Location is a challenge for any recruiter. Whether a crowded market like Silicon Valley’s tech scene is driving a skills shortage, or the location isn’t in a desirable enough area to attract top talent, recruiters (and employers) need to get creative to overcome the challenges that their locale presents.
A sourcer can certainly use location as a qualifier in Boolean search – it’s a variable that they have almost complete control over while inputting fields into resume databases or posting jobs. The applicant pool can be whittled down to anything from a state-wide to zip code-specific group. This helps target people who live close and most likely consider the commute acceptable, but it also excludes a good amount of talent. If job location seems to be an obstacle in your talent acquisition, fear not. There are a few simple sourcing employer brand marketing tactics to help bring applicants from far and wide (or close and near).
College Student to Long-Term Transplant
Any surrounding colleges present a good opportunity for employers to find both entry-level and experienced applicants in the rising senior, recent graduate and alumnae population. Everything from sending jobs openings to the career services offices to a career fair near graduation, or sourcing candidates through an alumnae LinkedIn group presents an opportunity. These are people who (most likely) enjoyed four years at their alma mater and also learned to love its location.
Tailor these job descriptions to short-term college transplants and the opportunity can be framed a few different ways:
- Why not stay a bit longer? – The transition is easy for those who just graduated and stability and job growth opportunities straight out of school are attractive.
- Why not return? – For those alumnae who have moved away and established themselves elsewhere, providing an update on how the area has grown over the years and how the move back will help them grow their careers is a good point of entry for a relocation conversation.
Selling Candidates on Relocation
With many cities facing intense skills shortages, luring candidates to relocate with incentives like benefits packages, compensation and company culture is one tactic businesses can employ. According to Allied’s 2012 Workforce Mobility Survey, the two factors most likely to increase a candidate’s willingness to relocate are higher salary (reported by 82% of HR professionals) and career advancement (reported by 79%). On the flip side, the three factors most likely to negatively impact willingness to relocate are spousal employment situation (80%), children’s plans/schools (72%), and selling a home/mortgage (69%).
In this situation money talks, but so do the softer sells. Starbucks, for example, profiles why “we think our home city is a pretty great place to live” on their career portal. They cite everything from art museums and music festivals, the city’s diversity, pleasant weather and sports venues. Our client General Motors gives candidates a chance to “check out Michigan for yourself and see what we have to offer,” providing information on everything from the surrounding school districts to art, culture and recreation. Anticipating relocation concerns and dedicated resources to selling candidates right-off-the-bat can help convince top contenders that relocation, both for career growth and because of the benefits of the surrounding area, is worth it.
As a recruiter, what have you done when location has been an obstacle in attracting talent?
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