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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

5 Ways to Find Quality Candidates for a Job Vacancy

Many human resources managers in the Philippines feel that looking for the right candidate for an opening in their organization is like finding a needle in a haystack

It doesn’t help that the requisitioning department is adding constant pressure to make the search quick and sending incessant inquiries if there is a positive match.

This need not be the case if you know not only what to look for in a potential employee, but most importantly, where to look as well. Successfully filling in the vacancy in your company requires knowledge of those precious pools of quality talent waiting to be discovered. In case you need some relief from racking your brains on where to find quality candidates for a job vacancy, here are some ideas.

Look Within Your Organization

Sometimes, the answer to what you’ve been looking for may be right under your nose, figuratively and quite literally. Searching for the perfect talent within your own company is perhaps the easiest and most cost-effective way to fill up an urgent opening. A big advantage to this is existing knowledge of company information that a current employee possesses, as well as a demeanor that is well-acclimatized to the organizational culture.

For instance, many accounting and finance jobs in Makati are filled up by employees in the same company as well. They may not necessarily be from the same line of work, but they are transferred from other teams or departments and are given new assignments. This is a good way to help talent retention as well because you are able to give more opportunities for growth and development for your company’s workforce.

Consider Getting Referrals

Personal or professional referrals are a good way to hunt for talent, especially if you are strict with credibility, integrity, and proven capabilities. Again, you can start from within your organization and ask around from your bosses, colleagues, and staff if they might know of suitable candidates to join the company. You can extend your inquiry to business partners, suppliers, or vendors.

The benefit of going with referrals is that these candidates are usually vouched for by your contact. Thus, there is a higher likelihood of hitting on quality talent. On the other hand, this may open the door to nepotism or partiality in your organization, so be careful as well with the referrals you receive. Make sure they go through the usual screening and evaluation process regardless of their connections..

Put Out Ads on Employment Websites

The advent of the Internet in the past couple of decades has opened up the job market immensely by way of job listing and employment websites. These online platforms are now staples for hiring managers in search of good talent. There are many types of websites that cater to different industries and sectors. Just make sure to find the right platform that matches your needs, and you are sure to find a number of excellent potential candidates for the job.

Employment websites are a great way to introduce your company as well and to give potential hires an idea of what it is to work in your organization through your company profile page. This helps increase the chances of a successful match in terms of an employee having the right fit in your organizational culture. You can save a lot of resources in terms of having to re-hire or search again for replacements.

Try Professional Social Media Sites or Apps

Along with the advancement of online technology has come the proliferation of social media sites and apps focused on career development. These portals are different from job listing sites in that users here more freely show some parts of their personality as well. From the point of view of a hiring manager like you, this can be an opportunity to check out if a person not only has the right credentials and experience, but the right personality and work attitude as well.

You can also find a good level of discourse and thought leadership in these career apps, as candidates aim to put their best foot forward and share profound thoughts on work life in their profile feeds. As a user in such sites or apps, it is a great way for you to network with talent and to build a deep database of potential candidates for future hiring needs.

Put Out Classified Ads on Newspapers

Despite the prevalence of digital communication these days, don’t overlook the power of traditional advertising in the candidate search process. Especially if you are looking to fill in a more senior position, these experienced individuals are usually more traditional in their ways. Thus, they are the types of who would still read the newspaper and pore over job announcements in the classified section. Putting out job notices in the papers is also a more formal way to conduct a candidate search befitting more established sectors such as the government. You’d be surprised at the excellent quality of talent you might encounter through this means.

These are just some ideas on where you might find the right candidate for the vacancy in your company in the Philippines. All it takes is a little resourcefulness and creativity as sometimes, the perfect person for the job may be found in the most unlikely of places.

Photo from Depositphotos is provided by Crello