Certainly, many candidates – whether a first-timer or someone looking for a better job than their current one – already have a target company they would like to work for. This is actually a good thing since it helps narrow job-hunting efforts, allowing for preparation for the interview and anticipate all related questions regarding their company.
However, with a saturated job market that we have today, how confident are you that your candidate’s application to their desired company will be shortlisted, let alone be noticed by the hiring manager?
No matter how impressive their resume is or how flawlessly they pass the initial interviews and assessments, if there are many candidates who also exhibit the same, then there’s a great possibility that it won’t matter at all. The competition in the job market today is so stiff, that even a good scholastic record and work experience will not suffice to get noticed by the company they desire to work for.
So, how do you get them noticed by the HR managers of their target companies?
1. Plan
Like a soldier going to war, you should prepare your candidate before they approach their target company.
Remember: The more prepared they are, the better their chances to get the job.
2. Use your networking skills
Most candidates don’t know that job searching actually starts even before companies post it online. Do you wonder how some candidates manage to get multiple job offers in less than a week after they left their current job? Well, what they actually do is network with their target company even before the job is posted.
To emulate these people, here are the ways you can use their networking skills to penetrate the companies they’d love to work for:
- LinkedIn: Get your candidate to use this to their advantage and connect with people who may work now or in the past at their target companies.
- Facebook: Get them to be an active member of their page by clicking the “Share” and “Like” button regularly.
- Meet with company insiders: During the interview, make sure if they ask the interviewer if there are people at the company who are open for a few questions.
- Blogging: If your candidate has a blog that is somehow relevant to their candidate’s target company’s niche, then they can highlight their name in their next post.
3. List all the key people in the company
After your candidate has connected with their target company on various digital media platforms, their next move should be finding out the specific persons in the organization who they need to attract to their profile.
4. Get internal recommendations
Recommendations from the present employees of their target company are one of the great things that can buckle their position on the company they want to work for.
5. Demonstrate your value
More than accolades your candidate received in their school or previous work, companies are more eager to see the real value that they can bring into their business.
6. Ask the right questions
Asking relevant questions will prove that they are competent and have a genuine interest in the job they are applying for. By asking the right questions, both your candidate and the company will more know of each other.
7. Give them a memento
Giving a thank you letter after the interview is the norm, but with the ultra-competitive job market we have today, your candidate can take it a notch higher. A token or memento simply refers to a symbol of appreciation. And it’s a good way to create a lasting impression to the company.
8. Apply through recruitment firms
Clever candidates will already be with as the recruiter of choice because you are the number one agency for companies looking to to fill vacancies.
Use all these tactics together and this handy infographic below by Phil.Exeq to help your candidate get noticed by the target company they aspire to work with today.
About the author: Stewart Abancio is the all around guy of Phil.Exeq Search.
