25 Great Ways to Find the Right People and Not Break the Bank

Are you trying to hire dozens of hourly workers or a senior executive? Where do you look and how do you get the word out? There are many ways to find the right people besides placing want ads.

Here are 30 innovative and inexpensive ways to expand the pool of potential applicants. Pick and choose the ones that "fit" your company and your budget.

  • Place ads on TV and radio, in the movie theater, at bus stations and airports, etc.
  • Register to list your open positions with your state and local employment service.
  • Recruit a more diverse workforce by setting up booths at minority fairs and events.
  • Maximize employee referrals through a well-publicized bonus and reward program.
  • Work with the chamber of commerce to post positions and inform you of new arrivals.
  • Hire and train entry-level workers through "Welfare-to-Work" and other federal programs.
  • Track applicants who went to another company and re-contact with them at periodic intervals.
  • Search out and woo non-traditionals ? men, minorities, retirees, ex-military, career changers, etc.
  • Tell everyone you know ? accountants, bankers, clergy, boards, even hairdressers ?about openings.
  • Use internet employment sites such as monster.com, myjob.com, etc. Post positions on your own website.
  • Stop in at community centers, churches, etc. - introduce yourself - and say, "I'm looking for workers."
  • Start a speaker's bureau and speak at church job clubs, high schools, college campuses, military bases, etc.
  • Begin internships or apprenticeships for high school and college students to introduce them to your company.
  • Cultivate relationships with community organizations such as churches and clubs and ask them to refer promising applicants.
  • Ask your best people to give you the names of three other first class people they know who might be persuaded to come on board.
  • Contact career transition firms, relocation companies, real estate agents that come in contact with spouses looking for positions.
  • Create a first-name relationship with state welfare and job service officials so that they will remember to refer job seekers to you.
  • Network at trade shows, work the crowd to identify possible candidates, and then maintain contact with the best until an opening comes up.
  • Track local companies' announcements of layoffs, relocations out of the area, mergers or shutdowns. Work with the company to set up a recruiting fair.
  • Place recruitment ads at civic, church events, fire departments, high school sporting events, senior citizen centers, shopping malls, Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.
  • Ask new hires which people they would recruit from their former companies and colleges, because talented people tend to recognize other talented people.
  • List open positions on job hot lines and websites of professional associations as well as with outplacement firms who counsel a variety of job seekers.
  • Stop limiting your recruiting to "the best" universities and big company candidates. Many of the best hires can be found at state colleges and at smaller organizations.
  • Ask current successful employees what they do in their leisure time. If you find that many of them have similar interests outside work, set up a booth at those events.
  • Train managers to capture the names and email addresses of impressive people they meet at conferences. Over time, create a talent database and send them a regular email newsletter.
  • Marcia Zidle, the 'people smarts' coach, works with business leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job ? to grow and increase profits. She offers free help through Leadership Briefing, a weekly e-newsletter with practical tips on leadership style, employee motivation, recruitment and retention and relationship management.

    Subscribe by going to http://leadershiphooks.com and get the bonus report "61 Leadership Time Savers and Life Savers". Marcia is the author of the What Really Works Handbooks ? resources for managers on the front line and the Power-by-the-Hour programs ? fast, convenient, real life, affordable courses for leadership and staff development. She is available for media interviews, conference presentations and panel discussions on the hottest issues affecting the workplace today. Contact Marcia at 800-971-7619.

    In The News:

    Yahoo! News: Top Stories

    President-elect Barack Obama makes remarks on the nations economy, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009, at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)AP - President-elect Barack Obama's proposed tax cuts ran into opposition Thursday from senators in his own party who said they wouldn't do much to stimulate the economy or create jobs. Senators from both parties agreed that Congress should do something to stimulate the economy. But Democratic senators emerging from a private meeting of the Senate Finance Committee criticized business and individual tax cuts in Obama's stimulus plan.



    Palestinian demonstrators use sling-shots to hurl stones at Israeli soldiers during a demonstration against Israel's military operation in Gaza, in the West Bank village of Bilin, near Ramallah,Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009. Israel resumed its Gaza offensive Wednesday after a three-hour lull to allow delivery of humanitarian aid, bombing heavily around suspected smuggling tunnels near the border with Egypt. Despite the heavy fighting, strides appeared to be being made on the diplomatic front with the U.S. throwing its weight behind a deal being brokered by France and Egypt. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)AP - The U.N. Security Council called for an "immediate" and "durable" cease-fire in Gaza in a resolution Thursday night even as fighting between Israel and Hamas raged — with early morning airstrikes killing seven Palestinians and pushing the death toll to about 760 in the near two-week conflict.



