25 Great Ways to Find the Right People and Not Break the Bank

Are you trying to hire dozens of hourly workers or a senior executive? Where do you look and how do you get the word out? There are many ways to find the right people besides placing want ads.

Here are 30 innovative and inexpensive ways to expand the pool of potential applicants. Pick and choose the ones that "fit" your company and your budget.

  • Place ads on TV and radio, in the movie theater, at bus stations and airports, etc.
  • Register to list your open positions with your state and local employment service.
  • Recruit a more diverse workforce by setting up booths at minority fairs and events.
  • Maximize employee referrals through a well-publicized bonus and reward program.
  • Work with the chamber of commerce to post positions and inform you of new arrivals.
  • Hire and train entry-level workers through "Welfare-to-Work" and other federal programs.
  • Track applicants who went to another company and re-contact with them at periodic intervals.
  • Search out and woo non-traditionals ? men, minorities, retirees, ex-military, career changers, etc.
  • Tell everyone you know ? accountants, bankers, clergy, boards, even hairdressers ?about openings.
  • Use internet employment sites such as monster.com, myjob.com, etc. Post positions on your own website.
  • Stop in at community centers, churches, etc. - introduce yourself - and say, "I'm looking for workers."
  • Start a speaker's bureau and speak at church job clubs, high schools, college campuses, military bases, etc.
  • Begin internships or apprenticeships for high school and college students to introduce them to your company.
  • Cultivate relationships with community organizations such as churches and clubs and ask them to refer promising applicants.
  • Ask your best people to give you the names of three other first class people they know who might be persuaded to come on board.
  • Contact career transition firms, relocation companies, real estate agents that come in contact with spouses looking for positions.
  • Create a first-name relationship with state welfare and job service officials so that they will remember to refer job seekers to you.
  • Network at trade shows, work the crowd to identify possible candidates, and then maintain contact with the best until an opening comes up.
  • Track local companies' announcements of layoffs, relocations out of the area, mergers or shutdowns. Work with the company to set up a recruiting fair.
  • Place recruitment ads at civic, church events, fire departments, high school sporting events, senior citizen centers, shopping malls, Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.
  • Ask new hires which people they would recruit from their former companies and colleges, because talented people tend to recognize other talented people.
  • List open positions on job hot lines and websites of professional associations as well as with outplacement firms who counsel a variety of job seekers.
  • Stop limiting your recruiting to "the best" universities and big company candidates. Many of the best hires can be found at state colleges and at smaller organizations.
  • Ask current successful employees what they do in their leisure time. If you find that many of them have similar interests outside work, set up a booth at those events.
  • Train managers to capture the names and email addresses of impressive people they meet at conferences. Over time, create a talent database and send them a regular email newsletter.

    • Marcia Zidle, the 'people smarts' coach, works with business leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job ? to grow and increase profits. She offers free help through Leadership Briefing, a weekly e-newsletter with practical tips on leadership style, employee motivation, recruitment and retention and relationship management.

    Subscribe by going to http://leadershiphooks.com and get the bonus report "61 Leadership Time Savers and Life Savers". Marcia is the author of the What Really Works Handbooks ? resources for managers on the front line and the Power-by-the-Hour programs ? fast, convenient, real life, affordable courses for leadership and staff development. She is available for media interviews, conference presentations and panel discussions on the hottest issues affecting the workplace today. Contact Marcia at 800-971-7619.

    In The News:

    pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    Two Critical Success Factors in an ITIL Implementation

    Any IT manager who wants to pursue the IT Service... Read More

    Creativity and Innovation Directors, Consultants and Managers

    Creativity and Innovation is essential for competitive advantage, yet the... Read More

    Developing Your Management Style

    One thing a lot of us don't do in sales... Read More

    4 Tips on How to Avoid Communication Lines Breakdown

    For example, in a small, two-person company, there is often... Read More

    Five Principles of Effective Communication

    The problem with communication is the illusion that it has... Read More

    A Leadership Lesson: Two Guys With Guns

    PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters... Read More

    Five Strategies To Strengthen Your Company?s Financial Management

    Too many businesses wait until a crisis occurs before they... Read More

    Get It Done! Soft Skills not Hard Tools are Required

    If your organization has people, then interpersonal skills are needed.I... Read More

    Business Knowledge Management

    In the last few years a lot has been written... Read More

    DIVERSITY is a BIG word -- With A HUGE Business IMPACT

    Second thought! Just in case. YOU or someone you personally... Read More

    Are Your Marketing Pieces Up to Date?

    The other day someone asked me for one of my... Read More

    Juggling Demands in an Organization

    JUGGLING DEMANDS: All leaders constantly juggle a multifarious array of... Read More

    The Seven Cs: Partnership Danger Signs - Conflict Becoming the Norm ? Part 1

    A series of articles exploring the seven critical areas that... Read More

    Medical Malpractice: Three Myths That Cost Your Hospital Millions

    What's the use?Nothing you do will hold down the cost... Read More

    Offshore This! (Outsourcing Tech Support Overseas)

    So I call my telephone company and someone picks up... Read More

    Increasing Employee Retention Through Employee Engagement

    You've seen it happen many times. An organization that provides... Read More

    Is Chess Good for Management?

    The game of chess has been applauded and taught in... Read More

    You Didnt Use Brainstorming to Select Your Measures, Did You?

    IntroductionWhen Alex Osborn invented the creativity technique called brainstorming, I... Read More

    Office Politics

    Office politics! It's just another way of saying: "The employees... Read More

    Burger on a Bun Decision Making

    When approaching any decision, it's important for individuals to maintain... Read More

    The Leadership Imperative: Making Your Leadership Your Life

    Nearly all leaders I've encountered are underachievers. They're getting a... Read More

    Accountability Equals Meeting Success

    Leslie was the new manager of the group. She was... Read More

    Keep Your Good Workers by Building Good Leaders

    A recent report from the American Hospital Association's Commission on... Read More

    Employee Motivation: It?s More Than A Paycheck

    Managers often ask, usually with exasperation, "How can I keep... Read More

    Making Your Workers Your Partners

    There is an inherent conflict between owners and managers of... Read More

    Creativity and Innovation Management: Incubation and Insight

    Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

    Project Management - The Traveling Product Manager

    Various studies ? and common sense ? indicate that involving... Read More

    A Corporate Facelift With Sound Bytes

    If Baby Boomers can get botox and tummy tucks, then... Read More

    Turning a Negative Employee Into a Positive Asset

    Several years ago, I took over the supervision of a... Read More

    Miracle Max On Market Breakthroughs

    Successful enterprise building requires seven elements. These are:1. People, who... Read More

    Auditing Improves Effective Planning

    Speak of operations assessment, and we'll hear its significant value.... Read More

    Drafting an Employee Manual Sample Outline

    One of the hardest things I had discovered running my... Read More

    Managing People - Why Is It So Difficult?

    Managing, supervising, being a team leader is the hardest job... Read More