You can’t just post a “Help Wanted” sign in the window anymore and expect applications to stream in.

 

As small businesses struggle to attract and hire workers amid the tightest labor market in more than 70 years, technology provides a way for small employers to stand out from the crowd, target their job postings to the right people (either locally or nationally) and better engage prospective candidates.

 

“Technology is making the hiring process easier than ever for small teams with limited resources like ours,” says Kyle Risley, CEO of Lift Vault, a Somerville, Massachusetts-based company that creates online workout routines.

 

Here’s a look at three ways small businesses are using technology to hire more effectively during “The Great Resignation”:

 

  1. Using online job boards more strategically

 

A major challenge for small businesses is standing out amid the sea of large companies with big recruiting budgets trying to score talent right now. But you can use online tools that give your job ads more visibility.

 

Job board Indeed, for example, lets employers post basic job ads for free. However, you can also pay to sponsor job ads on Indeed and only pay a fee for every application you get. The tool lets you set a total spending limit—so you don’t go over budget—and ask screening questions so you only get (and pay for) applications from people who meet your basic requirements.

 

Employers that sponsor their job listings are more than four times more likely to make a hire, according to Indeed.

 

ZipRecruiter also offers subscriptions that give small businesses a way to get their openings listed on multiple job sites at once and find job seekers with the skills and experience they need.

 

  1. Maximizing the reach and authenticity of social media

 

Social media—whether your company’s Facebook page or your LinkedIn page—are natural, budget-friendly places to promote not just your brand, but also job openings. After all, your social media followers are already interested in your business. Perhaps some of them would like to come work for you, too.

 

LinkedIn makes it easy to search for people whose profiles show they’re actively looking for jobs, or you can do a keyword search to find people with the skills and experience you need and proactively reach out to them.

 

When using social media to promote jobs, make sure to “sell” your company as a great place to work and explain the benefits of working for you.

 

Instagram is being used increasingly to find prospective hires, says Brian Nagele, CEO of Restaurant Clicks, a Philadelphia-based digital marketing agency. His best advice? When a business creates a post about a job opening, it should include popular hashtags (such as #hiring or #nowhiring) to get the content in front of the right job seekers. Nagele also suggests using videos and short media clips to grab candidates’ attention.

 

“Adding visual content to a job ad not only helps publicize your job opening, but it also introduces applicants to your team members who are featured in the content,” Nagele says. 

 

  1. Getting applicant tracking software that streamlines the process

 

An automated tracking tool such as Freshteam, BambooHR or Zoho Recruit can help you post openings on multiple online job sites. But once you start getting applicants, it also helps you organize and screen them in a single database. Features may include a recruitment chatbot for early and simple messaging, applicant communication and interview scheduling tools and onboarding.

 

Risley’s go-to is VidCruiter, a tracking tool that facilitates pre-recorded or live video interviews. 

 

“Interviewing new talent is often time-consuming for businesses and may even force some candidates to self-select out of hiring conversations because they can’t find time for an interview,” he says. “This allows for AI-driven interviews that are recorded that hiring teams can watch at a later time. It’s so much more efficient than going through an in-depth scheduling process.”

 

Considering that your employees are your most valuable asset, it only makes sense to invest in technology that ensures you’re finding the best.

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