10 Out of the Box Recruiting Ideas

This article is part of the Recruitment Methods Guide. Read our related articles on sources of recruitment, and outsourced recruitment.

Hiring the right talent is now more challenging than ever. Everybody uses the same platforms and tactics, so it is challenging to stand out from the crowd.

This article will share with you 10 out-of-the-box recruiting ideas to help you differentiate yourself while finding the right people for your business.

Out Of The Box Recruiting

Why you should do this

A study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics mentioned that in the USA, in July, there were more than 11 million open roles but only approx. 6 million unemployed people.

This is a clear picture of the labor market and why your recruitment ideas should become more and more creative.

Benefits

Using out-of-the-box recruitment ideas will help you differentiate yourself and grab the so-wanted attention of potential candidates. Moreover, it boosts the Employer Brand of your company and increases the entire team’s morale. Plus, people enjoy doing fun recruitment activities, which might lead to better team cohesion and engagement.

Limitations

There are also some limitations to creative recruitment strategies. You should consider the budget, how you will manage the volume of potential applicants and how to make sure you balance growth versus company culture.

Creative Recruitment Ideas

We know you are here for the creative ideas, so we have 10 prepared for you:

Attend events that are not career fairs

This one might seem counterintuitive, but it is super efficient. Search for networking events around a subject you think potential candidates might be interested in. Mingle around the people and start conversations about roles you want to fill.

Use a funky title to grab the attention

Using creative ideas is only sometimes expensive. You can twitch and improve what you already have. For example, you can add a clever title to a job description that you posted on the wall.

Make a memorable welcome

You might wonder what a welcome to the company has to do with hiring new people. Having employees share your brand is the best form of referral. For example, Spotify created a welcome playlist for their employees.

Create an Instagram or Tik Tok filter

You have to adapt to what your target is using. If your people are on Instagram or Tik Tok, you can create funny and catchy filters that they can use. Afterward, you can check who used them and start a conversation.

Create a game or competition

We all love games, so why not use them in recruitment? You can create games, competitions or design a special quiz to help you attract people and filter them based on your objectives.

Target people that were recently laid-off

Everything can be an opportunity for you. You can follow the news and be aware of the companies that have to let go of their employees. You can then go to those companies or ex- employees with your active roles.

Bring your employees to the front

Your most valuable resource is already yours: the employees. You can create marketing campaigns that share the human behind the role and do some day-in-the-life videos.

Create Shadow day events

Give your potential candidates a chance to come and feel the vibe of your company and meet the people they might work with. You can create a Shadowing program – when they can come and see how a developer or salesperson works for a day.

Spice up your referral program

Bring a little innovation to your referral program by gamifying it. You can also take into consideration opening the referral to the public. For example, you can give a laptop to someone recommending a friend for the role.

Use billboards

You can still use offline advertising to attract talent. Make sure you use a good place and have a catchy message. You can also consider video billboards that have all sorts of animations.

Companies With Unique Recruitment Strategies

Some companies nail this creative recruitment game, and we want to share them with you.

Spotify

They create playlists to send a job proposal to the people that got accepted after the interview.

Red 5 Studios

They had to come up with creative ideas to compete with IT giants. So what they did was personalize the iPod with a personal invitation to apply from their CEO.

OgilvyOne

They were looking to hire a salesperson. They created a huge media campaign and invited the candidates to sell them a brick.

What other creative methods do you use?

Out Of The Box Recruiting FAQ

What are some creative ways to recruit?

Some creative ways to recruit are by using Social Media, attending networking events, or designing paid ads.

How can I make recruitment fun?

1. Share behind the scenes on Social Media
2. Use chatbots
3. Create videos
4. Make a Tik Tok challenge

What are out-of-the-box recruiting strategies?

1. Create an Instagram filter
2. Spice up your referral program
3. Create a game or competition or quiz
4. Make a memorable welcome

What is recruitment ghosting?

Recruitment ghosting is when recruiters suddenly stop the conversation with the candidate.