With today’s competitive marketplace, organizations are quickly finding ways to reach the best talent quickly. A lengthy and complicated hiring process will prevent you from locating the right candidates for your company. Many businesses make the mistake of assuming the hiring process is all about reading through resumes and calling candidates in for interviews. This lack of clear goals, structure, and vision leads to poor communication between the company and potential candidates.
Employee fit and skill match leads not only to improved team motivation but also more success for the business. That’s why it’s vital for hiring managers to dedicate the right time to the hiring process to ensure it’s optimized for best results. Not sure where to begin? Here are 5 ways to boost your hiring process.
1. Understand the Job Market
A lot of the problems with a company hiring processes stem for a poor understanding of the job market. Unemployment rates for qualified, experienced candidates is lower than ever. That means you don’t have much time to act if you stumble upon an outstanding candidate. The top performers are gone from the job market in only 10 days, which means you need to have a clear step-by-step process for finding the best applicants.
Knowing that the job market moves fast should be reason enough to speed your hiring process. Keep your candidates updated often, even if you’re not ready to give a formal offer. Candidates want to know you value their time and that you’re interested in working with them. Make sure the best performers keep your company on their radar, so they don’t feel tempted to go with another offer in the meantime.
2. Write Strong Job Descriptions
Job descriptions on popular job sites are the wild, wild west. They don’t always clearly communicate the company mission or the position expectations. Even worse, many exaggerate requirements or become so complicated applicants can’t understand what’s needed to apply. Your job description is your first line of defense towards attracting only the right candidates. A good way to gain more insight into the role is to encourage currently employees to use a calculator to determine how many hours are spent on different tasks throughout the day. Check here for an employee time tool. If you’re not clear about the role, qualifications, or how to apply, you’re missing out on the best fit.
Another way to boost your descriptions aside from clearly communicating is to emphasize what your company has to offer future employees. Does your organization have special benefits or a unique work environment? These are all selling points that score highly today.
3. Look to Social Mediaac
While you shouldn’t rely on social media to streamline your application process, you shouldn’t be afraid to utilize digital trends. Social platforms are a valuable source of insight into employee fit and background. While this comes with some risks, you can learn a more rounded picture of someone from what they post online compared to what they choose to include in their resume. Note that social media does not replace a traditional background check, and it should only be used as a supplemental tool when appropriate.
4. Industry Job Boards
Knowing where to post your application is as important as knowing how to hire candidates. Whether you’re hiring for tech careers or physician jobs, you want to target the right hiring boards. With so many oversaturated job sites across the web, the best candidates are looking to apply for boards that are created for their industry.
While you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket, it’s worth researching the top job listings and job sites for the candidates you’re looking for. Avoid posting your positions in places where they’re likely to be overlooked or where you’ll receive low-quality applicants.
5. Know When to Call a Recruiter
In a candidate-driven job market, you and your managers may not be the right choice for finding and hiring key employees. Just as you engage the services of professionals to handle such specialties as advertising or legal matters, consider using recruiters to help you with one of the most critical needs of your business. Recruiters know your market and can coach you on the effectiveness of your position description, the availability of talent and the cost of the talent you need.
They are also in a position to find out the reasons potential candidates may have for turning down your position before it’s too late. Because so many candidates today are passive job seekers, you need a recruiter to find them. Recruiters have the tools and the networks to uncover candidates that your methods will not surface, and they can approach your competitors to find the best talent.
Final Thoughts
The hiring process is only becoming more important as the job market continues to grow more competitive. Knowing how to strengthen your strategy so you can target the best candidates is key to staying ahead in your industry. As long as you’re making your candidates feel valued, you’re on the right track.
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