So you’re looking to recruit motivated workers to staff up your business for the season. You’ve defined your experience and figured out what parts of the country to look in. Now how do you reach the people you want to recruit?

Here’s a quick overview of available resources, with the pros and cons of each option:

Industry job boards

These bring in a steady stream of a variety of applicants. You’ll have a lot of different people applying, many of whom won’t be the right fit. They’ll be overqualified, international, etc. But if you’re willing to take the time to mine through all those applications, you’ll probably find a few diamonds.

Government-funded employment centers or non-profits

You’ll find these places all across the country. But they tend not to attract people you’d want to hire as your all-star line staff – certainly not ones who would be willing to relocate. They CAN be a good source for employees who are new immigrants to the country and live in the local area. But if you’ve already used the center in your home region, there isn’t much point in reaching out to ones in different states.

Recruitment fairs

These happen all the time at high schools, colleges and universities, and big urban centers. But they’re expensive; expect to pay anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars for a day or two. When we attend, we come across more frustrated employers than potential employees. Fairs attract new grads with very specific degrees – they don’t tend to be the best source for entry-level or line people.

SEO employee-targeted marketing

If you’re not doing this already, you’re behind. Your website should have a good representation of your current employee experience – that’s what will sell you to the right candidates. Do some research around the keywords they’re using to find employers like you and include them in your content. Then set up a YouTube channel and get your staff to record their adventures and share those stories everywhere.

Social media

Put your existing staff to work. Get them to enter video contests and photo challenges and share their entries online. This is a virtually cost-free way to increase your brand exposure while reaching everyone in your employees’ social networks. Take a look at our social media channels – you’ll see Mobilizers are consistently sharing their experiences. But remember, you can’t just throw up a Facebook page and check it a couple of times a month. This strategy requires a plan and dedicated employees to manage your social media strategy.

Large job boards

Monster and Workopolis aren’t a good source for entry-level or line-level recruitment, and they are expensive. They may be a good option for national exposure, but if they’re not where your perfect-fit people are hunting, you’re just throwing your money away.

Mobilize

We’re a national work and travel adventure – there’s no one else like us in America. We create an adventure for young workers 18-30*, giving them a unique opportunity to travel across the country, meet multiple employers, gain experience and network nationwide for six months or a full year. They can move on to the next post or stay permanently at their favorite job, and employers get a steady stream of eager employees. The program has been a great success in Canada over the last three years, with 500+ Mobilizers placed in positions across the country – and growing every season!

Figure out where you can get the best bang for your buck, and focus on that. Still not sure? If you’d like some advice on the best recruitment resources for your needs, drop us a line.

Up next!

Summer staffing strategy #4: forget about international recruitment. We will tell you why it’s better to focus on in-country sources. Implementing the tips are likely quicker than securing H-2B and J-1 Visa workers!

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*While the program has been very popular with millennials (typically workers between the ages of 18 and 30) because we help address youth unemployment, Mobilize welcomes anyone of legal working age that meet the following requirements.

When you’re looking to hire motivated workers from other states, finding the right fit is key to attracting and retaining good people. Once you’ve defined your experience  and identified the type of employee who is looking for that experience, the next step is to determine where to find them.

So where are they? Well, that depends what you need. Are you looking for skilled adults? Motivated millennials? People comfortable in a rural environment? City slickers? Farmhands? Instead of casting a wide net, hone your focus on those who matter – find out what regions, states and communities have the highest concentrations of people who are your ideal fit, and target the places that offer the fewest opportunities for those people at home.

For example, below is an easy reference guide to youth unemployment figures by state. This was included in an article published by Governing.com entitled “Where Youth Unemployment Is Highest and Lowest.”

Small towns are a better source than big cities.

Mobilize has had a lot of success targeting smaller townships. Young people tend to be more eager to escape and explore, while larger cities tend to have more “helicopter parents,” making it more challenging to find those who are eager to start a new life.

The further, the better.

Don’t discount magnetic parental pull. The closer you recruit to home, the stronger that pull is going to be. Recruiting from a neighboring town can be a recipe for disaster – eventually a position will open up at home and they will leave. Don’t compete for the same staff as everyone else in your area. Cross the country to find people who are looking for a new life or a big adventure.

Remember – your perfect fit candidates are out there. Once you’ve defined your experience, you just have to target your search. Need help figuring out where to look? Talk to us!

Up next!

Summer staffing strategy #3: using the right resources. From job fairs to social media marketing, find out what works best for your seasonal recruitment. Read now.

Attracting motivated young workers from other states is the newest strategy for labor-starved businesses across the U.S. But how do you attract the right people – and motivate them to stay? This blog is the first in a series that outlines six recruitment and retention strategies for employers looking to hire motivated millennials.

Attracting good-fit employees starts with communicating exactly what it’s like to work for your company and live in your location. But first, you have to define what that experience is – something a lot of companies don’t know how to do. I get requests from everywhere, including along the Alaska Highway. Employers don’t understand why so many young people get so excited about working in a different state (or right across the country) but fail to show up on day one – or burn out after a week and are on the first bus out of there.

Here’s why. After the first few days, the initial rush of being in a new place begins to wear off, and homesickness sets in. If they can’t figure out how to bridge their old life with their new location, they’ll leave. It’s as simple as that. It’s up to the employer to help them connect the life they’ve left behind with their new experience.

Start by understanding the employee experience.

Talk to your current employees. Why have they stayed? Don’t discount contacting people who left early or didn’t show up at all. That’s incredibly useful information that can help you define your ideal employee. Ask them about every part of their experience:

• What was their trip into town like?
• Who are their direct supervisors?
• What is their average workday like?
• Where do they live?
• How did they make friends and build their network once they arrived?
• What do they do for fun?
• Where do they exercise?

Don’t try to be what you’re not.

If you’re located more than an hour from a major city center, you’re in the middle of nowhere in the minds of most young people. For employees who live in those cities and don’t have cars, you might as well be in Siberia. But instead of letting your location be a drawback, lean into it. You can offer something big city employers can’t – the rural experience. This is desirable to certain candidates; you just have to know where to look for those people.

Low retention doesn’t just happen in remote locations, however. We lose more candidates placed in larger cities than those in smaller communities. A lot of young people just get overwhelmed by the experience.

Communicate the experience.

So how do you get the word out about what it’s like to work for you? Leverage your existing employees! Ask them to share their stories and pics on social media. Run contests to collect photos and videos you can use in your recruitment materials. Make employee experience a part of your marketing with blog posts, tweets, Facebook pages, Instagram and more. Your current employees are your most valuable marketing asset – if they accurately communicate what it’s like to work for you, you’ll be more likely to attract candidates who are looking for that experience.

Unless you have a clearly defined employee experience that accurately reflects what it’s like to work for you, you won’t be able to target the right people. And without the right people, your retention won’t improve.

Need help with your seasonal staffing needs? Talk to us!

Up next!

Summer staffing strategy #2: finding the right source for talent. Find out the best places in America for effective recruitment and how to target the right groups for your needs. Read now.