Acquiring talented employees is crucial to any company’s success in the long run. While the most extreme consequence of a bad hire is financial loss, there can be other negative outcomes; low employee morale, risking the reputation of your brand, loss of faithful customers, and increased costs to replace an unqualified candidate can all slow down a company’s productivity.
A candidate might be a great fit on paper, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will excel once they’re in the office. To ensure you hire candidates that will add value to your company, take a look at the following tactics you can use throughout the hiring process to attract qualified leads.
Identify the Role and Recognize Its Needs
What specific role do you need to fill? What experience, qualifications, and traits would a candidate need to do the job well? It is important to understand the specific position you’re advertising for and how that position plays into the overarching goals of your company. Before even looking for potential employees, it’s imperative that the hiring team develops an effective recruiting plan based on the level and requirements of the role. That means deciding how, where, and when you’ll begin the task of filling the job.
Write Quality Job Descriptions
One of the most important factors in attracting quality candidates is being able to properly communicate what the job entails. Provide a concise job title, a clear list of all the responsibilities and qualifications, and any other important information a job seeker may need. Being too broad (or too specific) can attract the wrong pool of candidates and waste time and energy in the process. Including a summary of the work environment and any special perks will also set you apart from competitors, ensuring top talent is attracted to your company.
Utilize Effective Screening Methods
Once you know the exact requirements of the job, you need to decide how you will screen the interested candidates. Do you need to conduct a preliminary phone interview? What about collecting writing samples or reviewing candidate portfolios? What questions do you need to ask in an interview? Determining the proper screening methods for the position will uncover the best hires and saves you from wasting resources on unqualified leads.
Treat the Hiring Process as an Extension of Your Brand
From accepting an application submission to extending the final offer, every aspect of your interactions with a potential employee should be treated as an introduction to the company’s brand. Not only is it smart business to maintain a consistent branded tone, but it also provides an easy method of determining whether a potential hire fits into the brand’s vision. And remember, candidates should be treated with as much respect as valued customers because they will be quick to spread the word about your company – whether it’s good or bad.
Engage Positively with Current Employees
Maintaining a positive relationship with your current employees can lead to great hires through referrals. Current team members are more likely to encourage desirable candidates to apply for the open position if you routinely demonstrate the value of being employed at your company. Receiving referrals from current employees also reduces the risk and costs of open recruiting.
Make Your Hiring Process Efficient
An inefficient hiring process is one of the leading mistakes companies make that cost them great candidates. Taking too long to make a decision, rescheduling interviews, and being late to meetings all signal a high level of disorganization that can cause major frustration for candidates. Even if the potential hire is excited about the job, it’s likely they will search elsewhere if they feel that the company would be a difficult place to work.
Check References
While the resume, screening, and interview process may give employers a positive perspective of the candidate, checking a potential hire’s references will help you get an even clearer picture of their work ethics. By talking to past managers, you will be able to learn about job performance issues and undesirable personality traits that might not have come across in the first few rounds of the hiring process. To ensure you get the best hire possible, this is a step you won’t want to skip.
Conduct Background Checks for Potential Hires
The last step before onboarding a new team member is completing a background check. It’s your last chance to gain any crucial information before sealing the deal to make sure the candidate won’t end up being a liability for the company. ShareAble for Hires, Transunion’s new service for background checks, gives you a background report in a matter of minutes if you’re pressed for time. Use these reports to look more closely into the potential hire’s employment history, criminal record, and prior addresses to be extra certain they are the person they claim to be. This last step may seem like overkill, but it’s critical to ensure you know of any potential risks before you put the new hire on the payroll.
