Recruiting strategies for filling open positions and building a strong pool of candidates for future job openings fall into two primary categories: inbound and outbound.
Outbound recruiting involves manually reaching out to potential candidates and encouraging them to apply for positions. Inbound recruitment refers to getting your organization on a candidate’s radar so that they come to you looking for their next opportunity.
Both of these strategies are useful, but which should your organization use? This article will help you answer that question by sharing advantages, disadvantages, and the strategies associated with both.
What is inbound recruiting? Inbound recruiting is a strategy for acquiring talent that uses marketing and branding techniques to attract, engage, and convert potential job candidates, much like inbound marketing attracts customers.
The objective is to enhance the visibility and attractiveness of your company and its job openings, encouraging candidates to apply for current or future positions.
The most basic (and expected) inbound recruiting strategy involves posting open positions on LinkedIn and other job boards.
Other inbound recruiting strategies involve creating a desirable employer brand, having a strong online presence, and maintaining a nurturing candidate pool.
Pros and cons of inbound recruiting Inbound recruiting is often seen as an attractive strategy because posting to job boards takes little effort. While this may be true, a study published by LinkedIn found that up to 70% of the workforce comprises passive candidates who aren't actively visiting job boards. For this reason, solely relying on inbounding recruitment isn’t an effective strategy.
While posting to job boards takes little effort, inbound recruiting often results in a much larger talent pool due to the sheer number of applications. Screening and responding to these applicants takes time, which causes many organizations to shy away from inbound recruiting.
What is outbound recruiting? Outbound recruiting is a proactive strategy in which organizations actively search for and engage potential candidates for job vacancies rather than relying on them to apply. Outbound recruiting involves identifying passive candidates who are not actively looking for a new job but may be receptive to the right opportunity.
Common outbound recruiting strategies involve direct sourcing, recruitment agencies, networking, and employee referrals.
Pros and cons of outbound recruiting One perceived advantage of outbound recruiting (i.e., sourcing) is the ability to target specific candidates precisely. Instead of screening candidates after submitting their applications, candidates are targeted explicitly before applying.
When an organization relies primarily on outbound sourcing, targeting or filtering occurs sooner in the recruitment process. However, this approach is subject to unconscious biases , leading to a less diverse applicant pool.
The best strategy In the past, choosing a recruiting strategy depended on the dynamics of the job market, a company's particular hiring requirements, and the strategic objectives of an organization's recruitment team.
The truth is that a combination of inbound and outbound recruiting is the most inclusive and effective recruitment strategy. This approach typically results in a longer and more expensive recruitment process, unless an organization leverages a tool like SquarePeg.
SquarePeg allows organizations to attract active talent through LinkedIn sponsorship while simultaneously targeting passive talent for sourcing.
Regardless of source, applicants are evaluated equally , leading to a recruitment strategy that benefits both employers and candidates.
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