Recruiting staff is a big part of running a successful business. In the ideal world, we’d hire staff, train them, promote internally and have the same people working for us for their whole working life. Only needing to recruit occasional entry-level staff to fill positions as people rise up through the ranks or as our business grows and begins to need a larger team. The realities of modern business are a little different, however. On average, people have around ten jobs before they turn 40. We don’t stick with the same job from leaving school anymore. We move around. We don’t even stay in the same industry. So, try as you might to make your staff happy and look after them, your team will move on, and you’ll find yourself needing to recruit.
In many ways recruiting is easier than it’s been in the past. You can use the internet to advertise positions. You can hold preliminary interviews over the phone, and you can even use social media to find new staff. But, that doesn’t mean that it’s easier to find the right people. Which is what you want. Taking the time to find the right staff, instead of just those that are easy to find, means you’ll have a stronger team and a lower turnover.
Advertise a Clear Job Description
A problem that many companies have when it comes to hiring the right staff is that the right people aren’t applying. A vague or unclear advert means that you don’t appeal to the right people, or that you appeal to everyone and have to take time sifting through a mountain of applications. Make sure you clearly define the job that you are offering and be as specific as you can with what you are looking for. You’ll get fewer applications, but the ones you get are more likely to be the right fit.
Pre-screen Candidates
Whether you have ten applicants, or 100, interviews take time, and it’s hard to judge someone on just their CV. So, add a pre-screening phone call. Use this phase to make sure your candidates have the experience or qualifications that you need, and that they know what they are applying for. Then, if they get through, you can use the interview to dig deeper and assess personality.
Carry Out the Right Checks
Don’t just hire someone without first carrying out checks. You might want to do an employee background check, check references, and run a CRB check. Do these before making an offer where possible to save everyone time going forward.
Get Your Interview Right
Not everyone is great at interviewing potential staff. They spend time talking about their company and the job, trying to sell it to the interviewee. They fail to ask the right questions to make sure they get the person that they need. Go into interviews with a checklist and a list of questions. It’s great to chat and get to know the person that you are interviewing, but don’t get distracted from the job in hand.
