How to Find Potential Employees

Hiring Resources - November 30, 2023

job posting

The tools and tricks for finding good employees are powerful and beneficial, if you know how to use them the right way.

And most companies don’t leverage the resources for finding employees the right way. Networking with jobseekers can be as tough as it is for jobseekers to network with employers.

Are you sure you’re trying everything to find your dream employee? Whether you’re a business owner or human resources professional, these steps on how to find potential employees can give your recruiting process a much-needed makeover.

Showcase Your Company Culture

Company culture matters a lot. In fact, a study from TeamStage found that 46% of workers consider company culture important when applying for a job.

Company culture can be demonstrated in many more ways besides just mentioning it during the interview process. In fact, showcasing company culture can become a regular, ongoing digital recruitment tactic.

Create a Life Tab on Your Company’s LinkedIn Profile

Your business probably has a LinkedIn profile. You might have your About page filled out. You might even be posting regular updates.

The Life tab, however, is your company culture’s chance to shine. It’s the window into what working for your company is like.

Here’s what you can show off on the Life tab:

Main video or image. This can be anything you choose, but one that spotlights all aspects of employee life is ideal.
Who we are, How we work, What we do. These three sections are where you can explain your company vision, mission, and core values.
Trending employee content. This sections shows popular photos and videos that members of your organization choose to share on LinkedIn.
Interested in working with us in the future? This section lets jobseekers contact you letting you know they’re interesting in working at your company.
Company leaders. This section lists the leadership team at your company, such as the CEO.
Employee perspectives. When your employees publish content on LinkedIn, it will show up here.
Employee testimonials. This is where you can highlight testimonials from your employees about their experiences working for your company.

company culture

Have a Robust Glassdoor page

Millions of people leave reviews about their experiences working for companies on Glassdoor, but the popular job and recruiting site is also an ideal place for your business to make itself attractive to potential employees.

86% of job seekers and employees read company ratings and reviews before deciding to apply for a job that the company is advertising.

Here are a few ways you can use your Glassdoor company page as a pitch to jobseekers:

Encourage current employees to leave honest reviews about their experiences working at your company. When people search companies on Glassdoor, the reviews section is usually where they go first. They want to know what your existing workers have positive things to say about your business. Besides reviews, they can also leave information about benefits, salaries, the interview experience, and your company’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

Like with LinkedIn, Glassdoor allows you to post photos. Here are a few photo inspiration ideas:

Showing off the office.
Employees interacting with one another.
Employees working remotely.
Employee group activities and outings.

LinkedIn and Glassdoor are ways to market your company to potential workers. The more you optimize them, the better marketing tools they’ll be.

Here are some great Linkedin Life and Glassdoor examples that you can emulate:

Write Detailed Job Postings

When you post a job on boards like Indeed, you are advertising not just that particular job, but your entire company to the world. At K2 Staffing, we’re big believers in writing amazing job descriptions.

That’s why it’s surprising to search Indeed and come across so many poorly written descriptions for so many potentially amazing jobs.

The job posting should have as thorough of a description as possible. You’ll want to write it in your company’s tone of voice that’s consistent with your brand guidelines. Here are a few points every job posting you write should include:

The job’s daily responsibilities.
Tools and processes that are integral to the job.
Qualifications such as years of experience and education.
The location of the job.

This might be some job hunter’s first time learning about your company, so make sure to include a detailed description of your company in the posting.

What your company does.
What your company stands for.
Background on your company, like when it was founded.
Benefits like 401K and insurance.
Salary information.

Enlist the Services of a Staffing Agency

A more traditional method like working with a staffing agency is just as valid in 2023 as it ever was.

Make sure you vet any staffing agency you talk to before working with them. Find out their processes for the following:

How they screen candidates
Where they go and what tools they use to find candidates
What industries they specialize in
How they help with retention

Not all staffing agencies are created equally. Make sure to select one that will be the perfect fit for your business.