    Rep. Jack Franks (D-Woodstock) votes to recommend the impeachment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to the House during an Illinois House Impeachment Committee hearing Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009, in Springfield, Ill. The committee voted unanimously to recommend impeachment putting the matter before the full house.  (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)AP - A key panel unanimously recommended impeachment for Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Thursday, setting up a vote that could make him the first governor to face such fate in Illinois' sordid political history. Blagojevich should lose his job for abusing power, mismanaging government and committing possible criminal acts, including federal allegations he tried to sell off a U.S. Senate seat, the special committee concluded.



    A medic (top) with the US Army's 6-4 Cavalry treats a soldier for dehydration near an observation point overlooking Combat Outpost Lowell in eastern Afghanistan January 9, 2009. REUTERS/Bob Strong (AFGHANISTAN)AP - U.S. policy to win in Afghanistan must recognize the poor nation's limitations and its neighborhood, especially its intertwined relationship with U.S. terrorism-fighting ally Pakistan, the top U.S. military commander in the region said Thursday.



    Vice President Dick Cheney pauses during an interview with the Associated Press at the White House in Washington Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)AP - Vice President Dick Cheney said Thursday that he sees no reason for President George W. Bush to pre-emptively pardon anyone at the CIA involved in harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists. "I don't have any reason to believe that anybody in the agency did anything illegal," he said.



    Gabrielle Rae holds a photo of Oscar Grant while attending a BART board of directors meeting on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009, in Oakland, Calif. Speakers criticized the transit agency for its handling of a New Year’s Days incident involving a BART police officer who shot and killed Grant, an unarmed 22-year old. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)AP - In grainy cell-phone videos played over and over on the Internet, police officers force an unarmed black man to the ground and hold him face-down on a crowded train platform. Suddenly one of the officers draws his gun and fatally shoots the man in the back — then looks up.



    AP - An anti-tax group will consider new legal action after a California appeals court tossed out a lawsuit that sought to block tax increases passed by Democrats in the state Legislature, the group said Thursday.

    The east side apartment building where Bernard Madoff remains under house arrest is seen Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009, in New York. Prosecutors said Thursday that investigators found 100 signed checks worth $173 million in Bernard Madoff's office desk that he was ready to send out to his closest family and friends at the time of his arrest last month. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)AP - Prosecutors said Thursday that investigators found 100 signed checks worth $173 million in Bernard Madoff's office desk that he was ready to send out to his closest family and friends at the time of his arrest last month in what is alleged to be largest financial fraud in history.



    AP - A funeral home might be a place for eternal rest, but police say an Arkansas man saw an opportunity to build a methamphetamine lab undisturbed by the living. There was just one problem — the funeral home was across the street from the sheriff's office.

    Florida's Tim Tebow (15) throws a pass over Oklahoma's Auston English (33) during the third quarter of the BCS Championship NCAA college football game in Miami, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)AP - Tim Tebow took over for Florida and the top-ranked Gators grabbed a 14-7 lead over No. 2 Oklahoma after three quarters at the BCS national championship game Thursday night.



    Israeli soldiers take their positions during Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip January 8, 2009, in this picture released by Israel's Defence Forces (IDF). Israel is bent on halting Hamas rocket fire on its southern towns. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the goal that 'quiet will reign supreme' in the area had not been achieved. A decision on further military action 'is still ahead of us', he said. More than a dozen rockets hit southern Israel on Thursday. (Doron Keren/IDF/Handout/Reuters)Reuters - The U.N. Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip but Israeli warplanes launched intermittent attacks on Friday.



    President-elect Barack Obama at a news conference in Chicago, December 7, 2008. (Jeff Haynes/Reuters)Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama warned on Thursday the U.S. economy could stay mired in recession for years without bold action and he urged lawmakers to work day and night to pass a massive stimulus plan.



