Is Your Recruiting Process Still in The Dark Ages?
The HR recruitment industry is worth more than £140 billion. While that might seem like a lot of money, it's nothing compared to the expense of hiring the wrong candidate or failing to fill a gap in your team.
Employees are the assets that make a company thrive. Without them, you can't produce outstanding products and services, delight your customers, and earn amazing profits.
Unfortunately, it's becoming increasingly difficult for employers to find the right talent.
In this era of skill shortages, organisations need to know how to grab their ideal applicant's attention and keep it. That means not only writing great job descriptions but also adjusting the recruitment process to suit your recruits.
If your hiring strategy is still slow, complicated, or confusing, then it's time to make a change. Here are just some of the signs that your recruitment routine is still in the dark ages.
1. You're Not Prepared Enough to Hire
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Preparation is crucial to successful recruitment. There's only a handful of people out there with the right education, and attitude to fill your open role. If you don't approach the right hire first, then someone else will.
To make sure the good candidates don't get away, make speed a priority. That doesn't mean rushing through the interview and hiring the first person you meet. Instead, know what you're looking for from the start, and make sure you have the authority to make the final call.
A good way to save some time is to make a list of hard and soft skills you think your venture needs. Maybe you're looking for a high-performing professional with experience using the latest accounting software, or insight into tax legalities. Compare each applicant to your list, while keeping an open mind.
2. You Don't Follow Up Fast Enough
Once you find the right individual that you might want to hire, it can be tempting to wait and see if someone better comes along. It's rare to find a candidate that ticks all the boxes straight away but holding on for the perfect hire might mean that you miss out on a great opportunity.
Even if you need a few more days to decide, one of the biggest things that can sabotage your hiring process is failing to stay in touch with the people that apply. If you interview on a Wednesday afternoon, call the person you spoke to on Thursday and let them know they'll have a decision by the same time next week.
Simply keeping talent informed can be enough to stop them from actively seeking opportunities from other brands. Just remember, no matter how polite you are, you can't expect a job seeker to hold on forever.
3. You Aren't Clear Enough
Lack of clarity can quickly turn a great hiring process, into a slow and confusing one. If you want to recruit the best person as fast as possible, then you don't have time to sift through dozens of applications from people who aren't right for the role.
A specialist recruitment agency can help you to avoid this problem, but it's also helpful to work on improving your job descriptions too. Job specs are your first opportunity to showcase your company to a potential hire. This means that they need to demonstrate the value of your business, while also outlining what will be expected of the employee.
Double-check any descriptions for complicated phrasing, industry jargon, or unclear wording. Use your list of essential skills to draw attention to the traits that are most important for your organisation too.
4. Your Process is Too Complicated
Most people are happy to prove themselves to a potential new manager, but they might not have the time to jump through endless hoops. If you have an eight-stage recruitment process including telephone interviews, follow-ups, and group challenges, then it's time to condense and refine.
Start by defining who needs to be involved in choosing a new staff member. For instance, an HR representative for your business can conduct a telephone screening interview to narrow down your pool of candidates, before sending them straight to the hiring manager, who can make the final call.
The fewer people involved, the fewer hurdles someone will need to jump in order to join your team. This means that you're less likely to lose qualified choices because they're too overwhelmed by your process.
5. You Don't Have an Employer Brand
Finally, in an era where company culture and engagement are buzzwords for every industry, it's important to make sure you have an established brand. The right brand will attract the top-tier talent to your door by showing them what they can accomplish as part of your team.
With an employer brand, you can answer any questions a candidate might have about what it's like to work for you through your reputation. This can speed up the interview process.
What's more, if you've earned prestige through employee reviews and case studies, then your new recruits might be willing to give you more leeway in other parts of the hiring process. A job seeker will naturally be more patient with someone who they believe is going to give them the opportunity of a lifetime.
About First2Recruit
First2Recruit, are an owner managed recruitment consultancy providing a full recruitment service including; permanent and FTC position in Accountancy Practice and Insolvency across the UK.