How to find workers online for free

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Do you want to hire employees online? This article will help you. Getting the next great hire without spending anything? That's the dream. Unfortunately, you can't build your entire hiring process on a zero budget, especially if you're expanding quickly. However, there are some hiring strategies that can get you closer to qualified applicants without putting too much of a dent in your wallet.

With new HR tools and modern sourcing techniques emerging in the recruiting landscape, good old practices are often overlooked. But that doesn't mean that traditional methods are less effective. Here's how you can save money on your overall hiring budget.

1. Use free job boards to find employees online

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“Free” usually sounds too good to be true. But that's not the case when it comes to job boards. Some of the most popular job seeker sites, including Indeed and Glassdoor, allow you to advertise your jobs for free. All you have to do is write a job ad describing the position and post it on one or more free job boards. And you will soon find the first applications in your inbox.

Wondering which website is the best for hiring workers online? We've put together a list of some of the best free job boards where you can post your open positions. Also check out our guides to finding workers on Craigslist and finding workers on Indeed.

Tip: If you've tried free job boards but can't find enough qualified applicants or receive too many unqualified applications, don't dismiss these job boards too quickly. Instead, experiment with your job ad: write a more descriptive job title, add key responsibilities and mandatory requirements, and mention some benefits you offer that will attract applicants' attention. Below are some ideas for writing an effective job ad and consider how you can design your job ad to appeal to the applicant's hierarchy of needs.

2. Advertise workers online on social media

Social media can work just like free job boards; Share your current job offers and reach many potential applicants. Start with LinkedIn; since it's a professional social network, it's where people expect to hear about job opportunities. Post your open positions on your LinkedIn page and ask your employees to also post the position to their network.

Not only can you use LinkedIn to find employees, you can also use it on Facebook Twitter attempt. Facebook has career-related groups based on professional interests and areas of expertise, while Twitter allows you to use relevant hashtags to specifically search for candidates who have the expertise you're looking for or are located in the location you're looking for.

If you're not sure how best to spread your job postings on social media, you can get started with these handy LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter job ad templates.

Tip: When you post your job ads on social media, you may feel like you're casting a wide net. However, there are ways to limit your reach for free. Let’s say you’re hiring a UX designer in Boston. On Facebook you can join design-related professional groups and on Twitter you can advertise your position using targeted hashtags such as #designerjobs, #uxjobs and #berlinjobs. Check out our guides for more tips on finding workers online on Facebook and Twitter.

3. Create SEO-friendly job ads and career pages

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It's one thing to get the word out that you're looking for new workers online, and it's another to actually get job seekers to apply for your open positions. You can advertise your positions on numerous job boards and social networks, but how do you attract good workers online, especially in areas where competition for top talent is fierce?

You need to make your job ads stand out - and you can do that if they're optimized for search engines. Luckily, you don't have to be an SEO expert to do this. Here are some basic rules to keep in mind:

  • Use a normal job title. Applicants are not looking for positions as “sales guru” or “Java wizard”. Instead, they look for positions like “sales manager” or “web developer.”
  • Make your text easy to read. Large chunks of text are intimidating, especially for candidates searching for jobs on their cell phones. Use bulleted lists to organize your content and use headings (e.g. "Tasks" and "Benefits") for the different sections.
  • Include relevant keywords. You don't have to (and shouldn't) use excessive jargon, but candidates are more likely to find your job posting if you mention job-related tasks, skills, and tools. In other words, a generic text that could apply to almost any position will not help you find the right candidates.
  • Add images and videos. The more appealing your job ad is, the easier it will be to find. The same goes for your careers page, where you can include images of your offices and videos with your teams.

To help you find employees online, we've created a list of more than 700 job description templates that are already optimized for search engines, and we've selected our favorite job ads that you can use for inspiration.

Tip: It's a good idea to have your job ads reviewed online by real job seekers and some of your employees. Are the ads useful? Are they attractive enough? What additional information is required for the applicant to decide whether to apply or not? Answering these questions and tailoring your job postings will make recruiting a little easier.

4. Ask for referrals to find workers online

Have you ever thought about how much money you spend posting job ads to people you already know? Even if you don't know them personally, it could be someone from your company. They could be former colleagues who your employees met at a conference or who are part of a current employee's personal network.

