Essential Tools Checklist for Successful Internal Recruitment
Joseph Henry
Recruiting Insurance and Public Policy professional across the UK and US marketplaces. Founder of RecSurance.
Introduction
As you embark on your journey into the world of internal Recruitment, having the right tools at your disposal can make all the difference in your effectiveness, efficiency and success.
Below we explore the essential tools and resources you need to run a successful internal Recruitment campaign, catering to various Recruitment needs and preferences.
This checklist is based on an average or normal internal Recruitment function. Depending on your industry, sector and business requirements there will be additional needs that are not outlined below.
Understanding Your Toolset
Before you dive into internal Recruitment, take a close look at the tools you have at your disposal. Depending on the organisation and the type of Recruitment you're undertaking, you may find that your toolset is limited or non-existent for your needs.
You might also have to dig to find what your business has access to. For instance, your marketing team might be using a tool like Mailchimp to do email marketing that you can access for internal Recruitment emails.
Or your sales team could be using database software that updates them on industry decision-makers. You could be able to use this for identifying talent.
Once you understand what you need, ask around the business if there is access to similar tools.
Your toolset is an ongoing assessment exercise as needs and priorities change, start with the smallest toolset you can and add as you go along.
The Minimum Toolset
To manage effective internal Recruitment campaigns, consider the following as the minimum set of tools you will need:
Company Careers Page: A dedicated page on your organisation's website where potential candidates can learn about available positions and apply. This is very common these days, many will integrate with applicant tracking systems.
One of the issues you will need to understand is who has the ability to edit and add new jobs to the website. If the careers page is linked to the applicant tracking system you should normally be able to publish roles with ease. However, if this is not the case you will have to understand the timeframes and responsibilities for updating the website.
Applicant Tracking System (ATS): An ATS streamlines the application process, organises candidate data and helps manage Recruitment tasks efficiently.
Ideally, it should be integrated with your website and job boards.
Not all Applicant Tracking Systems are made equal. For instance, I love both Target Recruit and Zoho Recruit, but feel both are not suitable for internal work.
If you are purchasing a new Applicant Tracking System, understand and fully review your required features and test a wide range of providers.
LinkedIn Recruiter: A premium LinkedIn tool designed for professional Recruiters to identify, contact, and track potential candidates.
LinkedIn has positioned itself as an indispensable part of a recruiter's day. Few industries and businesses can get by without engaging with candidates on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn will cost you a pretty penny, however, relative to Recruitment Agency fees it is cheap.
Major Job Boards: At least one major job board like Indeed, Reed or CV Library, where you can post your job listings for maximum visibility. Depending on which country you are based in, the ‘big’ job boards will be location-specific.
Indeed Account: A presence on Indeed, one of the largest job search engines, is crucial for reaching a broad audience of job seekers.
Ironically for many Recruiters, they could just use INdeed and fill 90-95% of roles to an adequate level. However, you are looking to find the very best and you will need to diversify your sources of candidates.
Social Media Promotion Tool: Tools like Buffer or Hootsuite can help you manage and schedule social media posts to promote job listings and engage with potential candidates.
Personally, I have over 6,000 followers on my LinkedIn profile and this allows me to get applicants for most roles that I work on. I might not fill form these 6,000 people every week or month, but over time it builds into an effective marketing and promotion tool.
Having a tool that allows me to post multiple times in a day is a real-time saver.
Email Address Finding Tool: Tools like Hunter.io can be invaluable for sourcing contact information of potential candidates.
Email is still the most effective marketing and approach tool after the telephone for Recruiters. Almost all people check their email daily if not hourly.
There are free tools available, I however swear by Hunter.io as it has both email checking and outreach features.
Getting Started
With this minimum toolset, you're well-equipped to kickstart your internal Recruitment efforts. These tools will allow you to create job listings, engage with candidates, and manage your Recruitment pipeline.
Not all organisations will have access to all of the above and you may need to build a case for each tool. ‘Nice-to-Haves’
Beyond the basics, consider these additional tools and resources to enhance your internal Recruitment capabilities:
Specialist Job Board Roster: Depending on your Recruitment needs, investing in more job boards can increase your job listing's exposure.
Specialist job boards are much for specific skill sets and can gain access to a specialist audience. When they work, they can make the entire Recruitment process a breeze. However, some specialist job boards can be an expensive exercise in the noise of crickets and tumble weed.
One thing that has stuck with me during my time in Recruitment is the years of using specialist job boards and aiming to use combination job boards.
Many trade magazines like PR Week, and The Lawyer, have the option to pay for a paid advert in the magazine and on the job board. THis offering gives you both a physical advert to show your organisation's executives and an online presence.
Incidental Advertising Budget: Having a budget for occasional advertising can help you boost job listings' visibility, especially for critical roles.
Getting signed off for an Incidental budget that allows you to move quickly. THis is a useful tool when you are under tight timelines.
Ongoing Social Media Spending Budget: Consistent social media spending can expand your reach and help you engage with potential candidates on various platforms.
Spending a specific amount day-after-day can add and build your organisation's social audience for future roles and vacancies.
Conclusion
There is a saying that a “poor workman blames his tools”. For Recruiters and poor Recruiters blame their job boards. Having the right tools will help you to recruit effectively, think carefully and strategically working from the intended outputs and you need.
I have created a resource page full of downloads that will help you in your day-to-day recruitment.
I have also published two recruitment books, Recruitment Hacks and The InHouse Roadmap, both available on Amazon.