There are several recruiting techniques that can be effective for different types of positions. Many of them can be tied together into an effective recruiting strategy. Recruiting is an investment in the future of your business. Unfortunately, most employers only think of it as a cost and want to spend as little as possible.

1. Review resumes/applications from people who have previously applied to your company.
2. Referrals from your current employees and/or other people and organizations you know.
3. Internet employment ads on niche job boards that attract passive job seekers.
4. Print flyers that can be distributed within your local community.
5. Automated email employment marketing.
6. Targeted local, regional, or national direct mail. Ads targeted to the exact job you are looking for at companies/properties similar in size, quality, and market to yours.
7. Newspaper ads.
8. Search and placement.

Steps 1-5 can either be done using your own labor or by spending a few hundred dollars at most.

Step 6, Targeted Direct Mail, can be done for $475-2455 per job.

• Revise your qualifications or compensation for the job and start over, or
• Trade up to Step 8.

Step 7, Newspaper Ads - print or electronic/Hourly Internet Job Boards-or equivalent. These ads whether with newspapers, Craig's List, or other sites, are often effective when looking for hourly positions, or jobs that don't require experience in our industry.

Step 8, Search or Placement, is justified as the first step for positions that impact your profits by over $5,000 per week. Search/placement should fill most of your jobs within 5 weeks. Review The Contribution Factor to determine when to use search or placement.

Retained search requires an upfront financial commitment. Placement companies typically only charge you if you hire through them. So why would you use a retained search firm? Most retained search firms only allow their staff to work 4 jobs at a time. That means you get 25% of the person's time and efforts. Placement firms have to work 40 jobs at a time to make the same commissions. That means you will rarely get more than an hour of their time a week. Most placement firms stop at searching their files of existing applicants. Retained search firms typically "recruit" the exact candidate you need. Placement firms tell employers they "recruit", but in reality it's a numbers game. The average placement firm only fills 10% of the assignments from employers. That means placement firms don't dare spend the time most employers need or think they are getting.