If you need help finding employees and your current methods aren’t producing results, K2 Staffing can help. We have more than 40 years of experience in assisting companies fill open positions. Contact us.

Construction Recruitment and Construction Staffing are at the core of what we do at K2 Staffing. Our proven track record includes specialized roles like Electrical Engineering Recruiters in Long Beach, Construction Estimator Recruiters in Los Angeles, and Mechanical Engineering Recruiters in Los Angeles. We also connect top professionals through our Construction Superintendent Recruiters in Long Beach and Construction Project Manager Recruiters in Long Beach.

Know Who You Are Looking For

Finding good people starts with a clear picture of the person you want. Without it, even the best channels bring in the wrong crowd.

Build a Simple Candidate Profile

Write down the skills, experience, working style and values that the role needs. Include the basics, such as location and schedule. Then mark which items are required and which are only helpful. A profile like this guides every later choice, from where you post to how you screen. It also keeps your team aligned, so each interviewer looks for the same things.

Talk to Your Best Current Employees

Your strongest team members know what makes people succeed in your company. Ask them what skills matter most, what surprised them in their first months and what kind of coworker helps the team shine. Their answers often reveal traits that no job description captures. They can also tell you where they would look for people like themselves.

Understand What Candidates Want

Job seekers weigh pay, growth, flexibility, stability and the people they will work with. Think honestly about what your company offers in each area. Lead with your real strengths when you reach out. If you cannot match the top pay in the market, you may still win on mentoring, variety of work or schedule. Matching your message to what candidates value raises response rates.

Tap Into Your Existing Network

Some of the best hires come from people who already know your business or your people.

Build a Strong Referral Program

Employees tend to refer people they trust and respect. Make referrals easy by explaining the open roles in plain language and giving a simple way to submit names. Thank every person who refers someone, even when the candidate is not hired. Consider a modest reward and keep your promises on timing. A good program turns your staff into a steady source of talent.

Reconnect With Past Applicants and Former Employees

People who applied before may now be a better fit. Former employees who left on good terms may be open to returning with new skills. Keep a simple list of strong past candidates and reach out when a suitable role opens. These people already know something about your company, so they often ramp up quickly.

Use Industry Groups and Events

Professional associations, local meetups, trade events and training classes bring together people in your field. Attend or sponsor a few. Speak with people, share what your company does and listen to their goals. Over time, these relationships create a pool of warm contacts that you can call when you need to hire.

Use Online Channels Wisely

Online tools reach a wide audience, but they work best with focus and care.

Job Boards and Niche Sites

General job boards bring volume. Niche boards bring relevance. Choose sites where your target candidates spend time. Write a clear title, list the key duties and give honest details about pay and location. Review the replies often and respond fast. Quick answers tell candidates that your company is organized and interested. For more on this topic, read about Construction Workers.

Social Media and Professional Networks

Share open roles on the platforms your audience uses. Post short updates about your projects, your people and your wins. Ask employees to share the posts with their networks. Active, friendly profiles make your company feel real, which helps when a candidate decides whether to click apply.

Your Own Careers Page

Your website is often the first place a serious candidate checks. Make sure the careers page is easy to find, easy to read on a phone and up to date. List current openings, describe your culture and explain the steps of your hiring process. Keep the application short. Every extra field costs you some applicants.

Reach Passive Candidates

Many skilled workers are not looking for a job but would listen to the right offer.

Write Outreach That Gets Read

A generic message is easy to ignore. Mention something specific about the person, such as their field or a project they worked on. Explain in a few lines why the role may interest them. Keep the tone friendly and respectful, and offer a simple next step like a short call. Respect a no, and stay open for later.

Build a Talent Pipeline

Do not wait for a vacancy to start building relationships. Keep notes on promising people and check in from time to time. Share company news or useful articles. When a role opens, you will have a ready list of people who already know you. This habit shortens your time to hire and improves quality.

