You’ve worked hard to build your business, and now, it’s time for your business to work hard for you. A business is only as exceptional as the people in it, and a strong recruitment process is necessary to find those people.
You know the basics of hiring:
- Write a job description
- Market the position
- Interview
- Hire
Perhaps you have just been going through the motions of hiring on autopilot. We thought we would dig a little deeper on how to:
- Build a robust recruitment process to give you a leg up
- Get more than enough of the perfect candidates in front of you
- Convert them to long term hires
1. Know What You Need
Most of us start with the job description, but before you write one, take a step back and do a little detective work. Make sure you understand the role inside and out.
Know which candidate skills and qualities are a must and which are preferred. This will assist you in writing a thorough and engaging job description that will attract candidates and allow you to follow through on promises.
2. Write a Job Description
According to Allegis group, 72 percent of hiring managers believe they provide clear job descriptions, while 64 percent of candidates disagree.
Your job description is a tool that gets candidates excited about a role and that recruiters can use as sales ammunition throughout the recruitment process. Write a dynamic description that is unique to your company.
Highlight results and impact rather than just requirements. Paint a picture of what the role entails and what success will look like. Don’t be afraid to use a casual tone, so candidates perceive you as friendly and human.
3. Build Your Talent Pipeline
Build and nurture your talent pipeline. Make sure your careers page reflects who you are as a company and is attractive. This may be a candidate’s first contact with your company to make a great impression.
But don’t stop there! Attracting candidates isn’t just about posting on job boards or career pages. Candidate sourcing is also an essential part of your pipeline, and actively seek out people who would be a great fit for your team via Social Media or networking events.
Also, don’t overlook the resources you already have. Employee Referral Programs are currently the top source of hire, and the hiring time tends to be faster and retention longer than other sources.
4. Now It’s Time for the Interview
Interview processes vary from company to company. A standard process starts with a phone interview, which is typically conducted by the person recruiting for the role.
A few questions to ask:
- Are there red flags?
- Are their motivations in alignment with yours?
- Do they fulfill your “must haves”?
Also, keep in mind that if this is a sourced candidate, you may need to sell the job as they aren’t coming to you-you are coming to them.
Now, move on to the onsite interview. This interview is the determining factor, and from it, you will decide whether to move forward with the candidate or let them go.
That’s why it is important to have a game plan before you go in. Several main points that will assist you in conducting an unbiased and productive interview are:
- Identify what you are looking for in a candidate before they come in.
- Standardize your questions.
- Make notes and track your candidates.
- Collect interview feedback quickly while it is fresh on everyone’s minds.
5. Reference checks
After you have made the decision, it’s imperative you follow through with checking references and doing any background checks required. Take a few minutes to do some online research about the best questions to ask.
You will be glad you did. There are a lot of candidates out there that look great in the interview but aren’t so great once they get to work.
6. Make the Offer
You’ve found an awesome candidate— other companies will think so too. Move quickly. Don’t risk another company coming in with a competing offer.
When you extend the offer be slow and thorough. Gauge their reactions. Ask questions to find out if they have any reservations. Remind them why they are a great fit for the company as the company is for them— and anything they may have said alluding to that in the interview.
What happens when you make an offer or source a candidate that isn’t quite ready to take on the role, but you know that they would be a perfect fit?
Manage and nurture the relationship, and reach out at meaningful times. Check in with them at times when you know their circumstances may have changed.
7. Keep Improving Your Process
Recruiting new talent is an ongoing process that you must keep improving upon.
Look at what sources are leading to hires, your candidate to hire ratio, your hiring time ratio, and your conversion rates. Measure your success and take note of where your hiring process falls short.
The Candidate Experience
The process of recruiting top talent is a straightforward one, but don’t get so caught up in the mechanics that you forgot the most important aspect of the hire— a positive candidate experience.
According to LinkedIn’s 2015 Talent Trends report, 83% of talent say a negative interview experience will change their mind about a company they once liked.
87% say a positive experience will change their mind about a company they had doubted. Nothing turns a potential new hire away than a bad experience in the hiring process.
Building a Stellar Team
We hope these insights into the recruitment process help build your ever-growing POU, OCS, or OEM business. Growing your business isn’t just about selling the right products and services. It’s about building a stellar team.
We are proud to have one here at The Waterways! Please let us know if there is anything we can do to fulfill your water dispenser needs!