In a world dictated by employees where businesses are often competing for qualified and experienced candidates, hiring takes an unprecedented amount of time and money that could be spent elsewhere. In this article we’ll explore ways to speed up this process and reach your perfect candidate quickly and efficiently.
Accurate and thoroughly written job descriptions will help your hiring process
Despite being one of the most important parts of the process, job descriptions are often overlooked. Bad formatting, inadequate information, and lack of salary range are some of the most common issues. Writing an accurate, clean, and transparent job description will save precious time not only for the candidate but for yourself by reducing the number of unfitting applicants.
Not to mention the fact that this short advert is a first impression of your company to your perfect candidate.
Include a clear list of top qualities you need from your applicant as well as certificates and education. Make sure that you distinguish your requirements between the required and desirable qualities. This will encourage potential perfect candidates to apply, while also allowing people with the required qualifications to have a go.
One of the uncompromising shifts in the job market is the salary information. Due to recent employee-driven job market it’s a bad practice to advertise salary as ‘competitive’ or ‘dependant on experience. This gives out the impression that your pay is lower than the industry average. Therefore you should include at least a salary range.
Your Communication is Important!
Transparent and frequent communication throughout the hiring process is essential in order to keep the attention of your potential candidate. Remember, they might be applying for a multitude of positions and your way of communicating various steps of the process will keep their attention focused on you.
In terms of a bigger recruitment drive, you can use automated e-mail systems in order to keep your candidates in the loop. It will also save you time replying individually to every e-mail (especially those that simply notify the candidate that you received their application)
The important information might include:
- Length of the online application process (if applicable)
- Notification of the receival of the application
- Amount of time they’ll have to wait until areply
- What happens next (i.e an interview or skill assessment)
If you can, make sure that you address the candidate individually and by name (some automated systems can do it by themselves). This will give an impression to a candidate that he’s speaking directly to the employer and not an automated system.
Streamline your Screening Process
Remove any unnecessary steps from your hiring process.
One of the most common complaints about the applications is the need of filing a separate form highlighting candidate experience and skills in addition to uploading their CV.
Many candidates do not proceed with application upon seeing this as it’s perceived as wasting candidate’s time. Let them use their own prepared CV and cover letter.
It will also show you their individual spin and commitment to the application and will help guide your decision.
Evaluate your current hiring process by reviewing what is the purpose and accomplishment of various steps of the process. Then find out if you can remove some of these steps or introduce significant improvements (such as removal of aforementioned skills & experience web-forms). It’s also useful to find out at what point of the process applicants often choose to withdraw their application and continue elsewhere. Many automated hiring platforms offer the analytics service.
Use the interview time wisely.
It’s important to structure your interview in an organised manner. Prepare your questions in advance. Structured questions will allow you to draw easy comparisons between the candidates in the latter part of the process.
Ask in detail about their employment history and experience in order to truly verify if they have the necessary requirements for the job. It’s useful to ask why they decided to leave their last place of employment and why they want to work for you. It will reveal their intrinsic motivations behind their career change and help you make your final decision
Create a talent pool of unsuccessful candidates for future hiring.
By creating a database of previous candidates, you can quickly reach them when the new position is available. You can achieve this by gaining their consent to sign up for a newsletter or simply asking them for permission to be contacted within your application form.
Just remember to give them an option to unsubscribe at any time and be compliant with GDPR regulations.
Use a dedicated recruitment agency
One of the most proven ways to streamline your recruitment process is to leave it to seasoned professionals. They have access to a vast talent pool and can handle a vast majority of the hiring process for you, saving you time and money. The only thing you’ll have to do is an interview!
If you’re looking for the best hiring solution contact our team at 01524 840 622 or e-mail us at info@industrialworksolutions.co.uk