Recruiting for undesirable jobs is an undeniable part of the working world. These jobs may be physically demanding, have unusual hours, or consist of unpleasant working conditions. They’re necessary jobs, and business owners and managers want to hire the best to make their business run smoothly, but attracting help can be challenging. Here are some tips. If you’re tired of searching for quality free resume management systems, check out Recruiteze! Our recruitment software makes talent tracking and hiring easy. Get your free trial here.
#1. Talk Up the Job’s Strong Points
Some people actually enjoy or prefer working at some of these “undesirable” jobs. Perhaps the hours appeal to them because they already sleep during the day. Maybe they like working outside or the job has better pay than their other options. They might also be interested because they can use a skill they possess or they feel like they’re helping people. There are always a number of carpenters, waitresses, line cooks, truckers, housekeepers, and even convenience store workers who like their jobs and take pride in their work. This probably even applies to sanitation workers.
In advertisements recruiting for undesirable jobs, make sure to sell the strong suit that is likely to attract these people to the job. If they’ll be working outdoors, say so, in exciting language. Talk about how the hours are perfect for a second job. Describe how their skill will be appreciated or how they can help others.
It might be a little reference like:
- Build something that will last
- Put a smile on someone’s face today
- Do for others what they can’t do for themselves
- Spend all day outside in the fresh air
- Perfect side job
- Live nearby and have no ride? Walk to work
This is the same kind of targeted advertising recruiters use for all kinds of jobs. It attracts candidates who’ll appreciate the job and do good work and weeds out ones who aren’t going to want to stay. This self-selection process also saves the recruiter valuable time.
#2. Sell It for the Skills Gained
This job may not be where anyone wants to stay, but it may be an excellent place to learn a new skill for the career path they want to take. It may also just be a great place to get that first experience credential to put on a resume. Use it. Sell it. Any business owner doing this will attract candidates setting goals and looking to achieve success, which means they’ll be a powerful asset while they are there.
#3. Seek People in Greater Need of Jobs
Recruiting for undesirable jobs is an excellent opportunity to assist people struggling to find employment. Youth without experience, seniors, new immigrants, people with certain criminal records, and people with disabilities may all be good candidate pools. Depending on the person and the job in question, the pairing may be very beneficial for both.
There are many people out there who desperately want to support themselves in a honest manner but are struggling to find a way to do so. These people will be more likely than the average applicant to appreciate their jobs, take pride in their work, and be a motivated worker.
Save time finding candidates by aligning with hiring services for people struggling to find jobs. Organizations and government agencies that help the unemployed, immigrants, people with disabilities, and people who are looking to re-enter society after jail time can bring candidates to you.
#4. Speed Up the Hiring Process
The rest of the working world is having to speed up the hiring process to prevent losing interested candidates. This is just as important when recruiting for undesirable jobs, if not more so. If someone is on the hook for one job, but the manager or owner waits too long to hire the candidate, they could very easily be hired somewhere else. If the job has some major strikes against it, nothing else should run candidates away.
Fostering a reputation in the community as someone who hires quickly could boost interest in the job. If someone’s out of work and they feel pretty sure they can get a job in a week rather than a month, or a couple of days rather than a week, they’ll often quickly take that opportunity. A great way to speed up hiring is by using Recruiteze as well. Our resume management systems and free recruiting software makes hiring a breeze. Keep reading to learn more.
#5. Advertise as Hard as Everyone Else Does
Mindfield wrote a post on the hiring struggles of convenience stores, and they made an interesting point. Youth looking to enter the workforce see fast food chains, supermarkets, and retail stores as the places to apply for their first jobs and convenience stores just get passed by on the way to apply. A mixture of societal norms and advertising make this happen. But who says that youth might not like to work at the convenience store that is conveniently (sorry but I had to) located near their home, which is perfect for someone getting their first job or anyone working without a car.
But people may not think about working at a convenience store when fast food restaurants and retail stores are advertising in newspapers, on job sites, and on social media, and they are already the first places people think of for a first job. People don’t usually seek out sanitation work either. Business owners must advertise. If they do it as aggressively and intelligently as other business owners do, they could get some excellent returns.
It’s also important to sell the job to make it compete with other advertisements. Put creative advertising out there to speak to people who would actually like the job, and make advertising funny or eye-catching to the people to be targeted. Also, create an employer brand. It’s basically building a reputation so worthy candidates will come to you. As Mindfield also pointed out, make sure to use the internet. That’s where most people find jobs these days.
#6. Improve the Company Culture
So, the job may be physically demanding, involve less than enjoyable work, or have unusual hours, that doesn’t mean business owners shouldn’t work to make it a pleasant atmosphere in every way they can. Even the most demanding and unpleasant environment can be rewarding if the work is appreciated, if coworkers are supportive and/or enjoyable to be around, or the work seems meaningful.
Company culture is for every business. In fact, it’s already there. The problem is, if the business owner isn’t aware of that fact, the company culture is probably terrible. The management style, the policies, the people hired, the quality or lack of feedback, and benefits make up company culture in each and every business.
If someone in any industry has been hiring bodies to fill a space and then treating them in whatever manner most quickly or cheaply gets the job done, that’s a whole different kind of unpleasant job and one there’s no excuse for. If a business owner with an undesirable job invests in their employees and creates a good company culture for them, they may create a better place to work than many other businesses have.
Where possible, provide benefits like:
- flexible hour options
- shorter work weeks
- help paying for the commute
- vacation time (even if it’s not paid for)
- encouragement to relax and take care of their health like a game or relaxation room or stress management courses
- healthy breakfasts or lunches
- Opportunities to perform different tasks to break the monotony and build skills
These benefits cost little or no money, but they’ll be invaluable to employees. Get creative with what the business can physically offer, what it can afford, and what the employees most want and need. It doesn’t have to be grand or expensive, it just must show appreciation and invest in the employees’ wellness and satisfaction. This is an investment like any other with real returns like increased productivity, higher retention, and shorter time-to-fill rates.
Conclusion
Recruiting for undesirable jobs should be much more like recruiting for any job. Managing the workplace for optimum recruitment and retention should also be more like any job. The only difference should be the type of work done and the work requirements. These factors may not be for everyone, but some people will prefer it. To some it will be worth it to get something else from the job, and to others it could be an appreciated step to something else. Don’t sell the candidate or the job short.
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