10 Ways to Attract Recruiters and Hiring Managers in 2021

Cites are re-opening, vaccines are flowing, and consumer confidence is up. As S&P Global puts it, “Economic Outlook for the U.S.: Let the Good Times Roll.” 

This is great news for job seekers as experts estimate that jobs post-COVID recovery are likely to return at a faster rate than ever seen before on a sustained basis. 

We’re certainly seeing that at Seaton and Associates with placement requests tripling our monthly average in the last two months. Industries from hospitality to construction are staffing up with hiring needs at every level. Now is a great time to update your resumes and LinkedIn profiles if you’re looking for your next job opportunity. But that’s not all you can do to get attention from recruiters and hiring managers. Try these 10 tactics to set yourself apart from other candidates and land your next big opportunity: 

1. Share, Comment, and Connect. Get your name in front of recruiters and hiring managers you want to impress by engaging with them on social media, preferably LinkedIn or another professional platform. Share and comment on their posts. Once you’ve spent some time engaging with them through content, introduce yourself via DM. Share valuable information or let them know what you enjoy about their content. Stay engaged and once you’ve established a good relationship, ask to connect one-on-one.
2. Showcase your Work Online. You can create articles on LinkedIn, start a blog, or use a free design tool like Canva to display your work or share content on your area of expertise. Allowing potential employers to preview your work shows them how valuable you can be to their organization and is much more effective than a bulleted list of accomplishments. 
3. Ask for LinkedIn Recommendations. The importance of LinkedIn recommendations varies from hiring manager to hiring manager, but they all agree that they don’t hurt. The more recent your recommendations, the better, and it matters who is recommending you. A recommendation from a recent boss is going to carry more weight than one from a college friend. Collecting recommendations can help set your profile apart from others and boosts your appearance in LinkedIn search.
4. Tell Your Peers You’re Looking. Let your peers know what kind of opportunities you’re interested in. Recruiters and hiring managers often ask for referrals from candidates they contact. Seaton and Associates has made dozens of placements from referrals of the candidates we initially contacted. 
5. Add Value to Your Network. Stay top of mind and show your expertise by sharing valuable content on your social platforms. The more value you add to your network, the more valuable you’ll be perceived by potential employers. This is especially important if you’re currently unemployed. Staying active within your network and sharing your knowledge will help bridge employment gaps and keep your experience from getting dated. 
6. Get to Know Their Customers. Learn about the customers in the industry or of the company in which you want to work. Follow their pages on social media and learn about what they do. The more you understand about the customers you want to serve, the more value you can add as an employee. 
7. Consume and Give Feedback. If possible, become a customer of your desired employer. Use their products or services and take notes on your experience. Providing honest feedback or coming up with ways you could help improve the user experience will prove your value in your first conversation and set you apart from other candidates. 
8. Create Demand. First, there’s nothing more attractive to a potential employer than a high-performing employee. Do your current job to the best of your ability, apply for awards, sign up for extra projects, and keep track of how you’re impacting your company’s growth and success. Second, even if you’re vying for a particular company or position, take other interviews. You never know what you might uncover through the process. Plus, interviewing at multiple companies gives you leverage to negotiate and shows you’re in high demand.
9. Call Back. Return phone calls from recruiters and hiring managers whether or not you’re interested in their jobs. They often have other positions available that may be a fit for you or might have something in the future. Ultimately, you’re adding one more person to your network who can help you throughout your career. Professional relationships are the name of the game when it comes to finding your next job – the more you have, the easier it is. 
10. Ignore the Requirements List. Don’t let a requirements list in a job description discourage you from submitting your resume. Meeting the requirements is one factor that employers take into consideration when hiring. They’re ultimately looking for the right person, who may or may not have the requirements they listed. 

With 2020 through the beginning of this year being so tough for businesses, professionals, and families, we’re excited to see companies staffing up and love matching them up with the right people to fill their positions. It’s a great time to be looking for your next opportunity, and we’d love to help you. Contact us for a free career consultation.