A company’s employees are often referred to as its greatest asset. Every business needs able, qualified talent to help it grow and succeed. However, recruiting new employees isn’t just about finding willing candidates. It’s about finding the right ones. Putting up a post on LinkedIn or the local classifieds and simply trusting in that to fill a vacancy isn’t always productive. Often, you’ll receive a deluge of applications that don’t lead to any truly viable leads.

Modern recruitment is as much about attracting talent as it is about finding it. Employees care about the work they do and the impact their employers make; it tends to be a source of pride for them. In realizing this, companies need to employ a mix of PR and recruitment techniques to ensure they’re effectively competing for top-notch talent.

Here are some creative ways to find quality candidates in Washington, D.C.

1. Embrace Social Media

When properly used, social media can be a powerful recruitment tool. It can help you connect with a generation of adults who aren’t necessarily plugged into the corporate job-search ecosystem but still possess valuable skills and smarts. The NBA, for instance, recruits people using TikTok. 

Putting the word out on platforms like this can enable you to come across as modern and relate with younger job seekers. Incidentally,  it can also help your current employees engage with and promote your brand online of their own volition. Social media presence can naturally boost employee referral programs by encouraging word-of-mouth publicity.

2. Partner with a Staffing Agency

There are a number of reasons why you should consider outsourcing your recruitment to a staffing agency. For starters, they have a ready pool of qualified, vetted candidates on file. There’s a good chance they may already know a great fit for your company and can help you fill in that vacancy. It can also help you save a great deal of time and energy, especially if you’re recruiting for a number of positions. 

During times of organizational overhaul or expansion, HR teams can get overwhelmed by short-term hiring demands. “Staffing agencies understand that HR teams have many competing tasks; we are able to devote our entire team's resources to finding companies the perfect candidate for their role,” says Julie Lindgren of Whitman Associates, Inc, a long-standing staffing agency catering to the DMV area.

3. Share Organizational Culture

It’s always a good idea to humanize your corporation and appear relatable. People want to work for companies with a friendly, positive, and supportive culture. Policies like flat hierarchies, integrated workplaces, work-life balance, and teleworking allowances tend to be sought-after benefits. Try creating company and recruitment videos with virtual tours of your offices and employee interviews. Share images and updates from company events, off-site trips, and so on to showcase the fun side of your organization. Initiatives like these tell potential applicants that there is a social side to your company, helping generate more interest in your positions.

4. Reach Out to Underrepresented Communities

Don’t limit your recruitment drive to the tried and tested workgroups. Underrepresented communities and economically weaker sections of society hold a wealth of untapped talent. As an additional perk, you might be eligible for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, a federal tax credit for companies that hire from target groups who live in empowerment zones or have faced substantial barriers to employment. 

5. Offer Immigration and Relocation Support for Global Talent

Companies often go global to find the best talent. Advertising the fact that you offer immigration support to potential employees and are willing to help them comfortably relocate to a new place can significantly improve the quality and number of candidates who apply. 

6. Advertise Free Training

Providing free training is an excellent way to reach candidates who may not have applied otherwise. Sometimes, candidates have all the qualifications they need for a particular job, minus a certification or two. Offering to train such candidates yourself can give you access to a broader talent pool and maybe even be a perk that motivates many more to apply.

7. Put Your Employees in the Spotlight

If you’ve worked hard on instituting a great organizational culture, let it speak for itself. Find ways to highlight your employees’ talents and personalities. Company events and gestures that recognize employee contributions are great feel-good stories that your candidates will look favorably upon. Don’t hesitate to link your employees’ social media on your company’s recruitment page or job posts. Encourage potential candidates to reach out to them for feedback. Ultimately, there’s no better endorsement for a company than a happy workforce.

Recycling the same old hiring methods gets you the same old employees. Getting creative with your recruitment strategies gives you access to both a wider and more targeted talent pool, and can pay off in spades in employee performance.