Evergreen Job Postings: The Timeless Approach to Recruitment

By August 23, 2023HR & Recruitment

Are you tired of constantly re-posting the same positions over and over? Evergreen job ads could be the answer.

Unlike traditional “one and done” ads, evergreen job postings stay open continuously, so there’s always a pipeline of candidates. This saves you from recruitment gaps when you have ongoing hiring needs to fill.

With an evergreen posting, applicants can apply at any time since these open jobs will remain open and be renewed often. For employers, it means you can continuously collect applications and tap the talent pool as soon as spots need filling.

Screening and assessments play a bigger role, too. You need to efficiently evaluate applicants on a rolling basis to uncover top talent and keep your pipeline filled. With an evergreen posting, you can focus on assessing the skills and competencies of applicants who have already applied rather than find new candidates.

Understanding evergreen job postings

Evergreen job postings, also known as evergreen jobs or evergreen requisitions, are a smart recruiting strategy for roles in your company that have a long recruiting process or a high turnover rate. These postings are always open, allowing your recruiters to keep a steady pipeline of candidates for mission-critical positions.

How evergreen job postings work

The term evergreen job postings refers to job advertisements that stay open continuously rather than closing after a set period. They don’t have an explicit end date.

The idea behind evergreen job postings is to attract a steady stream of applicants so your company is always well-staffed. By keeping these jobs open, you reduce the need to frequently open and close requisitions, which ultimately saves you time, money, and effort.

Using evergreen job postings keeps your hiring process efficient because you’ll have a steady pipeline of candidates ready to fill any vacancies that arise for those positions that have a constant need to be filled.

Evergreen job postings streamline your hiring efforts while ensuring that your company remains agile and well-staffed for the long term.

Where are evergreen job postings used?

Companies use evergreen postings when they have recurring needs for workers in a department for certain roles that regularly become open. For example, employers in health care make a point of having continual openings for nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals.

The advantage evergreen postings create is an ongoing supply of candidates in the hiring pipeline. Hiring managers can source and screen candidates on a rolling basis, then quickly fill spots as they become available.

Using evergreen job postings helps ensure timely and timely filling of critical roles that always need to be staffed. Instead of creating and posting a new requisition every time there’s an opening, the evergreen pool is already available, and the ad can be posted again until the right person is hired.

Application tracking

While managing evergreen job openings and listings, companies need to have a system in place to track applicants effectively. An applicant tracking system, or ATS, is essential to help you to handle a large volume of candidates efficiently.

When companies use an ATS, you can close old job openings and create new ones by duplicating the previous listings every 60-90 days, keeping your job postings fresh and updated. The ATS will help keep track of an applicant’s progress through your hiring process.

By using the right tools and crafting engaging job descriptions with a casual tone, you can attract and manage the talent necessary to fill your evergreen positions and maintain a continuously high-performing team.

Selecting the right candidates

Evergreen job postings give companies a competitive edge in talent acquisition. By leaving certain roles open long-term, their talent pipeline is always filled.

The first step is to get the job ad basics right up front. If that is done effectively, you will have several resumes to review to find the candidates you’d like to review further.

Using pre-employment assessments

When it comes to selecting the right candidates for evergreen job positions, pre-employment assessments can play a significant role in finding the best fit for your organization. These assessments allow you to evaluate an applicant’s skills, aptitude, and personality traits, enabling you to make informed decisions about whom to hire.

As you review each applicant’s resume, be sure to:

  •   Choose tests that are relevant to the job in question to ensure they accurately measure what you need
  •   Provide clear instructions so candidates know what to expect
  •   Use results to identify potential strengths and weaknesses of each candidate

TrueAbility is at the forefront of performance-based assessments. TrueAbility measures candidates on how they perform in real situations, not just how well they answer a multiple choice test, so that you can make better data-driven hires.

Industry leaders know the value of a strong certification program. Make a program even stronger by including real-world testing in a live technical environment.

Contact TrueAbility today to request a demo and find out how performance-based assessments can benefit your company.

Benchmarking and skills testing

Another key aspect of selecting the right candidates for evergreen jobs is benchmarking and skills testing. To do this, you should:

  •   Establish clear benchmarks for required skills and job performance
  •   Implement relevant skills testing to evaluate how well an applicant meets these benchmarks
  •   Compare the results of multiple candidates to determine who stands out

Some evergreen jobs, such as those in call centers or retail, often involve a large number of candidates, making it crucial to have clear benchmarks and tests in place.

With the right approach to pre-employment assessments, skills testing, and benchmarking, you can help ensure you make the best hiring decisions for your evergreen job positions.

Understanding hiring and turnover rates

Hiring rates tell you about your employer brand and your company’s growth velocity. Turnover rates indicate whether your team feels engaged and happy in their roles.

