While it’s generally considered best practice to hire additional staff before your office workload becomes unmanageable, sometimes it doesn’t happen that way. By the time you finally get around to posting your job opening, you might be in desperate need of help. In these instances, every day that goes by without qualified applicants finding your listing might seem like an eternity.

Even if you get your job advertisement posted before the situation is dire, attracting quality candidates immediately is important. Not only are you that much closer to filling the position, but you can better plan for training and other onboarding tasks. Here are three ways to help you quickly find the talent you’re looking for to fill your open positions.

1. Consider Remote Work Options

If you’re having trouble getting enough applicants, you may need to expand your hiring pool. Fortunately, that doesn’t have to mean lowering your standards for local candidates. Remote work options are becoming more common and easily implemented due to modern technology and available third-party assistance. By embracing remote work, you can keep your standards high while increasing your search radius across state or even national lines.

You’ll be happy to learn that the administrative headaches of remote or international hiring can be minimized. To open up your position to global candidates, you don’t have to be an expert in international employment law. There are numerous global payroll providers you can engage to handle the administrative details. This includes payroll, benefits administration, and any necessary regional legal filings.

Not only can remote work options help you attract high-quality candidates, but you also might be able to save on overhead costs like office space. Furthermore, you could offer wages to a remote worker far above those they might find in their local area but below those in yours. This will also help them afford insurance while working from home. In that case, both you and the remote worker benefit financially.   

2. Highlight What Makes the Position Stand Out

In the past, many employers seemed to possess all the power during the interview process. Job postings just needed to include what qualifications candidates should possess, and applicants would be grateful to get a response. Especially with entry-level positions, there was very little flexibility for negotiating salary or benefits. 

In today’s competitive hiring market, the power has shifted. With so many employers vying for the attention of quality workers, you need to give candidates a reason to apply. Not only that, but you should also be making the position desirable enough to draw workers away from current employers. It’s not enough to provide a good option for a prospective employee. You need to convince them that what your company offers will have the most impact on their lifestyle and happiness. 

Salary is an obvious factor that will influence the caliber of candidate response you might receive. If the range you have in mind is at or above industry standards, don’t hide behind the generic descriptor of “competitive wages.” Letting your prospective applicants know exactly what you’re offering can draw in people who are armed with more information. They already know their compensation expectations are at least in the ballpark of yours before they walk in the door. This can make the hiring process run more smoothly with more applicants prepared to make decisions quickly.

Even perks can sometimes be sufficient for someone to favor your opening above others. If your company offers benefits that aren’t commonly available, you should make that very noticeable in the job posting. 

A good example might be paid parental leave or a sabbatical after five years. Another item that might get a candidate’s attention would be 100% paid health insurance. Whatever can set you apart in a positive way should be revealed upfront rather than the first round of interviews. 

3. Emphasize Training and Mentorship

Sometimes when looking for employees, it can be more important to find the right fit than the right qualifications. If an applicant has a great work ethic, they might be a better choice than someone with more impressive credentials. 

This is obviously not a viable approach in highly technical fields such as medicine or engineering. Client service or sales positions, however, are highly trainable. Being willing to provide comprehensive training can open up your hiring pool to candidates with less experience and yield you more applicants. 

Mentorship and outreach are other ways to get more applicants for open positions. If possible, keep in contact with local colleges and job training programs. If your business focuses on marketing, for example, try to arrange a presentation at a business course. This can build connections with individuals and institutions and put your name in the minds of future candidates. 

You can even take it a step further and provide career mentorship through an internship program. Current students can learn on the job and receive guidance from your team. If the experience is a positive one for your interns and your company, they might even take on full-time positions upon graduating. Filling an open role quickly is great, but filling it before it even needs to be posted is better. Having a strong internship program in place can create a strong pipeline of future employees.

Going Beyond Standard Search Methods

With the job market more competitive than ever, it’s important to carefully consider your methods for attracting high-quality job applicants. Whether you choose to look outside your local area or implement a mentorship program, creativity can give you an edge. So if your openings are taking longer to fill than you would like, make these adjustments to draw the interest you want.