A Simple Six-Step Process for Finding Employees Online

You’ve probably read the articles about finding employees online. You know, the ones that make it sound so easy and simple. Sometimes, I wonder to myself, “maybe everyone else is just a lot better at this than I am. Maybe I just don’t know about the right job sites?” Attracting talent online is made out to be the silver bullet of the recruiting world. It seems like I hear about a new job board that will end all talent droughts with every passing day.

Online recruiting is not something you just “turn on” and become successful at overnight.

What those news stories don’t tell you is that it requires careful focus and strategy, just like offline recruiting efforts.

When it comes to finding hourly employees online, it’s even more important to understand exactly who you’re trying to reach, which channels you’re going to use, and what the experience will be like for your applicants.

> You can find employees online. And, you can do it without breaking the bank.

We spent over 25 hours researching the best strategies and asking the experts about finding employees. As result, we’ve built the definitive guide to finding hourly employees (online and offline).

If you want the whole enchilada, go check out the definitive guide. But, it’s pretty massive! So, to save you some time, we’ve summarized a few of the best tips for finding employees online and featured them here. You might still want to go snag yourself a free PDF copy of it for later.

1. Start focused and small.

After all the research, gathering all the best insights from experts across the web, here’s the biggest money saving piece of advice: start small and focused.

Before you begin trying to find employees online, make sure you know:
1. Know exactly  who you are trying to hire.
2. Know the recruiting strategies you’ll use.
3. Know where to begin posting your jobs online.

2. To discover where to find employees online, become the job searcher.

The least helpful thing we could provide is an exhaustive list of every possible place you should consider posting your next job ad for you to go and spend tons of valuable time testing until you miraculously find one that works. Instead, go for the guaranteed way to find the employees you need online. Become the job searcher and search for the job just like they would.

1. Start your search with search engines, just like your candidates do. Search for a few different variations of your open position. Try including geo terms (your city/area).
2. Scan the results and make note of the results that you would click on in order to find a job in the position. Keep a list of these sites as you perform your searches.
3. Then, go and check out each site on your list and search for the positions you would be posting. Do these searches for your geographic area.
4. Make special note of local and industry-specific job sites that might work well for you.

Now, you’ve got a list of solid options that are actually worth testing for your business.

3. Don’t just follow the pack.

Finding employees online is a lot like marketing these days. There’s always a new flavor of the week. Resist the temptation to just do what everyone else seems to be doing. What’s working for them may not work for you.

> Experiment with channels that you discovered for yourself by becoming the job searcher.

Many companies similar to yours might be on a certain site, but that doesn’t mean it’s the most cost-effective and yields the best results. That site may have just done the best job marketing to employers like you to get them to use the site! The main thing to ask yourself is if you think the talent you need is present there. That’s all that matters.

For hourly employees, it’s especially important to think about locally focused sites. Also, search for industry-specific sites that might better cater to your hiring needs.

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Read More: How to Find the Right People for the Job (2024 Update)

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4. Test, test, and test again.

Okay, you’ve selected channels to test based on your first-hand research. You’ve found that your audience isn’t present there. Now, start testing job postings on only a couple. Maybe, even just one, at first. This will help you be very intentional in not wasting money on paid postings or ads on platforms that may not produce new employees, but you continue wasting money on them because they are lost in the chaos.

5. Measure.

Test each channel for a short period of time (a few weeks) and carefully track your results. How many applicants did you get? Were they of good quality? Did it lead to filling the position? If it showed good return, continue tweaking and improving.

6. Iterate.

Constantly test new channels that you think might produce good results. Cut the ones that don’t. Post your job, listen for a few weeks, analyze, and then iterate. Try different posting titles and job ads. Soon you’ll have a handful of successful online recruiting channels that you’ve verified work for your business and that you’ve seen good results from.

Double down on what works.

Final Thoughts

The best hourly workers are usually already working. They are more passive in their job search. For this reason, you might want to consider targeted social media advertising to reach passive candidates if you’re striking out on a job board.

Don’t miss out by not ensuring your job postings also appeal to part-time and older workers. Almost a third of hourly workers are over the age of 45. Over 74 percent of hourly workers work fewer than 30 hours a week. Check out these great cold recruiting email templates to reach out to passive candidates.

There you have it, a few simple steps to help you find hourly employees online without breaking the bank. Look in the right places for you. What works for everyone else, may not work for you.

JD Spinoza

JD enjoys teaching people how to use ZoomShift to save time spent on scheduling. He’s curious, likes learning new things everyday and playing the guitar (although it’s a work in progress).