In 2018, the U.S. unemployment rate is the lowest we’ve seen in ten years.  While that’s exciting news for the economy and job seekers, it means increasing competition for recruiters and hiring managers. The hiring goals you’ve laid out within your recruiting process are going to be even more challenging to meet than you may have anticipated. In fact, you’re probably facing one or more of the problems below. Don’t worry, we have some tips to help you through them!

Problem 1: Attracting Top Talent

Recruiters now face difficulties in attracting top talent. It’s a candidate’s job market, and firms have to work harder to capture the attention of prized potential employees. If job seekers hear bad things about your company or don’t like what they see, you’ll miss out on the cream of the crop candidates.

To improve your chances of winning the hearts of the right applicants, you need to work on developing and promoting your employer brand. Be sure to address:

1. 1. Corporate culture.
2. 2. Clarity of candidate-facing messaging, including a branded careers page.
3. 3. User experience from the application process perspective.

In essence, you need to put on your marketing hat – or better yet, partner with your marketing department – to create a compelling employer brand that you can “market” to the most qualified job candidates.

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Problem 2: Lack of Quality Candidates

Does it ever seem like nobody great is applying? Even when you do have a beautiful brand, you are going to get your fair share of less-than-stellar applicants mixed in with the top-notch talent. The solution is to step up your recruiting strategy.

To source the best of the best, consider these steps:

• Explore opportunities with passive applicants. Just because someone isn’t actively looking for a job, it doesn’t mean he or she won’t consider the right position with your business. You just need to ask.
• Review your recruiting data. What tactics have brought you the most success, or led to the least results? How long is your typical timeframe between posting and hire date? These data can help you improve your process.
• Get creative with applicant outreach. There’s a lot of noise out there. How can you stand out to entice terrific talent?

Problem 3: Technology Misalignment 

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