The modern recruiting process is much different from what it used to be. Today, all information about the candidates you’re interested is within reach. You just need to google their names.
Still, the hiring manager faces too many challenges. The online world helps us to create the image we want others to see. This means that the perfect candidate might not be that perfect after all. They just hired someone to polish up their LinkedIn profile.
How do you attract and hire the best candidates in your organization? Follow these tips from HR pros:
1. Find Out What the Candidates Want
In the 2016 Recruiter & Employer Sentiment Study conducted by the MRI Network, the pros were clear: this is a candidate-driven market. 62% of employers and 86% of recruiters agreed to that.
Since the candidates are controlling their own future, it’s important to play by their rules. Find out what the workers in your industry want! Understand what they don’t like regarding their current jobs. Provide training that helps your employees get more qualified. That’s something everyone wants.
2. Create a Powerful Experience to Attract Candidates Your Way
Marienne Michels, HR manager at EssayGeeks, explains that the recruiters should create a great experience to make their offer more attractive.
”Job candidates are not having fun during the recruiting process. They are attending stressful interviews, they are negotiating the pay, and they are waiting for your decision. We need to change that. It’s important to follow up with them when you say you will. Make the interviews as fun as possible. Let the best candidates meet some of your finest employees and feel how amazing it would be for them to work for you. Make them want this job. Otherwise, you’ll lose the best talent to other recruiters.”
3. There’s Talent Shortage, So Focus on Training
One result from the 2016 Recruiter Nation Survey by Jobvite was particularly interesting: 65% of recruiters recognized talent shortage as the most serious challenge in the hiring process. What does this mean?
Since there’s lack of available talent on the job market, you’ll have to make really great offers to attract people who already work for competitors. You can do that, or you can work on the development of the talent you already have within your organization. That’s easier to do.
4. Make Your Employees Part of the Hiring Process
Max Nierste, a recruiter at Formstack, explains that the recruiter should not work alone. ”Involve your employees in the hiring process,” – he says. We view hiring as a two-way street and want to provide an opportunity for the candidate to talk to multiple people at the company while also providing our employees an opportunity to be a part of the hiring process. We have final interviews that are two to three hours long and split into three parts.”
Peer interview, culture interview, and wrap-up interview – those are the three parts of the process Nierste recommends.
5. Give Them Time to Adapt
When you hire new people in your organization, you won’t be impressed from the very first day. On an average, it takes 8 months for a new employee to reach full productivity.
This means you have to give these people time to adapt to the new working conditions. Moreover, you have to provide proper support throughout this process. You should be accessible to answer questions and help them deal with the tasks. Instruct your employees to accept new people in the office culture and make the transition easier for them.
6. Seek Personality, Not Book Smart
Richard Branson knows how to hire the right people, right? Well, this is one of the rules he lives by: ”The first thing we look for when hiring new staff is personality. In my eyes, personality always wins over book smarts. Company knowledge and job-specific skills can be learned, but you can’t train personality. We look for people who are friendly and considerate, and who like working with others.”
Remember: when you want to hire the right people, you have to focus on the candidates’ personality. Everything else can be learned.
7. Form a Bond!
80% of people would base the decision to take a job on the personal relationship they form with the hiring manager during the interview process.
When you’re interviewing someone, you can appear as the cold, overwhelming employer. Or, you can form a bond with the candidate and make them more interested in your offer. That’s the better option.
Recruiting is not an easy job. In fact, you carry a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. However, it’s also an interesting job when you approach it the right way. Hopefully, the tips above will help you reach your full potential.
Chris Richardson is an editor and a blogger from London. He is passionate about writing, traveling, and photography. Chris loves to meet new people and talk about modern education and technologies. Find Chris on Facebook and Google+.