By Acara Solutions Account Executive Gina Milonas

Your hiring manager told you about those two or three priority staffing orders they “need to fill right away” … but they’re not quite sure who they’re looking for … that job title is not quite finalized … and communications are starting to slip.

In my 10+ years of working in the staffing industry, I’ve worked with, seen, or heard about recruiters who struggle to close “priority orders.” Does this sound like you or a client you know?

Here are three benefits to filling those high-priority orders—and a few tips on how to make it happen.

1. Fill positions quicker.

Here’s the bottom line: you will lose candidates if you can’t make quick decisions from the get-go, but where to start? According to this SHRM article by Roy Mauer, the first thing a hiring manager should do is prioritize recruiting efforts according to job impact.

But how can you do that? Here are a few things to consider:

• Compensation does not necessarily determine which job has a high or low impact on your business
• Your most impactful jobs are the “commercial or moneymaking” jobs, as Mauer puts it
• How unique is the skill set needed? Will it be easy to find this person in the marketplace?

If you’re looking at two different jobs to fill—but you can’t decide which one to fill first—work with your recruiting partner to determine which one has the higher priority. I cannot stress this enough: it does not matter who you’re working with to fill priority staffing orders at your business—you must communicate with them early and often.

To help prioritize the most impactful jobs in your organization, check out the 4-part process Mauer points out in his SHRM article.

2. Maintain positive relationships.

I hate to sound negative, but if you can’t make decisions in a timely fashion, you will lose credibility with your job candidates, which will cause them to lose interest in your company, which will cause you to lose quality leads, which will cause you to lose money. Starting to see a pattern?

If you’re in a pinch and don’t have much to offer a job candidate at the moment, find ways to keep them engaged until you can reel them in.

Your job candidates aren’t the only people you should be conscious about communicating with. What about your recruiting partner? The longer it takes you to communicate your needs or update your progress, the worse your relationship becomes.

As professional recruiters, we work impossibly hard to make sure you get the talent you need when you need it, but if the efforts aren’t reciprocal, it can put serious stress on the relationship (and vice versa).

3. Enhance your brand.

Does your company have a strong presence on social media? Are your job descriptions interesting? Are you creating content that appeals directly to your preferred audience? There’s a whole slew of reasons why your brand is so important, and even more recommendations for you to consider. For example:

Forbes: Five Tips to Create A Winning Employer Brand

ValueWalk: First Person & Employer Branding: How to Use a Valuable Resource?

Spark Hire: 6 Employer Branding Techniques You Need to Know About

A strong employer brand will appeal to job candidates who appreciate your enthusiasm for a strong corporate culture, attractive design (online and off), and examples of employee appreciation. In short, it’s easier to close a job when the candidate wants to work for you.

Are you interested in more insights about talent and recruitment strategies? Let’s connect on LinkedIn!

Until then, visit the Acara Solutions Resources Page for more tips, topics, and trends. And don’t forget to check us out on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.