Here are samples of things different organizations are doing to find, attract and hire the people they need:

• Zappos offers new employees payments equivalent to one month’s salary to leave. This helps ensure that those who stay truly want to be there.
• In Australia, IKEA placed “career instructions” in its products’ flat-packed boxes, attracting thousands of quality applicants through the pool of existing customers.
• Microsoft has included a small puzzle for software developer applicants that, when solved, reveals a phone number.
• CarMax geared one of its successful recruitment campaigns around referrals, encouraging employees to wear a blue bracelet that reads, “Who do you know?” The band helped to break the ice between employees and their networks.
• Disney maintains a dedicated Twitter account for careers, which posts job openings and tips for job seekers and recruiters. It provides an insight into the company’s culture and links to the company’s more formal careers page.

For more thoughts on hiring, read the latest issue of The Edge of Service, Issue 14: Hiring for Service: It’s Time for a Rethink.