    People taking the Long Island Foreclosure Tour arrive at a foreclosed home for sale in New Hyde Park, New York in this May 17, 2008 file photo. Citigroup could soon agree to principles that would let troubled borrowers save their homes through bankruptcy, sources familiar with the talks said on Thursday, while industry groups are easing their opposition to the plan. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)Reuters - Financial giant Citigroup Inc will support a proposal in Congress to rewrite U.S. bankruptcy law to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, Chief Executive Vikram Pandit said on Thursday.



    Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich gestures as he announces former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris as his choice to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat of President-elect Barack Obama during a news conference in Chicago, Illinois December 30, 2008. (Frank Polich/Reuters)Reuters - A legislative committee on Thursday recommended the impeachment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, citing widespread abuse of power including allegations he tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.



    Usama al-Kini, Al Qaeda's operations chief in Pakistan, is pictured in this undated FBI Most Wanted photograph. Al-Kini, also known as Fahid Mohammed Ally Msalam, and a top aide are believed to be dead, a U.S. counterterrorism official said on January 8, 2009, in what appeared to be the latest results of a campaign targeting the militant group's leadership. Operations chief al-Kini was thought responsible for attacks, including the bombing of a Marriott hotel in Islamabad that killed 55 people in September, and an unsuccessful attempt to kill former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was later assassinated in a separate attack, the official said. (FBI/Handout/Reuters)Reuters - Al Qaeda's operations chief in Pakistan and a top aide are believed to be dead, a U.S. counterterrorism official said on Thursday, in what appeared to be the latest results of a campaign targeting the militant group's leadership.



    Reuters - Some friends of accused swindler Bernard Madoff considered him a "warm and charming" man, and one of his alleged victims praised him just before his death in 2005, Fox Business Network reported on Thursday.

    Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (L) delivers remarks after being announced as the new Democratic National Committee chairman by U.S. President-elect Barack Obama in Washington, January 8, 2009. (Jim Young/Reuters)Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama named Tim Kaine as head of the Democratic Party on Thursday, rewarding an early supporter with a high-profile political post even as he continues to serve as Virginia governor.



    A man works near a pressure gauge at a district heating plant in Skopje January 8, 2009. (Ognen Teofilovski/Reuters)Reuters - Europe on Friday looked for a swift restoration of gas supplies, after striking a deal with Moscow on monitoring gas shipments via Ukraine that have been halted by a rancorous pricing dispute with Kiev.



    An Israeli army tank takes position on a hill at the border between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip on January 8, 2009. Israel was under intense pressure Friday to end its two-week-old offensive in the Gaza Strip after the UN Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire as the death toll from the war rose past 760.(AFP/David Buimovitch)AFP - Israel was under intense pressure Friday to end its two-week-old offensive in the Gaza Strip after the UN Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire as the death toll from the war rose past 760.



    A man carries firewood in the suburbs of Sofia, Bulgaria. Hopes for a quick resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe were rising Friday after Russia agreed on the terms for the deployment of monitors in Ukraine.(AFP/Dimitar Dilkoff)AFP - Hopes for a quick resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe were rising Friday after Russia agreed on the terms for the deployment of monitors in Ukraine.




    Interviewing Candidates: 3 Ways to Avoid Snap Judgments

    Have you ever hired the wrong person? If so, perhaps you are... Read More

    Follow Up: It Makes A Difference

    A while back the headlight switch on our minivan quit working, so... Read More

    Identifying Potential in Ourselves and Others

    If there is someone nearby as you read this look in their... Read More

    Business is About Making Money

    Ask most people why they are in business and they will give... Read More

    Profound Knowledge

    We all are on a quest for knowledge. Whether its information that... Read More

    Romford Accountants: Accountancy Firm Roles and Responsibilities

    If you own or operate a business in the UK, especially in... Read More

    The Seven Cs: Partnership Danger Signs - Competitive, Not Complementary Action

    A series of articles exploring the seven critical areas that can indicate... Read More

    Character: Is It Necessary In Leadership? (Part Two)

    In the first part of this two part article, I talked about... Read More

    The Art of Motivation and Need Fulfillment

    Industrial/clinical psychology and applied psychiatry have made tremendous strides in understanding human... Read More

    Avoid These Seven Deadly Dangers Of Outsourcing

    Here are seven dangers of outsourcing your software development. They become deadly... Read More

