A Guest Post by Leanna Todd
Recruiting new hires can be an arduous process. Often there are lots of applications to look through and you can’t determine who will be a good fit from a piece of paper. Like most businesses, you want to hire top talent, and because of that recruiting top talent is intensely competitive. However, if you follow these four tips to streamline your recruitment process, you’ll have a team of all-stars in no time.
Connect With People
Networking seems like an obvious step to recruiting, but what really matters is how you network. Networking effectively takes conscious planning of where your efforts are best spent. For example, if you go to a generic job recruiting event looking for a computer programmer with a specific skill set you may find a few applicants.
However, you are much more likely to find success at a tech or programming-specific job fair. The same philosophy applies when seeking referrals from your network. Instead of asking if they know any tech workers, ask specifically for an experienced computer programmer; even include some of the top skills you are searching for. You are much more likely to get in contact with the candidates you want this way.
Utilize Technology
One of the biggest advantages you have in the recruitment process is how much modern technology has advanced. Social media is a magnificent hub for internet traffic, and due to its popularity, it is a wonderful recruitment tool. Sharing everything from photos of company events to job postings on social media exponentially increases the audience you can reach. Even if someone on your immediate friend list isn’t the right fit, they may know someone who is exactly what you’re looking for. Additionally, online job boards get thousands of views every day, and just like in-person recruitment events, there are niche job boards for specific industries. Lastly, you can hire professional talent acquisition who have years of experience in finding and connecting you with the candidates you need.
Value Candidate’s Time
You get one chance at a good first impression, so set the tone of the kind of boss you want to be and the company culture you want to have from the first hello. People, especially experienced candidates, do not want their time wasted. You should set yourself apart by communicating very clearly not only what it is that you are looking for, but also the benefits that you can offer in return. Workers with a lot of experience have seen a lot of job postings in their time. So many that in fact, they can decide whether it’s worth applying or not in just 14 seconds. However, when writing your job post remember that part of being clear is being concise. If candidates wanted to read a book they would go to the library. Someone searching for a job is reading multiple postings a day and thus shorter job posts have almost 10% more applications per view.
Listen, Don’t sell
When it finally comes time to interview your selected candidates, think about how best to get to know them. Yes, traditional interview tactics such as background checks and issuing a test assignment to see their skill level are wonderful tools. However, neither of those things tell you about who they are as a person. In the interviews, get them talking about themselves. Ask questions about what they are most passionate about in their field, what was their favorite past job and why or why they are seeking a new job. All of these things give you more insight into what inspires them, motivates them and keeps them happy rather than you trying to sell them on your company.
People are complex, and so of course the process of understanding and recruiting them is too. However with these fool-proof tips, and a little professional help, you’ll have the edge you need to recruit your dream team.
Also published on Medium.
