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How to Recruit and Source on Slack

Jonathan Kidder

How many places to you use to recruit candidates? If you are only listing one or two places, it’s time to add to your list. Recruiters need to look for various ways to find qualified candidates. We all know about using LinkedIn and other popular sites for sourcing, but what about something a little outside of the box?

 

Recruiters need to diversify the platforms they use to find talent because everyone else is using those same places. Have you considered the app Slack as a source for candidates? It is a hotspot for millennials and a place where you just may find your next superstar. If you are unfamiliar with Slack, we break it down for you and how you can use it for recruiting below.

What is Slack?

If you haven’t heard of the app, it is a spot where people get together to talk about common areas of interests. The interests are grouped by communities and channels where people can talk with other members with the same interests.

 

Companies use it to communicate with teams quickly and individuals use it to talk about many different topics. The site is also indexed and every topic is saved and searchable. If you want a more detailed synopsis on what Slack is, check out their site here.

 

Why use it for Recruiting?

You will be where your candidates hang out. Instead of hoping they check their LinkedIn account once every two months, you can be sure they will be actively engaged. You can converse with people who are interested in the topics you are recruiting for. The site is also quick with people answering very fast to posts.

 

As I mentioned earlier, Slack is also searchable. If you are looking for a candidate with a specific skill set, you can search by that skillset to see what communities come up. You can then see who is active in the community and either post in the channel or send a direct message to those you are interested in.

 

Slack even has a page on how you can use the app for recruiting. Their page is all about how you can use it to keep everyone in the loop on the recruiting process. If you are a recruiter in a small company, this could be a great way to keep everyone up to date real time.

 

How to use Slack for Recruiting

Check out the different communities to see which would be the best for the talent you are targeting. Here is a list of the top communities out there so you can start to see which ones would be worthwhile for your efforts. I’ve included my recommendations of communities to join below:

 

Become active in the community by letting people in the group know you are a recruiter and what you are searching for. See who replies. Anyone who expresses an interest you should individually message and schedule some time to talk further. Just be careful that you are aware of the rules of the channel so you aren’t doing anything that could be considered spam.

 

Start with getting yourself familiar with the platform, which you can so by reading tutorials and FAQs on the app. Then start researching different channels to target based on your candidate profile.

 

Once you identify the channels you want to be part of, start getting involved while following the Slack etiquette. Be careful with this especially on Slack because the people using the app are not necessarily interested in looking for new opportunities.

 

Another option is to use Slack for employee referrals as Workable points out. It’s a quick and easy way for employees to let you know of candidates that they recommend. If you make it easy for employees to refer their peers then they are much more likely to actually participate, particularly if there is not a hiring bonus attached.

 

What Types of Candidates are on Slack?

The primary type of candidate on Slack are those with a technology focus. Startups and technology companies are using the app more and more to move away from the heavy reliance many companies have on email.

 

If you are in the IT recruiting space, I recommend you give Slack a try to have access to many candidates you may not have been able to otherwise contact. The IT industry is in high demand and if a candidate is not actively looking for a new job, the chances of them being on LinkedIn or job board sites are pretty slim.

 

The world of recruiting is constantly changing. To be the best in your field, you must keep up with the changes in the market to continue to provide the best talent. You are on the right track with checking out this article!

 

Slack is still a new method to recruiting and one you could really capitalize on if you take the time to learn how to use it. It certainly won’t be the last platform you will need to learn in your recruiting career but you are still ahead of the game if you start now!

 

Bonus Tip: Here’s an additional list of 1000 Slack Groups & Communities to join. 

 

Recommended Reading:

Review of Vettery a Marketplace Hiring Platform

Glenn Gutmacher Interview

My SourceCon Digital 2.0 Presentation

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