Recruiting and hiring the right candidate for your team can seem challenging. Candidates with the best skills may seem to have the wrong temperament for your company, while the best culture fit might need considerable training to complete required tasks.
But, surely, the right candidate is out there, and by polishing your hiring process, you can attract the right candidates, and hire the right employee who will fit best in the team, and contribute positively to achieving organizational goals.
Here are five steps you can take to transform your recruitment process:
1. Rewrite your job descriptions
If you don't seem to receive resumes which fit the bill, your job listings may be part of the problem. First, make sure your descriptions are clear, comprehensive and inclusive. Avoid unintentional bias in descriptions, whilst being as detailed but concise as possible.
2. Shorten the process
Streamline your communication, ensure that the applicant knows when they can expect a response and make it a priority to deliver what you have promised, whether the candidate is successful, or not.
3. Improve your interviews
While conducting an interview, make the experience as worthwhile as possible, for the both of you. Make notes about what skills the candidate has and what companies they have worked with before, and mention those to personalize the interview. Rehearse some standard answers to job questions so that you can present the work environment as a priority. Prospective applicants will be reassured when they feel that you have prioritized the hiring process.
4. Don't discount the personality factor
Unless you are recruiting for a very specific specialty, focus on personality just as well as skill set for hireability. While skills can often be taught, personality is crucial to ensure that the candidate will be a positive addition to and fit for the team.
5. Think of the future
Before you hire for the company's current state, ensure that you have reflected on the company's long-term goals. Look out for applicants who will be excited about navigating those with you, who will make a positive impact to the team, and positive contributions in the company.
Bottomline: Assess, Improve, and Grow - before you make any changes to your recruiting strategies, carefully examine what is not working for your company, why that may be, and what changes you can make that are relevant to where you stand.
Ultimately, you should find that more excellent candidates find your job postings and secure spots on your team. In turn, the time you spent improving your processes will prove to be a worthwhile investment.
