There is a lot of information out there about digital recruiting and hiring tools. Unfortunately, at a glance, about 99% of it is geared toward recruiting and hiring programmers, code developers, or other white-collar jobs. There is even some advice out there about finding blue-collar workers. But there is a dearth of information about recruiting and hiring hourly, low-skilled workers.
However, we found one great source that focuses on low-skilled workers. Claudia St. John, president of Affinity HR Group, wrote an article for Workplace Advisors, a national consulting and training firm.
St. John works with clients who are seeking entry-level, unskilled hourly workers. Finding and keeping these kinds of employees “is very difficult,” she acknowledged.
In the article, St. John recommended several approaches to recruiting hourly workers via digital means.
1) Focus on Mobile Phone Support
According to St. John, entry-level hourly employees are more likely to rely on their mobile phones, not personal computers, to access the Internet. Your application process needs to support mobile interfaces and make it easy to learn about and apply for positions via a smartphone.
If your website or recruiting application is not friendly for this type of device, consider investing in an online applicant tracking system, such as ApplicantStack, Zoho Recruit, or JazzHR, that can support mobile access 24/7. Many of these systems can be tied into your corporate website or social media platform and can be purchased on a pay-as-you-go basis, so you can pay for them during your active search periods.
After targeting the right communication channels, then you need to select the right search terms. For example, if a company is looking for a laborer or pallet builder, it may want to include appropriate keywords and skills required in your key search terms.
2) Use the Right Job Boards, the Best Options May Not Be What You Think
According to St. John, hourly, unskilled employees do not frequent job boards or sites like LinkedIn, Monster.com or even Indeed.com. She indicated that posting on those platforms is a waste of time and money when you are trying to reach this group. Instead, Craigslist.org can be a powerful, cost-effective tool in some geographic areas. Local penny-saver circulars and the local classified ads (online and print versions) can also be effective. And when you advertise a position that you feel has attractive pay and benefits for an entry-level worker, don’t hold back – promote these and other attributes as strongly as you can.
3. Many Low-Skilled Workers Live on Social Media
Using your social media presence can be extraordinarily effective in finding workers, advised St. John. She explained, “Some of our clients are using social media almost exclusively to find their hires.” The best platforms are Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and WhatsApp if you are looking for Spanish-speaking workers. Post the position on those platforms and include the link to your job application. On Facebook, she noted you can even create a career tab for your company.
“The key to making these platforms effective,” identified St. John, “is to have your employees comment, share and like the posting so that it appears at the top of their feed, thereby using their network to promote your job to their peers and contacts.”
St. John also recommended some ‘old school’ methods of attracting this segment of the workforce.
Employee referrals and word- of- mouth can be very effective. Current employees can be great ambassadors for your company but give them a financial incentive that is tied to referrals reaching certain attendance, longevity or performance goals. To encourage employee participation, it may be wise to offer at least a little something for a basic referral regardless of the outcome. One easy way to help employees become ambassadors is to give them business cards with their contact information and a link on the card to the company’s job board. Encourage your employees to give the cards to friends, family and anyone they meet who would make a good addition to the team.
For more information on Workplace Advisors and its consulting service, visit https://theworkplaceadvisors.com/.
