Ziegler wanted to supplement his income as a professional drummer — then his tech skills and desire to help people came together.

Business News

Costco CFO Reveals Uncertain Fate of $1.50 Hot Dog and Soda Combo

CFO Richard Galanti reveals that the price will stay the same — but only "for a while."

Business News

The Most Unexpectedly Popular Side Hustle of the Decade Has Low Startup Costs and High Markups

A new report shows that vending machines are a popular investment — and the industry is set to grow up to $3 billion by 2031.

Marketing

Ever Wonder Why Certain Websites Rank Higher Than Yours? This SEO Expert Reveals The Secret to Dominating Search Results

It's often the smart use of SEO, now supercharged with AI, particularly in keyword optimization.

Business News

AI Is Impacting Jobs. Here Are the Gigs Affected the Most, According to an Analysis of 5 Million Upwork Postings

The researcher said in the report that freelance jobs were analyzed first because that market will likely see AI's immediate impact.

Leadership

Former Interrogator Shares 5 Behaviors Liars Exhibit and How to Handle Them

Five deceptive behaviors to look for and how to respond to those behaviors when you encounter them.