4 Unconventional Places to Look for Your Next Hire

Hiring is tough. Depending on the position in question, you often have a lot of competition and time constraints to deal with coupled with an already ever growing to-do list. In the past month we have talked a lot about how to streamline the hiring process and narrow down your candidate pool. But today I wanted to share with you four unconventional places to find a new employee. Hopefully this sparks an idea for your next hire.

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1. The Stay At Home Parent

Stay at home parents are a great resource when it comes to finding a new employee. They are often smart, organized and talented and their only real barrier to joining (or re-joining) the workforce is their need for a flexible, work-at-home schedule. If your business has the ability to accommodate such a request, then say so in the job description. My wonderful assistant is a stay at home parent, and does an amazing job of keeping me organized and on schedule from her home office. So, don’t let the idea of a traditional eight to five, Monday through Friday work schedule stand in the way of finding a great new hire.

If you have children yourself you can look to the PTA or school groups to find prospects or even pass out flyers at the school. If you don’t have kids, you can consider hosting a parent lunch at a local coffee shop or restaurant to network that way and connect with the community. I have also heard of people having luck sponsoring meetup.com groups for local parents.

2. Church

If you attend church, it’s a great place to network and find a new hire. Consider putting up a flyer on the church bulletin board or talking to others in the community to see who might be looking for a new position.

3. Next Door App

The NextDoor App is one that was recommended to me by several executive recruiters. The premise is a simple one, which involves a social platform for people in your particular neighborhood to keep tabs on things going on in the neighborhood, finding a local babysitter, identifying a lost dog. etc. But it can also be used to find potential employee prospects. Everyone on the app is close to your home or office, which would make an easy commute for anyone looking for a position.

4. Bumble Biz

This last suggestion is one that is pretty unconventional. Bumble is technically a dating app, but they have expanded offerings to help employers and employees make a match. You would go on and put your job listing, letting the network know that you are single and looking for a partner. And they would do the same. Then you could network and go from there.

If you are struggling to find prospects for a new hire, don’t be afraid to think creatively and look for candidates in unlikely places. You never know when the next prospect will turn up- or if they already live next door to you!