Together, these metrics can help you plan staffing initiatives, boost retention, and polish onboarding.

Defining turnover rates

Turnover rates represent the percentage of employees who leave a company during a specific period, usually an indefinite period of six weeks to a year. Tracking this metric is crucial, as high turnover rates can negatively impact your company’s productivity metrics, morale, and costs.

When you understand the reasons behind turnover, you can take steps to address any trouble areas and improve your retention.

Best practices for reducing turnover

Here are some best practices to help you reduce turnover in your company:

  •   Improve the hiring process—Make sure you’re hiring the right candidates for the job. Use assessments to make sure that you’re interviewing the best candidates for the position.
  •   Conduct thorough interviews—Make the most of your chance to speak with candidates and assess their skills, culture fit, and long-term goals. The better the fit, the more likely they’ll stay.
  •   Offer competitive compensation and benefits—Employees are more likely to stay with a company that provides a fair salary and benefits package. Regularly review and adjust your compensation packages to stay competitive in the market.
  •   Develop a more positive work environment—A supportive, inclusive, and enjoyable work atmosphere contributes to employees’ overall happiness and satisfaction. Encourage collaboration, recognition, and open communication to promote a positive workplace culture.

By following these best practices, you’ll be better equipped to reduce turnover rates in your company, improve employee retention, and create a more experienced, stable workforce. Remember, time spent on hiring and managing turnovers will directly impact your company’s success, so addressing these issues should be a priority.

Importance of communication in recruitment

Communication is the key to a successful recruitment process. It’s important to be transparent and keep candidates informed throughout the process to build trust and engagement and to be respectful of their time.

Effective use of job boards

Posting jobs on job boards is a common recruitment strategy, but to make it more effective, it’s essential to craft clear and appealing job descriptions.

By doing this, you’ll attract more job seekers and make the most of your job board usage.

Evergreen jobs and your talent pool

Evergreen jobs are positions that always need to be filled due to their nature, such as high turnover rates or a large volume of candidates required. Having an evergreen position or job posting means that you’re constantly updating and refreshing your talent pool.

Communication is important here – for instance, updating job seekers about their application status and informing them about future opportunities will help you maintain an active and engaged talent pool.

Candidate engagement

Engaging and maintaining relationships with potential candidates is a significant aspect of recruiting, especially for evergreen jobs. Your communication style should be casual yet professional, reflecting a friendly approach that helps candidates feel comfortable and valued.

Keep in touch with your prospects, asking for updates on their job search and providing relevant information about your organization. Remember, candidate engagement is key to creating positive experiences and can lead to successful hires in the long run.

Using software in evergreen recruiting

Software can be a valuable tool for evergreen recruiting. It can help to automate tasks, track progress, and manage data, freeing up recruiters to focus on more strategic activities, like building relationships with candidates and hiring managers.

Applicant tracking systems

When dealing with evergreen job postings, it’s essential to leverage software designed specifically for these continuous hiring needs.

One such tool is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

These systems can help you manage the entire recruitment process, from posting jobs to reviewing candidates and scheduling interviews. ATS can also make it easier to maintain postings for high turnover evergreen roles by allowing you to refresh job listings for evergreen positions every 60-90 days.

By using software specifically designed for evergreen recruiting, you’ll save time and ensure that the ongoing hiring process remains efficient.

Reporting and analytics

Staying on top of your evergreen recruiting efforts is crucial to ensuring your workforce remains staffed with the right people. One way to do this is by utilizing SaaS reporting tools and recruiting analytics solutions built into your ATS or HR software.

These various recruiting analytics tools can provide real-time data on your evergreen job postings and recruiting analytics and reveal valuable insights about your recruitment process, such as:

  •   Number of applications, interviews, and hires by position
  •   Average time to fill open positions
  •   Effectiveness of various recruiting methods and channels

By gaining access to these insights and metrics, you can make informed decisions on how to improve your recruitment strategy, enabling you to optimize your search and hiring efforts and better align with your company’s needs.

Remember to underestimate the power of reporting and analytics. These tools can be your key to building a successful, evergreen recruiting strategy that keeps your workforce strong and agile.

Understanding the role and impact of company culture

Company culture is extremely important in recruiting. A strong and well-defined company culture attracts candidates and helps retain employees.

When recruiters effectively communicate the company’s culture, work environment, and growth opportunities, they attract candidates who are more likely to thrive and contribute positively.

Internal vs. external hiring

Consider how new hires will blend into your company culture when filling an evergreen job posting. This will impact their longevity and employee engagement.

Promoting from within can have a positive cultural influence. Internal hires require less onboarding and quickly get up to speed, and they’re already messing with your company and its values.

