It’s no secret that it’s a competitive market out there and that finding any candidates, let alone qualified candidates, can be a hard-working recruiter’s nightmare. With national unemployment at one of the lowest rates in years at 4.1% in 2018 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the competition to find highly qualified and available candidates is at its height. Are you doing everything in your power to get ahead of your competitors when it comes to expanding your talent pool?

Here are some tips to extend your maximum reach with your recruiting efforts:

1. Evaluate your application process to minimize the steps to complete the application.

   Take a look at how effective your application process really is. Where are your candidates getting stuck? Is your application paperless or do candidates need to apply at a physical location? It’s important to do a periodic evaluation of recruiting practices to see if it’s still hitting the mark or if pieces need to be updated to keep up with current trends in the marketplace. Making people jump through too many hoops to submit an application might be driving away promising candidates. Take the time to ensure your application process is as lean as possible so that your talent pool will include a wide range of people. Don’t let your application process be the reason that good candidates end up at your competitor’s doorstep instead of your own.

2. Be flexible in your screening and experience requirements.
   

   Can you be flexible in your screening requirements when it comes to background checks and drug screening tests? Are you able to offer training for candidates rather than require a certain number of years of experience to be eligible for the position? The ability to offer flexible requirements can be an incredible asset when it comes to maximizing the pool of talent that you have access to in your market.

3. Stay competitive with wages.
   

   While this may seem like an obvious way to attract talent, it is increasingly important in a tight job market to make sure you’re able to offer a competitive wage. If you’re not paying a fair market wage, then all you’re doing is giving your competitors an extra advantage.

4. Be creative in drafting your job descriptions.
   

   If your job description doesn’t stand out, how will you attract the best candidates? Be creative and craft a job title that catches the eye. Make the job description interesting to show why the candidate should want to apply for the position. Include how easy it is to apply and the steps to complete the application. If your job posting description could be mistaken for your competitor’s, then you need to find little ways to make it more personalized to fit your company’s values and culture.

5. Have a quick response for candidates that successfully file an application.
   

   Once candidates have successfully gone through the application process, your quick response can make the whole difference between snagging up a qualified candidate or losing one to your competition. There’s nothing worse than waiting for a reply back after you’ve submitted an application. Any steps that you can put in place to make sure they get a response back as quickly as possible will prevent you from losing good candidates.

Every recruiting effort counts in this tight job market. These are just a few practices to tie into your recruiting process to expand your talent pool to find the right candidates. Fine-tuning your application process is an easy way to widen your search for qualified candidates without spending extra money on marketing or advertising efforts.