    Business Intelligence & Data Warehousing in a Business Perspective

    Business IntelligenceBusiness Intelligence has become a very important activity in the business... Read More

    Managing Change in the Workplace

    Change is exhilarating. Change is terrifying. Change is badly needed around here.... Read More

    Planning For Growth

    Are you planning your business or are you planning your... Read More

    Where Businesses Fall Short

    1. No vision. Successful businesses have a clear vision or picture of... Read More

    Increase In-House Nursing Homes Collections

    The following nursing home collections report outlines 11 guidelines you can follow... Read More

    Leading Bad Actors To Be Good Performers

    A successful leader told me, "The biggest challenge I've had in my... Read More

    Building Trust in Your Business Relationships - 10 Steps

    There are some simple things you can do with your people to... Read More

    When Business Becomes A Battlefield

    "We have to be careful it's like a minefield out there" "I... Read More

    PR Still a Mystery to Some

    Unfortunately, there are managers who define public relations by its applications. Which... Read More

    Why Employees Are the Best Source of Cost-cutting Ideas

    Cost cutting has become a necessary and important reality in the modern... Read More

    Five Steps to Successful Business Succession

    The great majority of family businesses in North America are still owned... Read More

    The DNA of Motivation

    It really is about motivation. After all, what impels someone to climb... Read More

    Let the Professionals Help You Out - Outsource

    As your website grows in terms of attracting more footfalls, generating more... Read More

    25 Great Ways to Find the Right People and Not Break the Bank

    Are you trying to hire dozens of hourly workers or a senior... Read More

    Listening Strategically

    Usually, we're most interested in communicating outwardly; getting our messages out to... Read More

    10 Fool Proof Ways To Intensify Your Profits

    1. Create benefit intensifiers for your list of ad copy benefits. Example,... Read More

    Creativity and Innovation Management: Goal Setting

    Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation... Read More

    What Every Manager Should Know About How to Conduct Successful Meetings

    Do you announce a meeting and find either no one shows up... Read More

    Turbo Charge Your Career With The Most Powerful Leadership Tool Of All: The Leadership Talk: Part 1

    Leaders speak 15 to 20 times daily. You speak at meetings, you... Read More

    Get Meeting off To a Great Start

    When asked what part of their job they find a major time... Read More

    In Leadership, The Critical Convergence Drives Great Results

    The Leader's Fallacy lives! We subscribe to the Fallacy when we believe... Read More

    The Changing Boss-Secretary Relationship

    THE CHANGING BOSS-SECRETARY RELATIONSHIP: Imagine a partnership at work. One member is... Read More

    Dividing The Loot

    It is when the going gets better, that the going gets tough.... Read More

    7 Steps To Hire The Best

    You can use this step-by-step method to hire applicants who are likely... Read More

    Your Organization Is Only as Good as Your People

    Let's begin by singing the jingle from an old US Army commercial.... Read More

    Creative Writing - business principles produce more quality work, faster

    Maximization methodologies have long been used in business to produce quantities of... Read More

    Innovation Management ? Rigorous data analysis

    Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation... Read More

    Sarbanes Oxley 404 Compliance - How Nov. 15, 2004 Deadline Affects You

    Fast Relief for Sarbanes Oxley Section 404 ComplianceSection 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley... Read More

    Whatever it Takes!

    I have a sign on my office door. It pretty much summarizes... Read More

    Business Leadership Skills - Managing the Human Being Behind the Business

    Managing the Human Being Behind the Business It's a common... Read More

    Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Senior Management and Directional Change

    This article relates to the Senior/Top Level management of an organization, and... Read More

    Innovation Management ? Reducing Hierarchy

    Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation... Read More

    Organizational Culture and Creative Blocks ? the Similarities

    Few Decision makers see the link between between creativity and innovation management,... Read More

    Do You Really Care What People Think?

    You had better care! Because what people think usually leads to predictable... Read More

    The Seven Cs: Partnership Danger Signs - Conflict Becoming the Norm ? Part 2

    A series of articles exploring the seven critical areas that can indicate... Read More

    Choices in Appointing International Managers

    Globalization is requiring companies to make important choices about how to deploy... Read More

    Are Your Meetings Smart?

    Soon after I finished a brief seminar on how to accomplish more... Read More