How to find qualified professionals without spending a penny? Unfortunately, you are unlikely to be able to hire experienced staff with a zero budget. However, there are several ways to find the right people without too much hassle. In this article, you will learn how to save money in your overall recruiting budget.

6 ways to find employees for free

1. Use free message boards.

As the saying goes, free cheese is only in a mousetrap, but with job boards, this is not the case. Some of the most popular jobseeker sites allow you to advertise your jobs for free. All you have to do is write a job posting to describe the position and post it on one or more free job posting sites.

If you've tried free job posting sites but didn't get enough qualified candidates, or got too many inappropriate appeals, don't be in a hurry to say goodbye to those sites. Instead, experiment with your vacancy: write a more informative job title, add important responsibilities, mandatory requirements, include a few benefits about your company that will grab the attention of potential candidates. Here are some ideas on how to write an effective job posting.

2. Advertise jobs on social media.

Social media can work in the same way as free message boards. Share your current job offers with numerous potential candidates. You can start with LinkedIn as it is a professional social network where people want to learn about job opportunities. Post open vacancies on your company's LinkedIn page, and ask colleagues to share the offer on their social media.

Besides using LinkedIn to find employees, you can also try Facebook and Twitter. Facebook has vacancy groups based on professional interests and industries, and on Twitter, you can use relevant hashtags to target candidates with experience.

3. Create SEO-optimized job advertisements and job pages.

It is one thing to post your vacancy on the website, but it is another thing to convince those who are looking for a job to apply for your open position. You can advertise your vacancies on numerous job sites and social networks. But how do you attract experienced employees, especially in areas where competition is fierce?

You need to make sure your ads stand out. You can do this through Search Engine Optimization. Fortunately, you don't need to be an SEO expert to do this. Here are some basic rules to keep in mind:

•   Use your regular job title. Candidates are not looking for sales guru or java master jobs. Instead, they are looking for positions such as sales manager or web developer.
•   Make your text easy to read. Solid chunks of text with no paragraphs or lists are off-putting, especially for candidates who use their smartphone to view vacancies. Use      bulleted lists to break up your content and use headings.
•   Include relevant keywords. You don't need (and shouldn't) use jargon too much, but candidates are more likely to find your job posting if you mention job-related responsibilities, skills, and tools.
•   Add images and videos. The more appealing your job posting looks like, the more likely it is to appear on the first pages of a search engine.

4. Ask for recommendations from friends or colleagues.

Have you ever wondered how much money you spend advertising jobs for people you already know? Even if you don't know them personally, someone from your company might know them. So why not ask colleagues to recommend suitable candidates for an open vacancy? Referring employees is one of the best ways to find suitable candidates for free. You will not only reduce advertising costs, but also speed up the hiring process, as you can push these recommended candidates forward in your recruitment process.

5. Create databases of candidates.

In any company, there may come a time when the HR manager or your director says, "I need employees immediately." And then you will need to find a quick way to find qualified employees. If you're running out of time, it's worth taking a look at past job seekers you've interviewed before. There may be good candidates among them, but you had to reject them because they were more suitable for other vacancies that were not open for you at that time.

Re-examining past candidates helps streamline the hiring process (posting a job posting, viewing resumes, talking to candidates) and contact them right away to see if they are interested in your open position. This is a huge time-saver and also a good solution if you need to cut your recruiting budget. 

6. Attend job fairs or host open houses.

This method may not be 100% free, but it is still a relatively inexpensive method of finding employees for mass recruiting. In one day or even a few hours, you can contact dozens or even hundreds of potential candidates, as well as conduct a preliminary check.

Plan your own recruiting event: an open house where potential candidates can visit your workplace, chat with your team members, and learn about your job opportunities. This will increase your chances of finding the right employees as you get the opportunity to showcase your company's culture and ultimately attract candidates who will enjoy working there. An added bonus is that team members can share their experiences with candidates.

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