High volume hiring is the practice of hiring for a large number of open positions in a given time frame. This can range from hundreds to thousands of positions a year.
Common in industries such as retail and hospitality, the need for a large volume of new employees can be due to seasonal hiring, new store openings, or rapid growth in the organisation.
Jobvite reports that while the average job posting attracts less than 50 applicants, the average high volume hiring attracts more than 250 applicants.
Here is a run down of what you can do to increase bulk candidate applications to your active job roles:
Great job adverts
Give the candidate an insight into what you do, your company history and what it really is like to work for you. Try not to use up all your advert space talking about things that the candidate doesn’t really need to know – after all if you manage to wet their interest with a well written advert you can guarantee they’ll visit your website to research you further! Focus on what you can offer the candidate and mention keywords that will optimise your job advert when candidates are searching the job boards. It is also worth researching the current market for indication on what salary you should offer – keep it competitive in order to attract the best candidates on the market.
Job boards
Job board popularity changes rapidly so, as a hiring manager, it is important you follow the candidates and post your jobs where they will see them.The key is to be where your candidates already are, research the most popular job boards for your industry and make sure your job advert is posted on these. Indeed is one of the best places to search for jobs. Ask most people to name a job board, and I think you’ll get Indeed most of the time. It’s got anything from entry level to executive jobs, and full to part-time jobs.
Easy to apply
McDonald’s made headlines in their high volume hiring of 250,000 employees for the summer. Job seekers could apply on McDonald’s Snapchat career page via 10-second Snaplications. By doing this, they not only targeted the right audience but made the application process fun and snappy. If possible, reduce candidate friction by creating a 1-click application process. If that doesn’t work for you, keep your qualification questions to a minimum (e.g. five or less) and enable social profile apply.
Social
Be sure to tell your entire network about the roles you are currently hiring for. Linkedin is a great way to post job ads and ensure it is put in front of the right people. Be active on social media. Scour local groups in your region dedicated to job seekers and place your advertisement there. Set up specific pages on your social media accounts dedicated to your recruiting efforts and direct potential candidates to them. Make sure you keep all of your social media channels updated with your progress during your mass hiring. You could even use your social media channels to answer questions that potential candidates might have.
Open Day / Events
Hosting a recruitment event is a valuable opportunity to grow your talent pool and make a lasting impression as an employer. Meeting candidates in person also lets you see what’s not on their resume, like their curiosity, their personality or any useful similarities or differences they might be able to contribute to your team. Hosting this event after work is a good idea, as is selecting some key team members to mingle with your guests. Your goal is to create a relaxed environment and get useful conversations going, so keep the agenda simple and casual. Networking, food and drinks and maybe a short talk or Q&A!
by Heather Turnbull – Account Manager @ Hirecracker.com
