Hiring is inevitable. Whether you are a small business with ten employees, or a fortune 500 company with thousands, there will come a time when you will need to hire. To improve your hiring process, you need to become creative and incorporate innovative solutions.

In recent years, recruiting has become more about the candidate than the employer. According to CareerBuilder, 40 percent of employees plan to change jobs in 2018. That means companies will have to be more competitive with their hiring strategies to land the best candidate for their position.

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So, what can your company do to improve your hiring process during this competitive time? Check out these 7 unique strategies for finding top talent.

1. Attend meetups, not career fairs.

Career fairs can be useful, but they often feel rushed and do not allow you to see candidate’s true selves. Career fairs also limit your candidate pool, as they usually do not attract the best candidates of all- the ones who are already employed. Instead, try going to where your ideal candidates are!  

Look for networking opportunities in your area that are likely to attract qualified candidates and attend them. These can be meetups, idea swaps, forums, workshops… Try using different online sources, such as Facebook or LinkedIn, to find these groups and events. Once you attend, network openly and let people know that you are looking to hire!

2. Use social media to recruit!

Posting a job description on one job site won’t do the trick anymore; In order to compete with other companies, you must use social media in your recruiting efforts. This is becoming an industry norm and networking platforms such as LinkedIn are more popular than ever before. Start by creating social media accounts that are exclusively used for recruitment, this will allow you to engage with potential hires and build your employer brand.

You can also have employees post about openings on their social media accounts, bringing in referrals from connections you already know personally.  Social media sites are great for building your employer brand and reaching passive candidates, so don’t be afraid to reach out to those who are currently employed!

3. Automate the hiring process with an applicant tracking system.

Applicant tracking systems automate your recruiting efforts by collecting and organizing candidates all in one location. These computer-based hiring tools help you save time and stay organized while searching for the best candidate for your position.

Different applicant tracking systems (ATS) vary in capabilities, but the main features include career page hosting, job post distribution to multiple job sites, social sharing, receiving and sorting applicants, resume storing, interview scheduling, and on boarding tools. With so many included features, it’s hard to deny how useful an ATS can be.

Most major companies now use some kind of applicant tracking system to aid their hiring efforts. There are plenty of ATS options out there, so be sure to do your research to find the best applicant tracking system to fit the needs of your company.

4. Recruit from a local college campus.

While recruiting from college campuses can be very competitive, it can help you discover emerging talent early, strengthen your company brand, and build relationships with universities.  These perks can all lead to locating the best and brightest candidates, as well as open doors for internships and guest speaking opportunities.

When recruiting on campus, be sure to sell your company to the future workforce; explain why they would want to work for you and why your company matters to them. Coupling this idea with other strategies, such as social media recruiting, can lead to discovering the best of the new generation of workers.

5. Get creative with your advertisements.

Whether you are directly advertising your current job opening or building your brand, you have to get creative in your advertising efforts. Much like strategy #1, you should think about where your ideal candidate would see your ad and how you can make it specific to them. This can include billboards, bus ads, car wraps, paid online ads, and more.

Aim to lead candidates to your Careers Page, which should list your current openings as well as an inviting description of your company. Don’t be afraid to be bold and go outside of the box when it comes to advertising – the point is to get noticed!

6. Try hosting interactive interviews.

Interactive interviews can be much more telling than the standard interview process. These can be held in many different ways, including speed-dating style, open group discussions and group activities. Interactive interviews are ideal when you are hiring more than one person for the same position, hiring seasonal workers, or simply when hiring for a position that will require teamwork, communication, and collaboration.

It is recommended to start by asking structured interview questions that can gauge the initial understanding and skill level of the candidates before moving on to open discussions or teamwork activities. Interviews styled this way can help employers get to know applicants personally as well as professionally, allowing them to make an informed decision based on skill and culture fit.

7. Have the candidate perform a job simulation.

Much like interactive interviews, job simulations can quickly show you if the candidate has the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities required to succeed in the position. Job simulations can look different for any position, but the point is to simulate the future work environment.

Applicants should be completing tasks that they would normally complete if they were to be hired for the role. This could include typing a short article, entering data, dealing with an agitated customer or anything else that could happen on the job.

The simulation also provides the candidate with a hands-on opportunity to explore the job they are applying for. This allows both the candidate and the employer a chance to evaluate if the position would be best for them.

Our guest post today was written by Paige Garner, a Marketing Coordinator at Proven. When she’s not tweeting, blogging or writing, she loves working out, being outdoors, and playing with her two dogs.