Be Ready for the Counteroffer

People who are currently employed may receive a counteroffer when they resign. Talk about this during the process. Ask what would make them truly want to move, and make sure your offer speaks to those reasons. Strong motivation beyond pay usually leads to better long term results.

Improve the Candidate Experience

Even the best sourcing fails if the process turns people away.

Communicate at Every Step

Tell candidates what to expect and when. Confirm receipt of applications, share interview dates and give updates after each stage. Silence makes people assume the worst. Prompt and kind messages protect your reputation, and they make candidates more likely to accept an offer.

Keep the Process Efficient

Long hiring cycles lose talent. Plan your interview steps in advance and keep them to what you truly need. Schedule quickly and give feedback soon. If you must take extra time, say why. Respecting the time of applicants shows respect for people in general. For more on this topic, read about Process Engineers.

Close With Care

When you decide, make the offer personally and explain why you chose the person. Be open to a short conversation about concerns. Welcome new hires with a clear start plan so they feel valued from day one.

Measure and Improve Your Search

What gets reviewed gets better. Keep simple records of your hiring efforts.

Track Where Good Hires Come From

Note the source of each hire, whether a referral, a job board or a recruiter. Over time you will see which channels give you the best people. Put more effort into those and reduce time on the rest.

Review Time and Quality

Watch how long roles stay open and how new hires perform after several months. If positions take too long to fill, look for bottlenecks. If quality is uneven, tighten your screening and clarify your profile.

Screen Candidates Once You Find Them

A full pipeline is only useful if you can tell who is truly right for the job.

Start With a Short Phone Screen

A brief call lets you confirm the basics: interest, availability, pay expectations and key skills. Ask a few open questions about recent work and what the person wants next. This step saves hours of interview time because you only invite people who meet the core needs. It also gives candidates a friendly first contact with your company.

Use Structured Interviews

Ask each candidate the same core questions and score the answers against clear criteria. Structure reduces bias and makes comparison easier. Mix questions about past work with questions about how the person would handle real situations on the job. Leave room for follow up so the conversation stays natural.

Check References and Verify Details

Speak with people who have worked with the candidate. Ask about reliability, teamwork and results. Confirm key facts on the resume, such as dates and credentials that the role requires. Careful checks protect your team and help you start the relationship on honest ground.

Make Fair and Consistent Decisions

Base choices on skills, results and fit with the role. Document your reasons. Consistent, fair decisions build trust inside your company and reduce risk. They also make it easier to explain outcomes to candidates who are not selected. For more on this topic, read about Impact Analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest way to find candidates?

Referrals and staffing partners are often the fastest, because they draw on existing networks of trusted people. Use several channels at once for best results.

How many channels should I use?

Use a mix that fits the role. Most searches benefit from a posting, a referral request, direct outreach and, if the role is hard to fill, a staffing partner.

How can a small company compete for talent?

Highlight what you offer that larger firms cannot, such as close teamwork, fast growth and a voice in decisions. Be open about pay and fast in your process.

When should I call a staffing agency?

Call when the role is urgent, specialized or hard to fill, or when your team lacks time to run a full search.

Is it better to hire fast or wait for the perfect fit?

Aim for a balance. Move quickly once you find a strong match, because top candidates do not stay available long. Do not rush a weak fit, since a poor hire costs time, money and team morale. A clear profile helps you know when a candidate is good enough to act on.

How do I keep good candidates engaged during a long search?

Stay in touch with brief updates, share news about the company and be honest about timing. Candidates who feel informed are more likely to wait for you.

Should I post the pay range?

Yes, whenever you can. A visible range attracts people who fit your budget and builds trust from the first look at the posting.

Next Steps

K2 Staffing helps companies find strong people faster. We can support your next search.

Describe the role you need to fill.
Ask how we source and screen candidates.
Request a short list of qualified people.
Contact K2 Staffing today.

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