Human Resource professionals are constantly looking for innovative hiring strategies to find raw talent. This pursuit is driven by a competitive landscape in which recruiting top talent has become essential due to talent shortages, retention challenges, dishonesty in the hiring process, and increased competition for skilled candidates, according to new recruitment data.
We asked the experts: What out-of-the-box or innovative strategies have you used to recruit great talent?
Here is what they had to say…
#1. Assessing Actual Work Output to Find Writers
Rex Freiberger, CEO, Gadget Review, advocates for hiring writers who are already producing high-quality product reviews. He explains, "Searching for individuals who are actively reviewing products on personal blogs, Medium, or other open platforms allows us to identify talent that is already excelling in this area." He emphasizes that those who "write good, fair-minded reviews almost always turn out to be excellent employees who will continue with quality output."
Freiberger also highlights that this approach creates opportunities for skilled individuals who might otherwise be overlooked in traditional hiring processes. "This way, I get the chance to give opportunities to people who may not have otherwise gotten them," he notes.
#2. Using LinkedIn Live to Discuss Current Job Openings
Hirewell Partner, James Hornick, shares that his team has found great success with their Weekly Jobs Update—a LinkedIn Live broadcast held every Wednesday at 9:15 AM CT. According to Hornick, "It doesn't take much time to put together and has been a great way to stay top-of-mind with job seekers, not to mention making some immediate placements for our clients."
He also notes that this strategy brings an added creative dimension to his team’s work, stating, "The team has fun with it and enjoys the creative outlet."
#3. Implementing Cold Email Outreach To Find Sales Reps
Michael Alexis, CEO of TeamBuilding, explains how his company leveraged cold email outreach on LinkedIn to connect with sales professionals. He shares, "We reached out to potential candidates to ask if they knew anyone for our open roles, but we found that many respondents often suggested themselves, leading to some great hires."
Alexis highlights how this method helps identify candidates who aren’t actively job hunting but may be open to new opportunities. "This process is specifically helpful for finding team members that may already have a job and not otherwise be looking for a new role," he says.
#4. Recruiting Through Freelancer Platforms
Lewis Keegan, Founder & Writer at Skillscouter, emphasizes the untapped potential of freelancer platforms in recruitment. "One out-of-the-box strategy I have used to recruit great talent is visiting various freelancer sites, identifying top performers, and inviting them to join my team," he explains.
Keegan underscores that these platforms are "looming with experts in their fields—whether in content writing, social media management, graphic and web design, virtual assistance, and much more." His advice to recruiters is simple: "Keep an open eye out and watch for great talents who are simply waiting for someone to notice or hire them."
#5. Using Social Media Challenges to Attract Passive Candidates
Sue Andrews, Business & HR Consultant KIS Finance, advocates for using social media to engage passive candidates creatively. She recommends setting up interactive recruitment campaigns, sharing, "Passive applicants are where the best talent lies, so reach out via social media to your potential talent pool with a challenge designed to intrigue them about your company."
One such approach she suggests is using puzzles or riddles. "Set a cryptic question or riddle and challenge potential applicants to solve the puzzle. Then invite those who are successful to come in and see around the organization and find out more about the opportunities you may have for them," Andrews explains. This method, she notes, "is a great way to get your company on their radar without the need for expensive advertising."
#6. Using Marketing and SEO Tools for Hiring
Rowan Price, Chief Creative and Owner RPSG, describes how he applies digital marketing techniques to recruitment. "I'm not technically an HR professional, but as a product and marketing consultant, I often help my tech firms hire," he explains.
Price details two specific methods he uses:
- Leveraging prospecting tools – "I use Apollo.io, an SF-based company that provides a super fine-grained venture startup search tool, to identify engineers and designers with very specific skill sets."
- Using SEO link-building tools – "To find potential hires, I search for authors of relevant blog posts or podcast hosts. For example, if my client needs an Azure developer with AWS experience, I find individuals who have written about these topics using tools like Pitchbox and Respona."
In addition to these experiences, we've also come across some fairly creative recruiting ideas that we thought we'd share with everyone, a few of the more interesting talent acquisition tactics that we've come across in recent years. Some of these are a bit bizarre, but they will hopefully get your creative juices flowing when thinking about how to get in front of the right talent for your organization.
#7. Using Dating Apps for Recruiting
In some cases, recruiters have turned to dating apps to connect with highly sought-after candidates, particularly in fields like data science and engineering. Reports suggest that recruiters in San Francisco are strategically using location-based dating apps to engage with potential hires.
A recruiter will "match" with someone on an app and then steer the conversation toward professional opportunities rather than dating. Companies such as Amazon have even begun serving job ads on dating platforms, recognizing that their target audience is active on these sites.
#8. Recruiting at Tech Company Bus Stops
Another unconventional approach involves recruiters positioning themselves at morning bus stops where tech employees wait for private company shuttles. Since major tech firms like Facebook and Google provide shuttle services from urban areas to suburban campuses, recruiters have been spotted engaging with employees while they wait for their rides.
While the success rate of this tactic remains uncertain, recruiters employing this method are certainly demonstrating creativity and determination in their talent acquisition efforts.
#9. Offering Absurdly High Referral Bonuses
Many companies offer referral bonuses to employees who successfully refer new hires, but some organizations have taken this concept to the extreme. Reports indicate that certain companies have offered bonuses as high as $20,000 for successful referrals.
However, some firms take a more experience-driven approach to incentivizing referrals. For example, Drift rewards employees who make successful referrals by sponsoring luxury vacations instead of offering cash. This strategy not only provides employees with memorable experiences but also enhances employer branding. As employees share their trip experiences with friends, they naturally mention their company, reinforcing its reputation as a great workplace.
Read More: Best Employee Referral Platforms
#10. Leveraging Talent Sourcing Tools for Scalable Recruiting
Given that 75% of companies are not satisfied with their current approach to sourcing and 1 in 2 companies are still not effectively tracking their source of hire, talent sourcing platforms can offer a strategic advantage to both corporate recruiters and staffing firms when it comes to scaling sourcing efforts efficiently.
Using external sourcing platforms allows companies to ramp up or down as needed, avoiding the inefficiencies of maintaining a full-time sourcing team that may be overwhelmed at times and underutilized by others. Many platforms enable recruiters to target diverse talent pools, helping organizations prioritize DEI efforts in their hiring strategies. By outsourcing sourcing efforts to dedicated platforms, recruiters can stay focused on strategic hiring initiatives while ensuring a steady pipeline of high-quality candidates.
Wrapping Up
That’s our roundup of the most creative recruiting strategies out there. Of course, at the end of the day, a lot of success in hiring comes down to using the right recruiting software, staying organized, and building a strong employer brand.
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