Employers looking to fill vacant positions in tough economic times have many challenges. Vacancies may be need to be filled immediately or they may be lost. Vacancies may exist as a result of previous rounds of layoffs, organizations may have restructured, and duty statements may need rewriting before advertising can begin.
Writing the Job Announcement
Don't forget to properly outline the required job duties, as well as the preferred skills. Describe the work tasks which are recurring, and if they require team input or individual work. Clearly indicate if the company is willing to consider several part time employees, or one full time position.
Also note if travel is required for the job, along with an approximate percentage of time the employee is expected to travel. Telecommuting has become extremely popular and some companies are having great success and productivity with work from home arrangements. Indicate if there is a possibility to telecommute part time.
Job Announcement Timing
Depending on the nature of the vacancy, consider what the best timing for filling the position is in terms of the following factors:
- Company resources to interview
- Company resources to train new employee, if hired
- Delaying advertisement in order to combine future vacancies/hiring
- Accelerating advertisement to fill vacancy within budget year
Low-Cost Advertising Strategies
When advertising budgets are low, companies need to use the internet to post job announcements. Companies who cannot afford to post job listings in Monster, Career Builder and similar paid online establishments should consider the following free advertisements:
- Classified ads in some local online newspapers
- Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media websites
- Career center websites at educational institutions
- Existing professional group and society webpages
Processing Applications, Interviewing and Hiring
In bad economic times, companies are likely to receive hundreds of applications for one open position. Screening applications and checking references becomes particularly important to limit the pool of applicants that needs to be interviewed. Minimizing the number of days of interviews is key to maximizing staff time required to conduct interviews. Panel interviews are more staff intensive, but lead to more balanced hiring decisions. Ultimately, the right decision in the hiring process will avoid cost and hassle in the future.
The success of finding the right candidate to fill the vacancy depends on the planning and effort spent in developing the duty statement, and the timing and resources required to advertise the position. In a difficult economy, the hiring company has limited resources to fill vacancies, but also may have limited ability to backfill positions if the hire does not work out.
Jule Rizzardo - Jule Rizzardo is a freelance writer, specializing in small business advertising and management skill development.
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