Active recruitment is recommended in order to enlarge the pool of qualified applicants beyond the results yielded solely from posting the position to the online applicant tracking system. Hiring managers can collaborate with HR to identify recruitment strategies that will enlarge the pool of qualified applicants beyond the results yielded solely from posting a position in the online recruitment system.

It is the task of the hiring manager or search committee chair and HR to publicise the vacant position, bring it to the attention of qualified potential applicants, and actively identify and recruit qualified applicants. The informal, word-of-mouth approach to recruitment is one of the most successful practices for identifying potential applicants. 

Advertise

Advertising and recruiting are essential elements of a thoughtful and effective hiring process. By actively promoting your job posting beyond internal channels, you create greater visibility and open the door to a broader range of talented individuals - some of whom may not be actively searching, but are the right fit and ready for the right opportunity. Strategic advertising ensures you're not only reaching more candidates, but also creating space for a variety of experiences and perspectives to be considered, ultimately strengthening your applicant pool and the future of your team.

The VCU HR Sourcing Resource Guide is designed to support hiring managers and HR teams by providing a curated list of external recruiting sites and publications. These resources help broaden outreach and connect with qualified candidates across a wide range of industries, ensuring that recruitment efforts remain thoughtful, strategic, and aligned with best practices.

Recruit

In addition to advertising the position in publications, hiring managers should also consider the following ideas to assist in expanding the pool of qualified applicants. A good recruitment plan includes a mix of recruitment strategies and a variety of communication processes to inform other professional organizations and relevant professional communities of the available position.

• Network. Proactive recruitment efforts can make a big difference in attracting the best candidates for the job. The following are suggestions for ways to conduct outreach in hope of connecting with potential applicants.

  • Proactively recruit by building recruitment activities into a regular work agenda regardless of whether or not there is a current hiring need. Create a database of potential recruits and find reasons to stay in touch. Then, when a vacancy occurs a list of pre-qualified and interested potential candidates already exists!

  • Make direct contact with professional organizations and colleagues in the field, notify them of your unit’s open position, and request names of potential qualified applicants.

  • Use a personal approach in recruiting applicants. Often outstanding potential candidates do not apply for advertised positions, but might be responsive to individual contacts. Contact the potential candidate and invite them to apply. If an individual declines a nomination or does not respond to your letter of inquiry, you may wish to call the person to determine if their reasons for declining can be addressed and resolved. If not, consider asking them if they have other potential candidates who they can recommend for the position.

  • Inform alumni publications of available positions.

  • Maintain ongoing contact with professional organizations, associations, and agencies that have a job-referral service.

  • Encourage staff attending professional conferences or visiting other universities to combine their visits with recruitment efforts for present and future vacancies.

  • Keep national higher education associations informed of present and possible future vacancies. 

• Internet recruiting. Post the position on an internet job board or on professional association websites. Studies have shown that 96% of people looking for jobs use the internet. 

• Social Media. Use social media to promote the department to potential candidates. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, are popular platforms on which to post a variety of information to promote the University as an employer. This could include:

  • Information on any jobs which are currently posted in the department.

  • Retweeting any jobs posted on a Twitter account that is linked to the department or school.

  • Links to positive exposure in the media involving the department.

  • Interesting research findings from the department.

  • Images, videos and audio clips promoting the department.

  • Utilizing VCU HR’s Twitter and Facebook accounts to advertise hard to fill positions.
    
    

• Career Fairs. Career fairs provide an opportunity to connect informally with interested candidates, often in a particular industry. 

• Internships/field placements/co-op placements. Consider connecting with one of the career services offices on campus (including VCU Career Services) or via other local area colleges/universities to post positions and receive resumes of students and new graduates looking for work.

Use an executive search firm. Private companies will find and screen potential candidates for a fee, typically a percentage of the annual salary. It is important when using these services that you take the time to clearly define the position and your expectations of the services to be provided by the agency. Executive search firms will generally only be used for executive and senior administrator positions.

Staffing Agency Utilization/Requests

Due to the expense that is typically associated with staffing agencies, VCU works to minimize their usage. However, in unusual and extenuating circumstances, such as when there is a need to hire someone with a specific, unique skillset in an expedited manner that can not be accomplished through recruitment, staffing agencies may be approved for use. To request utilization of a staffing agency for your unit, complete the Request for Utilization of Staffing Services form.