So why not be proactive and ask your employees to recommend potentially suitable candidates for your open positions? Employee referrals are one of the best ways to find employees for free. Not only will you save on advertising costs and time spent on interviews, but you will also speed up the hiring process by allowing you to advance these qualified recommended candidates further in your recruiting pipeline.

Tip: If you're not happy with the quantity or quality of referrals you're getting from your employees, consider gamifying or incentivizing the process. Run an internal competition to encourage employees to refer more candidates, or offer a bonus to those who refer people who get hired and stay with the company. Remember: the reward doesn't necessarily have to be money. For example, you can give employees who make successful referrals two additional days off or free tickets to an event.

5. Create applicant databases

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No matter how well you've built your hiring process and how well you've organized the steps, there might come a time when an HR manager or your CEO says, "I need people now." And when that moment comes, you won't have the "luxury" of following the process as it is. Then you have to think of something to quickly find qualified employees online.

If time is short, it's worth taking a look at previous applicants you've already interviewed and evaluated. Maybe there are some good candidates that you rejected because there was a stronger candidate at the time. Or you rejected them because you thought they would be better suited for another position, but you didn't have an open position in that area.

Rescreening previous applicants means you can skip the time-consuming initial hiring steps (posting a job ad, reviewing resumes, contacting applicants) and engage directly with applicants to find out if they are interested in your open position. This is a huge time saver - and also a good solution if you're trying (or need) to reduce your recruiting budget.

Tip: Searching through previous applications may prove to be more time-consuming unless you have a system in place for this. An internal applicant database helps you organize information about applicants (e.g. you can keep a list of people who applied for job X and were invited for an interview, but were disqualified before the final interview). However, you should not only save applicants' CVs and contact details, but also anything that will help you remember them, such as: B. Post-interview feedback and any tasks they completed as part of the hiring process. That's why it's important to always end on a positive note when it comes to rejections. This way, they are more likely to consider a new position at your company in the future.

For European applicants, please read the guide on collecting and storing applicant data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

6. Attend job fairs or host career days

OK, this may not be 100% free, but it's still a relatively inexpensive way to find employees for large hiring volumes. In a day or even within a few hours, you can contact dozens or even hundreds of potential applicants - and even make a shortlist.

Look out for local job fairs and annual career events; these are the best places to recruit, especially in retail, hospitality, and other industries known for high turnover. You can also participate in events aimed at underrepresented groups of applicants such as women, immigrants, or people with disabilities to increase diversity in your teams. Be sure to bring materials - for example, business cards, fillable forms on your laptop, etc. - that will help job seekers remember your company, as well as interview questions that will help you quickly screen potential applicants.

Tip: Consider hosting your own hiring event: an open house where potential candidates can tour your workplace, speak with your team members, and learn about your job opportunities. This increases the chances of finding the right employees as it gives you the opportunity to showcase your company culture and ultimately attract candidates who enjoy working there. An added bonus is that team members can share their insights from their own interactions with applicants.

Unfortunately, there are no secret recruiting recipes that will guarantee you find employees for free. To create an effective and consistent hiring process, you'll likely need to purchase premium job ads, use a sourcing tool, or purchase hiring software at some point.

And once you get to that point, you'll want to make sure your purchasing decision benefits your overall strategy. In other words, don't pay for job board ads that don't traditionally bring you qualified candidates; Your audience isn't there and you're wasting important resources. Instead, use that money to purchase tools that automate parts of the process (like organizing applications or scheduling interviews), so you have more time to search for potential candidates in new places. This way you are investing instead of paying and you will reap the long term benefits of this investment you just made.

frequently asked Questions

How do employers find their employees?

Most employers post job advertisements on a job search engine such as Indeed and on various online and offline job boards. There are many other ways to find employees, such as: B. by advertising at career fairs, scouting students at a university, or helping current employees with recruiting.

How can hiring managers find candidates for free interviews?

The best thing you can do is be where the job seekers are, and online job boards are among the first places people start their job search. Many popular job boards offer free options perfect for small businesses, and premium features allow you to achieve greater reach and search resume databases.

What do employees look for in a company?

Examples include professional development opportunities, competitive salaries, work-life balance initiatives, and company stability. Promote these qualities on your website, in public relations, advertising and through word of mouth to help potential talent see the value of working for your company.

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