How to find employees in 2024: Successful methods to find and retain top employees

In today’s labour landscape, successful employee recruitment requires innovative approaches that go beyond traditional methods. In this article, we share a series of strategies and tips based on the latest trends in employee search and recruitment.

As a recruitment software solution that has helped over 80,000 companies – from enterprises like Sony to small businesses like Myos – find and hire great employees, we know what works (and what doesn’t) in 2024.

Below, we highlight both free and paid employee-finding strategies to show you a wide range of ways you too can find employees successfully. Plus, you’ll also receive a bunch of tips (and resources) on improving employee retention to ensure your best employees stay with you for longer. After all, recruiting employees is only the beginning.

Whether you run a small start-up or manage the HR department of a large corporation, the methods mentioned below can help you optimise your recruiting and hiring efforts!

What to bear in mind when trying to find employees

Digitalisation and the increasing interconnectedness of our world have fundamentally changed the recruiting landscape in the past decades. And in times when professionals have high expectations of potential employers, innovative and targeted recruiting methods are more in demand than ever.

Employers must not only rely on traditional application channels but also use new technologies, like AI in recruitment, to more effectively find and target talented employees and successfully draw them to their company.

Below, we’ll introduce you to some of the latest and most effective methods in recruiting that will enable you to take your employee search to the next level. They’ll help you target potential candidates more efficiently and grow your team with less effort.

So keep reading to learn how to find employees by adapting your recruitment process with these tried-and-tested tactics.

Finding employees online and approaching them the right way

Online job boards, career networks, your own career website, and social media have become indispensable tools in recruiting new employees. Their broad reach and ability to target specific audiences directly allows employers to reach potential employees effectively and efficiently.

Using the best job boards and networking platforms is a particularly effective way of raising awareness of your job openings. These platforms provide easy access to candidates, from professionals and specialists to managers and young starters.

Moreover, by creating your own custom career page for your job openings and further spreading your ads on social media platforms, you can increase your visibility and build stronger relationships with potential candidates.

To make your life easier, you can use a (free) recruiting software like JOIN to help you target qualified candidates more easily. With such a tool, you can post jobs to multiple job boards with just one click! And if you decide to try JOIN, you can post job ads to 15+ job sites for free!

Clearly define qualifications and create effective job ads

Finding the right job boards is important, but equally important is the actual job ad (and its job description) that you post to your job board of choice.

Creating effective job ads – with the right job description – is a key aspect of the recruitment process. An important step is to accurately identify the specific skills, competencies, and qualifications you need for a vacant position and to present them in an appealing way in the job advertisement. Here are a few actionable tips on what to pay attention to when crafting your job postings:

• Clear and precise job descriptions: Avoid vague wording and ensure that the necessary qualifications, skills, and experience are clearly defined and easily understood. Also, ensure that candidates know what is expected of them and their tasks in the role.
• Attractive and appealing copy: A good job advert should be informative and appealing. Use a professional but inviting tone to appeal to job seekers. Try to highlight the benefits of working in your company, e.g. flexible working models, competitive pay, or special training and development opportunities.
• Strengthen your employer brand: Your job advertisement is often the first contact potential employees have with your company. Use this opportunity to strengthen your employer branding. Show what values your company represents and what makes it a great workplace.
• Do not discriminate: Make sure your job posting appeals to all potential candidates and does not exclude any groups. Avoid gender-specific wording and ensure your requirements and descriptions do not discriminate. For more tips, check out our article on how to write inclusive job descriptions.
• SEO optimisation: Another important strategy is to optimise your job advertisement for search engines (SEO). Using relevant keywords in your ad can increase the visibility of your job postings on online job boards and search engines.

Use these strategies to make your job ads more effective and find qualified candidates for your organisation.

How do you find employees who actually stay: 3 successful strategies for long-term retention

Attracting top talent is only the first half of the equation for sustainable business success. After you’ve found those great employees for your organisation, you must ensure that you also retain them.

High employee retention is not only cost-effective as it reduces the cost of recruiting and onboarding again, but it also promotes continuity, expertise, and employee satisfaction in your organisation.

To achieve this retention, a number of strategies are critical. To give some examples:

1. A structured and welcoming onboarding programme
2. Employee training, development, and offering clear career paths
3. Creating a great place to work

In the following sections, we’ll look at the specific strategies you can leverage more closely and explain how they can help you to retain your current employees in the long term.

1. First impressions matter: The onboarding process

Employee retention starts with a great onboarding experience. After your hiring process is done, it’s time to help your new employee easily integrate into your organisation.

From pre-boarding steps (like a pre-first day email sharing the schedule of their first week) to implementing a buddy system for the first weeks or months. The onboarding period is also the time to showcase your company culture and share essential processes and information.

All such steps ensure that the new employee feels welcome at your organisation, knows what’s going on, and understands what your company is all about.

For more information, check out our dedicated article on the art of employee onboarding!

2. Offer development opportunities

One of the key factors in recruitment to attract and retain talented employees is to offer various professional and personal development opportunities.

• Training opportunities

Training opportunities are a critical component of this. In an ever-changing world of work, lifelong learning is more important than ever. By providing training and courses, you enable your employees to expand their skills and stay up to date.

This not only increases their productivity and satisfaction, but also enhances your company’s competitiveness. Equally, it can help to recruit and hire employees, as many talented people are looking specifically for employers who invest in their professional development.

• Career paths

Clear career paths are another important factor. Employees want to know that they have a future with your company and that there are opportunities to advance.

By setting out clear career paths and supporting employees in pursuing their career goals, you can increase their motivation and commitment. This can be an attractive factor in attracting and retaining employees in the long term.

• Feedback sessions

Regular feedback sessions are also crucial. They allow employees to reflect on their performance, highlight their strengths, and identify areas for improvement. They also provide an opportunity to express appreciation for the work done and to have an open dialogue about goals, expectations and development plans.

For more information about feedback in your team, check out our article on how to create a feedback culture.

3. Create a great place to work

In the highly competitive labour market of 2024, creating an attractive work environment can be critical to successfully finding and retaining talented employees for the long term. Here are a few pointers:

• Great company culture is essential. This should be based on the values and principles that form the foundation of your company, and it should be actively nurtured and promoted. Such values can include mutual respect, diversity and inclusion, and a good work-life balance.
• Transparent communication plays a key role. This means that decisions and information are shared openly and clearly with staff. Good communication leads to a better understanding of the company’s goals and promotes commitment and a sense of belonging among your current employees.
• Supporting a healthy lifestyle. Measurements to ensure good physical and mental health are another important part of an attractive working environment. These can range from regular breaks and ergonomic workstations to fitness programmes and psychological support. By promoting the health and well-being of employees, you can increase their productivity and satisfaction while reducing absenteeism.
• Offering flexible working conditions. Flexible work is essential in attracting potential employees and retaining existing ones. The ability to work remotely or have flexible working hours has become an important factor in determining the attractiveness of a workplace. Flexibility can help employees better manage their work and personal commitments, contributing to overall satisfaction and productivity.
• Providing attractive benefits. Benefits beyond the basic salary are a significant factor in employee satisfaction and retention. These can include company pension schemes, flexible working hours, home office options, training opportunities (see the next point below), meal allowances, or other non-cash benefits.

Suggested follow-up read: The best employee benefits – types, costs, and examples

Successfully finding and retaining employees in 2024

In 2024, recruiting and retaining staff will be a challenge. But with the right strategies at your disposal, you can successfully meet this challenge.

Remember that finding and attracting employees is an ongoing process that requires continuous efforts and adjustments. However, when done right, you can build a talented and engaged team that will help your business succeed.