In the modern digital era, employers and job seekers have countless ways to connect. So how do you know which listing site, job search app, or networking method is best for finding your next hire?
To find out, we asked a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members to share their favorite way to source high-quality candidates.
Q. With so many different ways for job seekers to advertise their skills, which system for finding qualified candidates do you prefer, and why does it work so well?
1. LinkedIn
LinkedIn sparks many great conversations, job offers, and even friendships. What I love about LinkedIn is that its users are usually in work mode, so it is easier to start talking about your field or your expectations in the future, and it feels very natural and positive for both sides. Potential candidates definitely need a power profile on LinkedIn that highlights their skills and experience. —Brian Condenanza, Fluo Shoes
2. Upwork
Our company uses Upwork.com to find qualified candidates. We hire them first as part-time contractors and give them a task related to the position we need to fill. We will monitor their work and efficiency to determine if they are qualified for the position. Once deemed qualified, we will hire them for a more permanent position. —Bryan Kesler, CPA Exam Guide
3. Spark Hire
A great deal of work done for my business is conducted remotely, both by myself and by the rest of my team. Because of this, I found Spark Hire to be invaluable for finding ideal candidates. Their video interviewing platform is easy to use and share which allows me to easily conduct informative interviews with individuals in any time zone to our mutual convenience. —Bryce Welker, Accounting Institute for Success
4. LaunchCode
There are more and more apprenticeship and job training programs popping up in cities across the United States. A great example is LaunchCode, which prescreens and trains candidates in the tech industry. Finding local organizations like LaunchCode and partnering with them has helped us reach great candidates that we might have otherwise overlooked. —Duran Inci, Optimum7
5. Internships.com
I prefer Internships.com because the college students are hungry and they are in the transformational point where they want to grow. This is the perfect way to mold someone to do exactly what you‘d like them to do with your leadership and your time. If you want someone who could potentially stay with you long-term, then this website has the candidates you will want to reach out to. —Sweta Patel, Silicon Valley Startup Marketing
6. AngelList
As a rapidly expanding business, we’re on the lookout for candidates with an entrepreneurial bent who are seeking to join a company they can contribute meaningfully to and grow alongside. AngelList empowers employers and job seekers who are looking to work in an exciting startup. We have found many talented, self-motivated candidates on AngelList who have gone on to become valuable team members. —Thomas Smale, FE International
7. Textbroker and FreelanceMyWay
Outsourcing content is one area that we spend a lot of time, money, and resources on. Professional freelance market sites like Textbroker and FreelanceMyWay have made it easy for us to find high-quality writers, while not having to deal with payment processors and setting up in-house writing applications. This has saved us a lot of time and allowed us to bring in some great new talent. —Zac Johnson, Blogging.org
Other Articles From AllBusiness.com:
8. ZipRecruiter and Indeed
ZipRecruiter and Indeed are probably the two best resources for sourcing candidates. Both function a bit differently but, generally speaking, they’re both convenient and rather comprehensive as far as having a large pool of candidates to choose from. And there are free options for using each site. —Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
9. Toptal
Toptal was created by engineers. The founders of the platform are entrepreneurs, and all of them understand the need to have a network of high-quality freelance software developers, designers, finance experts, and project managers, so I appreciate that they’re constantly working on expanding it. Also, nobody can become a Toptal freelancer without meeting strict criteria. —Cody McLain, SupportNinja
10. Handshake
We prefer using Handshake, a university platform for recruiting students. As a startup, we are looking for fresh talent right out of college. Handshake offers quick access to institutions, ranging from local colleges to large universities, and allows us to reach a much larger pool of students than we would otherwise have access to. It also provides us with tools to easily sort through applicants. —Amishi Takalkar, NAILBITER
11. Craigslist
Most new job seeker platforms like Indeed make it far too easy for applicants to mass apply for jobs, often applying without even knowing the company’s name. This format has wasted a lot of my company’s time, interviewing uninterested or unprepared applicants. Craigslist, on the other hand, actually forces applicants to actually read the job descriptions to which they’re applying. —Nicholas Nadjarian, Industrial Motor Power Corp.
12. Industry-specific job boards
When looking for talent, I like to post job ads on industry-specific boards. For example, if I’m looking for a developer I may use WordPress’s WPhired.com, but if I’m looking for a writer, I may opt for the ProBlogger job board. —Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner
13. Social media
I find that if we list the jobs on our social media pages, we get candidates who are already engaged with our page, which tells us they share our mindset or passion. That’s a great start and often provides a platform for the most qualified candidates rather than a typical job board. —Serenity Gibbons, NAACP
14. Referrals from employees
Though job sites can be helpful, we prefer to talk to our in-house employees first. They already know our mission, culture, and other details about our work environment. There is a good chance if you have a quality team, your members know others who would make a great fit for your business. —Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker
RELATED: Hiring Your First Employee: 8 Key Questions to Ask