These days companies find it harder to attract and hire new talent using the traditional job board or career site postings. Some have been able to fulfill effective hiring needs using innovative recruiting strategies, although there’s no cookie-cutter or one-size-fits-all solutions.
Examples of the such creative recruiting strategies can range from offering innovative games to potential participants and identify best potential hires, going undercover trying to poach the right talent from competitors or even creating a cryptic billboard ad to redirect right candidates to apply.
Example of employers offering games to hire future potential hires include the China division of global consulting agency Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu which created a “virtual office tour” game for potential hires to actively take part in gaining familiarity with the company’s day-to-day activities and also the company’s culture, strategy and goals. Marriott International launched the “My Marriott Hotel” to attract potential hires to manage a virtual hotel and then gain interest with the hospitality industry.
Gyro International, a London-based ad agency, started 2010 with the goal of growing its creative department by 50% and in order to achieve that they went undercover and convinced the local restaurant owners to replace 100,000 regular sandwich bags with Gyro bags with logos like “Should I Stay” or “Should I go” etc.
In 2004, Google launched a cryptic billboard in Silicon Valley read “{first 10-digit prime found in consecutive digits of e}.com”. Brainiacs who calculated the answer to the mathematical puzzle knew the billboard directed them to www.7427466391.com and then were directed to more puzzles/problem solving exercises that led to urging them to apply for applicable open positions in the company.