Increasing applicant flow is a hot topic these days among those hiring hourly workers — and for good reason.
With fewer job seekers than job openings, it’s a candidate’s market. That means you have to work even harder to not only attract applicants but move them through the hiring process before someone else comes along with a better offer. But hiring managers and HR professionals have more on their plates than ever, so who has time to think of different ways to increase applicant flow?
Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered. Here’s our list of 21 tips and tricks for increasing applicant flow for hourly employees that we’ve picked up over a decade of serving national brands at more than 100,000 locations. Some of these are oldies but goodies, while others are sure to be new ideas that we think you’ll want to try.
1.Encourage Employee Referrals
A happy employee is just about the best recommendation you can get, so ask your current staff if they know of anyone looking for a new job. Better yet, create an incentive program offering a cash bonus, prize, or something else of value if they refer someone who you ultimately hire.
2. Ask for Reviews from Current Employees
Glassdoor found that the majority of job seekers read at least four reviews when forming their opinion of a company. Ask your employees to fill out a review on websites like Indeed or Glassdoor so that potential candidates can learn more about your perks, culture, and all of the other reasons why your company is a great place to work.
3. Use Local Resources/Partners to Spread the Word
More than 80% of hourly employees work within a 5-mile radius of where they live, so tap into your network and community to spread the word and find candidates. If you have a partnership with a local business, ask them to share your hiring announcement on their social media accounts or see if you can hang up a flyer at their location. Many local coffee shops and cafes have boards where you can hang flyers or postcards, too, or try your community association, church, or other community gathering places.
4. Spruce Up Your Social Media Strategy
A common misconception about social media is that you have to have a presence everywhere, all the time. But that can be extremely time consuming, especially if you don’t have a dedicated social media manager. Our advice? Pick one or two platforms where Millennials and Gen Zers (the majority of the hourly workforce) can be found and focus on that (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and/or TikTok).
5. Support Local Events
If you can sponsor a festival or get your logo on a jersey, that’s an even better way to open the conversation or get an advertisement in front of potential employees (and customers!). The majority of the workforce are looking for companies that align with their values, so if they see you supporting the community, they’re more likely to choose your business over the one across the street that they never see out and about.
6. Offer Open Interview Days
This is an easy, low-pressure way to get more people through your door. Set aside a couple of hours where candidates can walk in, fill out an application, and interview on the spot — it’s easier for them and you get to meet them face-to-face from the very first beginning.
7. Use Local Influencers
For location-based hiring, find people who are already known within the community and work with them to promote your brand. This might involve giving them free product or you may have to pay them for a plug, but they already have the trust and connections within the community that can help give your business an extra boost.
8. Know Your Market
If you haven’t already, do some research to find out what job seekers in your area expect as far as pay and benefits are concerned. Consider how COVID-19 might affect your business and the candidates in your region. Think about what questions people might have and address them in your advertising.
9. Spread the Word About Your Hourly Pay Rates If They are Better Than Your Competitors
If you are offering $17/hour and the guy next door is offering $15/hour, make sure you are loud and proud about how much you pay. Put it on your marquee, all of your advertising, etc
10. Make Sure Your Job Description is Clear and Accurate
Write job descriptions that are easy to read and accurately describe the position that you are looking to fill. For example, if you are hiring for an entry-level hostess position, don’t say you require 3+ years of restaurant experience in the job description. On the other hand, if you are looking for someone with experience, say so. An accurate posting will help you attract the best candidates for the job.
11. Use Branded Career Pages to Stand
Out One way to set yourself apart from everyone else is by using a branded career page. This allows you to display who you are, what your mission is, why you’re different, and — most importantly — what jobs are open. With TalentReef’s branded career pages, you can create as many pages as you want for different brands and locations at no additional cost. You can also easily create dedicated pages for special topics, such as diversity and inclusion or local hiring events.
12. Offer Creative Perks
If all things are equal as far as pay and benefits go, you may have to get creative with perks that will attract more candidates. Some ideas include significant employee discounts, wellness or mental health programs, job skills training, tuition reimbursement, gym membership subsidies, CSA programs, etc.
13. If You Offer Schedule Flexibility, Shout It from the Rooftops
One survey found that more than a quarter of the jobs that candidates rejected in 2020 were due to the hours offered while only 10% were a result of pay, so make sure you are very clear about the hours you need the position to fill. While some candidates may prefer to have the same schedule each day, others may need some flexibility to take care of their family or attend school and will choose the job that is willing to work around their schedule.
14. Play Up Your Company as a Steppingstone (if it is).
There was a time when a major international QSR positioned themselves as “America’s best first job.” They embraced what was once a criticism and accepted that they were there to help students through school or to give people experience for a future job. Things have changed since then, but the lesson remains — if you are simply trying to get enough employees to keep your store open, focus on the benefits you can offer candidates right now
15. Don’t Forget About Your Customers
Customers may end up becoming employees, so finding ways for businesses to advertise to existing customers that they’re hiring can be a very successful method. Using text-to-apply or QR codes on a banner, at the drive-thru window, or on to-go orders is one popular strategy.
16. Streamline the Application
A recent study by Glassdoor found that if you can reduce the time it takes for a candidate to complete a job application by 10%, you may see a 1.5-2.3% rise in applicants.
17. Streamline Your Interview Process
If a candidate can schedule an interview right away, while you still have their attention, it will make a huge difference in whether or not they show up and how engaged they stay with your company. Automated interview scheduling is the most efficient and effective way of scheduling and rescheduling interviews between hiring managers and candidates, replacing time-consuming manual processes.
18. Incorporate AI
Save time by automating your workflow with AI tools like a chatbot. It’s an easy and engaging way for candidates to fill out an application and engage with your brand. It feels interactive and more personal for candidates, even though they’re talking to a chatbot. With TalentReef’s Chat Apply feature, structured conversations automatically complete applications, assess candidates’ qualifications, and schedule interviews within minutes — not hours or days. Hiring managers and recruiters receive calendar invites to scheduled interviews and no-shows have been drastically decreased.
19. Use Text Communications Instead of Phone Calls or Emails
Today’s candidates don’t want to answer the phone or constantly check emails. In fact, more than half of the hourly workforce says they hate calling people. But the good news is that 98% of SMS messages are read, so if you can leverage text communications to your advantage, you can quickly and efficiently communicate with applicants, the way they want to be communicated with, keeping them engaged in the application process. You can automate parts of this workflow by using templates and scheduling text reminders about interviews and onboarding paperwork.
20. Engage Quickly
Today’s candidates are applying to multiple jobs at once, which means a quick response from a hiring manager is critical. Ideally, you’ll respond to qualified applicants within 24 hours. They key to responding quickly is to incorporate some of the previous strategies, like automation, AI chatbots, and text communications.
21. Keep Your Job Postings Current
As your job post gets older, it falls to the bottom of the list and even if candidates do come across it, they may assume the position has been filled. But constantly refreshing job postings is one more thing on a long list of things that hiring managers don’t have time to do. This is another opportunity to automate a time-consuming process.
