A common sports saying goes “Your team is only as strong as its weakest player.” There’s a reason the saying has stuck around—while it may seem cliché, it’s also true. In the analogy of a company as a sports team, the same mentality holds up. Your organization will only perform as well as all its employees do. That’s why every recruitment decision is important, from entry-level employees to seasoned experts. Keep reading for helpful tips and practical tactics on smart hiring.
Do Your Research
Before posting a job to start the hiring process, ensure you’ve done your due diligence around job title and similar roles elsewhere in the market. If you’re looking for a specific type of candidate, researching other opportunities on the market can help you anticipate what their expectations might be. And remember, total compensation doesn’t just include salary—it includes other factors like equity and benefits. The more you understand the current job market, the smarter your hiring will be.
Keep An Up To Date Pipeline
Sometimes you need to fill a role fast—other times, you might have a bit more flexibility on the timeline. It’s difficult to predict what timeline or level of urgency a specific role might entail. That’s why another smart hiring tip is keeping a robust—and up to date—candidate pipeline. Applicant tracking software (ATS) can help you track and manage potential candidates.
Be Proactive, Not Passive
This smart hiring practice goes hand-in-hand with our previous tip. While you can, and sometimes should, reach out to potential candidates with a cold email, it helps when you have had previous contact. Plus, nowadays you can’t always rely on candidates to reach out to you first. Today’s smartest hirers are also the most proactive when it comes to candidate engagement.
Align Internally At The Start Of The Hiring Process
Similar to doing your research externally, you’ll want to align internally before beginning the interview process. If after the initial screening you decide to interview a candidate, the hiring manager and committee should know exactly what to expect—that way you can communicate with the candidate on what they can expect. For example, if your hiring process involves quantitative scoring, ensure that every member of the hiring team is properly briefed on what they should be looking for and what it means to score both high and low. A disorganized interview process will only discourage a candidate and could even result in them losing interest in the role. When it comes to smart hiring, setting a strategy is only as important as your team’s ability to rally around and execute it.
Use Smart Hiring Tools
For smart hiring, you have to use smart tools. Luckily, there’s no shortage of modern technology and software designed specifically to hit recruitment goals. Some smart hiring tools include:
- Programmatic recruitment software: Programmatic recruitment software, like pandoIQ, takes the guesswork out of the recruitment process, making smart hiring more attainable. pandoIQ uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze data and make decisions, including where to post your job ads and how much budget to allocate.
- Applicant tracking systems: These help recruiters manage applicants during the hiring process, from screening to scheduling interviews to checking references.
- AI-enabled conversational software: Conversational AI can radically improve candidate engagement and their experience by initiating outreach and even by automatically scheduling interviews with qualified candidates.
By following these tips and tricks, you can make your hiring even smarter.