External hiring injects fresh perspectives and diverse experiences that enrich culture, but it’s important to assess cultural fit during hiring, not just skills and background. A mix of internal mobility and external hires will keep your culture vibrant while staying grounded in your core values.

With thoughtful hiring choices, evergreen job posts can reinforce your ideal culture. New and existing staff will be engaged, connected, and empowered to deliver their best work each day.

Using employee referrals

Using employee referrals is another smart strategy to support your company’s culture while recruiting for evergreen positions.

Employee referrals are a win-win situation, as your employees become more invested in the success of the new hires they’ve recommended, and they’re more likely to refer candidates they feel will be a good fit for the job and the culture.

When implementing an employee referral program, consider rewarding employees for successful referrals. This could take the form of monetary incentives, additional PTO, or even public recognition.

Not only will this encourage more referrals, but it also encourages a culture of appreciation and recognition.

Handling common issues in evergreen job postings

Navigating common challenges in evergreen recruiting requires a strategic approach. Regularly refreshing job descriptions, using multiple platforms, and refining the screening process can keep the talent pool engaged and diverse.

By staying proactive, adaptable, and creatively addressing challenges, companies can ensure that their evergreen recruiting efforts remain dynamic and effective.

Addressing duplication

Duplicate listings can be a concern for evergreen job postings. To minimize this issue, use your applicant tracking system (ATS) to refresh the same job ad listing every 60-90 days by closing old job listings and creating new listings using the previous one as a template.

This process ensures you maintain a fresh and up-to-date job ad listing without creating multiple duplicate posts.

Managing high-volume phone calls and customers

Evergreen job postings often generate a high volume of applicants, calls, and potential customer interactions. To manage this efficiently, consider the following strategies:

  • Set expectations—Clearly outline the best way for applicants to reach out to you or submit their application, whether it’s through email, an application portal, or by phone. This helps to streamline communication and keep everyone on the same page.
  • Use technology—Tools like an ATS or an applicant portal can help you organize and manage applicant data, making it easier to sort through and assess candidates.
  • Create a FAQ document—Compile common questions and answers about the job position and application process, and provide them as a resource on your website or within your online job listing. This can help reduce the number of repetitive inquiries and save time for both you and the applicants.

By handling these common issues effectively, you can manage your evergreen job postings more efficiently and keep attracting high-quality candidates.


Frequently asked questions

When should you use an evergreen job posting?

It would be best to consider using an evergreen job post when your company has multiple positions or roles that constantly need to be filled, such as high turnover positions, seasonal positions, or positions with multiple employees doing the same job in multiple positions. This kind of job posting also allows you to continuously collect new applications, minimizing stress on current employees because managers can fill vacancies quickly.

How do you create an effective evergreen job post?

To make your evergreen job post stand out, ensure that it includes a clear and concise job description showcasing the required qualifications, skills, and responsibilities. It’s also helpful to provide information about your company’s culture and values. Including, for example, a video testimonial from employees who have worked in that role before might help confer trust and authenticity to potential applicants.

Is there a downside to using evergreen job postings?

While there are remarkable benefits to using evergreen job postings, they might also complicate the recruiting process. Since the position is always open, you could receive an unnecessary influx of applications, making tracking and managing candidates harder. To alleviate this issue, employers should regularly review and update the job posting itself and utilize an applicant tracking system or a pre-employment assessment platform to screen and filter candidates more efficiently.


Conclusion

As you’ve discovered, evergreen job postings are a useful tool for employers looking to continuously attract candidates for positions with high turnover rates or large volumes of applicants. These postings help streamline the recruitment process, allowing you to keep a steady flow of potential hires without constantly opening and closing job boards and requisitions, saving time and money.

By utilizing skills-based testing and pre-employment assessments, you can effectively select candidates for these evergreen jobs, ensuring the specific position is a good fit for both your company and the applicants.

Using evergreen job postings will help reduce stress on your current employees because your company will be positioned to hire faster.

Remember, adopting a more creative and innovative approach to recruiting, such as using evergreen job postings, can improve your chances of finding top talent. This strategy is particularly helpful in addressing seasonal demands or filling hard-to-hire positions.

Incorporating evergreen job postings into your recruitment strategy can greatly benefit your organization, keeping your talent pipeline constantly stocked with qualified candidates.

Try this approach, and watch your hiring process become more efficient and effective.

Jodi Mai began her career as a recruiter after college. She moved into an HR Generalist role and later, into HR management, working on such topics as employee relations, benefit administration, and payroll. Over the last 15 years, she has worked in the talent acquisition and management industry, and since 2018, Jodi has expanded to HR consulting and writing on HR and recruitment topics.

Learn more about TrueAbility—an industry leader in providing assessment testing and has experience offering testing, certification, and training to companies, such as Google, SUSE, VMWare etc.

About TrueAbililty

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