More than ever, businesses of all sizes are on the hunt for qualified employees. As has become increasingly clear, having the right employee can significantly enhance productivity, generate fresh ideas and boost workplace morale. So if your hiring process has thus far failed to attract the right applicants, now is a good time to reconsider that process and make improvements.
4 Tips to Ensure a Higher ROI on Your Recruitment and Hiring Process:
Don’t Rush into Hiring Just Any Employee
When a position opens in your organization, you can hurry to fill it or you can take some time to do it right. Avoid falling back on hiring shortcuts or settling for a candidate who “may work out.” Better yet, start looking for the best people before you need them. The best employers make a point of cultivating a talent pool of skilled individuals and approaching them for hiring when the time is right.
Make the job description as specific as possible. One reason you’re looking at a lot of “iffy” resumes may be that the job description you’ve posted is too vague. For each position, use language that emphasizes specific requirements, adding terms like “required” or “must have” to help weed out unqualified job-seekers.
Broaden your Potential Candidate Search
Yes, you can continue to advertise through online job posts, but don’t stop there. Encourage your HR rep or someone in that department to monitor various social media channels, where some of the best candidates regularly communicate with one another. Then invite the most promising individuals to join your company’s Twitter or LinkedIn networks. It’s a great way to stay in touch with the type of people you know are worth a second look.
Simplify and Streamline the Hiring Process
Too many companies have convoluted hiring policies and procedures. The result is bureaucratic inefficiency and an unnecessary expenditure of time, money and manpower – while risking the loss of a great candidate to a competitor with a more streamlined hiring process.
Consider taking these steps:
- Get rid of needless paper forms.
- Avoid getting caught up in consensus decision-making about each job applicant.
- Don’t over-customize hiring policies, depending on different departments and locations.
- Review the entire hiring process and eliminate anything that slows things down.
Standardize the Hiring Process, Including the Job Interview
Don’t hire “from your gut.” It’s a risky proposition to start with and the odds of success aren’t in your favor. The same principle applies to the job interview. Rather than invite the candidate into your office for a chat and planning to wing it, use a structured interview with the same questions asked of each applicant. Make sure the questions directly relate to the open position, based on specific language first employed in the job description. It’s the best way to eliminate personal biases from the process.
It takes time and effort to locate the right person for the job, but invariably, the effort is worth it. Taking a more disciplined approach makes it far more likely you’ll find the most qualified individual – an employee who can help your business grow.
