How to Find the Best Employees in 2023

Finding and hiring the right employees can be a challenge. A good hire can elevate your company culture and boost morale; the wrong one will cost you time and money.

Here are some tried and true hacks for filling the vacancies on your roster — both online and in the real world.

Table of Contents

• How to Find Good Employees
• Create a job post
• Share the job post
• Additional ways to find employees
• Finding Employees FAQs
• Summary of Money’s Guide on How to Find Employees

How to Find Good Employees

There are lots of different strategies for finding potential employees, like sharing the opening on social media, asking staffers for referrals and, of course, using job posting sites.

If this isn’t your first time in the hiring manager’s chair, you already know that none of these endeavors are as easy as they sound. Read on for a step-by-step guide for snagging top talent.

Create a job post

Start by writing an engaging, shareable job post that clearly defines the position you’re looking to fill.

To target the right applicants, here are a few must-dos:

For starters, you’ll want to create a super-specific job description that outlines the job title, salary range and benefits (more on those last two in a bit). You should also:

• Be precise. The clearer you are on the skills, qualifications and responsibilities the role requires, the less time you’ll have to spend funneling out candidates who aren’t the best fit.

• Choose the right keywords. Avoid using trendy language like “coding ninja” and “email guru,” and go with the specifics. This is the easiest way to catch the eye of qualified job seekers who already have experience with the task at hand.

• Highlight the perks. Beyond listing employer-sponsored benefits, add a description — even videos or images, if possible — that illustrates the environment and culture of your workplace.

• Make it scannable. Using short paragraphs and bullet points to break down job duties, benefits and salary specifications will make the description easier to read — especially on mobile.

Include salary and benefits

Let’s be real: salary is the main determinant for candidates deciding whether to apply for a job. So include one in your listing (a salary range is fine), along with details about your company’s health insurance and benefits offerings; paid time off, gym memberships and the like.

As workplace trends have shifted toward flexible and remote work, more candidates are seeking out these perks. If your company allows for a remote arrangement, be sure to call that out.

Share the job post

The best job posting sites for employers will help you streamline the hiring process. Some even have special features for tackling time-consuming tasks like onboarding. And if you want to post your listing on several different platforms, certain job sites like ZipRecruiter can share the post on more than 100 job boards simultaneously.

Consider sharing the post on your company’s website, too, plus LinkedIn, Facebook and any other social media platform where you have an established presence.

If you’re looking to hire locally, the classified ad section of your local newspaper can be a valuable tool for spreading the word. The same goes for Craigslist.

Maximize your listing's visibility

The more people who see your job post, the more likely you’ll be to find the perfect candidate.

Use commonly-searched keywords that are relevant to the role to optimize your listing in search engines and on job boards.Target industry-specific job posting platforms, if those are available to you. And, again, be as clear and detailed in your description of the job as you can.

Additional ways to find employees

Here are a few other routes worth exploring to find top talent.

Promote from within

We’re in a hot job market, which makes finding and retaining clutch employees a bit of an uphill battle.

Research shows that promoting internally can save an organization time and money, since running ads, sourcing candidates and conducting background checks can be pricey — especially after several rounds of hiring. It also boosts morale.

Ask your employees for referrals

As the saying goes, good people know good people. Employee referral programs incentivize current employees — through cash bonuses and rewards — to recommend other great hires.

Plus, according to an Indeed survey, hires that were referred by existing employees tend to be strong performers with good retention rates.

Go to job fairs

Career fairs are a great opportunity to pre-screen and recruit employees. You can also hold a recruiting event at your HQ to give prospective employees a feel for your company culture.

Recruit from local universities

College campuses are great places to scoop up entry-level talent. Students are more likely to be on the lookout for internships and job opportunities as graduation approaches, so plan your recruitment strategy accordingly. Sign up your company for some college job fairs, partner with a university’s career center or reach out to the leaders of departments in your field to get a headstart.

Summary of Money’s Guide on How to Find Employees

• First, create a job post with a clear description that includes salary and benefits.

• Share the listing on job board sites, your company website and on social media.

• Hiring internally can help you boost morale and save time and money.

• Create an employee referral program to incentivize staffers to recommend qualified candidates.

• Job fairs and internal recruiting events can help you increase brand awareness — and snag top talent.