Recruitment can be hard to get right. For your business to reach its potential, it needs the right employees, with the right skills, and the right values. But how do you make sure you’re offering the job to ‘the one’?
Having a solid recruit and selection process in place is all you need. To help you on your way, Citation’s HR Business Partner, Jenny Ware, has some expert intel for you.
1. If you don’t already have one, implement a ‘refer a friend’ scheme. Generally, employees will only put people forward they think will represent them well, so you’re more likely to get access to a stronger pool of candidates who’ll be a good fit for the position and business.
2. Make sure you involve the right people in the recruitment process, and incorporate practical examples where possible. For example, if you manage a marketing department, you could introduce the candidate to the team to see how they gel with the people they’d be working with day in, day out. It’s better for both parties to gauge this type of thing before a prospective recruit starts.
3. Follow a robust recruitment plan to get a feel for how the candidate reacts to different situations and people. So, for example, you might conduct a short phone interview in the first instance, followed by a face-to-face interview to run through their experiences and get to know them, and then finish with a hands-on test. This could be anything from putting a presentation together, to demonstrating their mechanical skills – depending on your business.
4. Don’t just focus on their skills and experience. Pay particular attention to candidates’ personality and values, to make sure they’ll fit in with your business’ culture. Having the best team doesn’t just rely on expertise, it requires excellent teamwork, morale and relationships too.
5. Broaden your job advertising efforts and consider both traditional routes – like the local paper and workplace billboards, as well as agencies and job boards. The same way you wouldn’t get the best deal if you only shopped at one store, you won’t attract the best employees if you only advertise on one channel.
6. Make sure your process is professional, slick and quick. The recruitment stage isn’t just about candidates impressing you, you’ve got to show them why they should want to come and work for you over other businesses, too. Avoid losing great candidates because of poor or slow communication, by remembering to keep them warm and engaged between touch points.
7. Don’t cut corners when it comes to your job description and person specification. These are the first points of contact you’ll have with candidates, so if they don’t stand out you run the risk of losing great employees before the process has even begun. Make sure every job description and person specification you go out with is accurate, enticing, professional and, of course, non-discriminatory.
8. During the interview, ask candidates why they’re leaving their current role. Establishing this can help you get a better understanding of what they’re hoping to achieve, and scamp out their long-term fit within the business. Conversely, it could potentially rule out people who’re leaving due to under-performance issues, or those who’re using you as a ploy to get more money from their current employer.
From recruitment and contracts of employment, to managing sickness absences and dismissal procedures, if you’re in need of any HR & Employment Law support, Citation – the experts – have got you and your business covered. Just given them a call on 0345 844 1111 or visit them at citation.co.uk to find out how.
Further reading on how to recruit talent
