Making sure that you have effective recruitment processes in place heading into the new year is one of the best ways to recruit new people and help your business grow. Making a wrong hire can be costly, not only in the wallet but in productivity and time. No one wants to have to recruit for the same position twice, so getting the recruitment process right is vital and means that you will be able to delegate more and have better confidence in your team. We looked at five ways in which you can improve your recruitment.
1- Write better job descriptions.
When recruiting, it can be tempting to cobble together a job description as quickly as possible with a list of role requirements and responsibilities of the person you are replacing.
Pumping the brakes and taking some time to review the job description and specifications will pay dividends down the line. Putting together a detailed job description that nails down the needs of the role and the business and lists the qualities of your ideal candidate will help when it comes to sifting through CVs and interviewing and removing the temptation to go off gut feeling.
When you are writing your job description, you might also decide that it makes sense that some of the duties of the role may be better split or moved to other people in the business.
Please read our blog about prioritising your recruitment here
2 - Get your timing right.
January is a busy time in recruitment circles; ask any recruiter. It's usually the time of year that big recruitment drives start, and the job market also comes alive with people looking to improve their working lives as a new year rolls in.
This means that your jobs will be competing for airtime more than at any other time of the year, so you need to ensure that your recruitment efforts and job advertisements/descriptions are on point.
If you do consider recruiting at less popular times of the year, you may see reduced competition for job seekers and also be able to get more for your budget as job boards and publications may give you better rates.
Lastly, don't rush into anything. If now isn't the perfect time to recruit, you could consider taking on someone in a fixed-term or temporary capacity until you have defined the role and found the ideal time to take someone on.
You can read our blog about changing up your recruitment practices here
3 - Review your recruitment partners and PSL.
Some companies choose to have a list of recruitment agencies they prefer to work with, known as a PSL (preferred suppliers list). Having a PSL can have some great benefits for your recruitment; it is also wise to review this from time to time to ensure that they are performing.
Having such agreements and relationships in place means that expectations and service levels are usually agreed upon in advance. Knowing what to expect from your recruiter can save you time and ensure a consistent quality of service.
Using a small group of recruiters also means that they will understand your business and its needs, how it works, and the kind of workers that will fit your culture.
Read our blog on how having a close relationship with a recruiter that knows your industry here
4 - Leverage your existing staff
As well as being a fantastic ready-made pool of in-house candidates, your existing staff can be a great source of referrals as they will usually have a network of contacts in similar positions or roles as themselves. You should make sure that all of your job vacancies are advertised internally and on your company's social media channels and actively encourage your employees to share them with their own contacts.
Your existing staff can also help with the recruitment process by giving feedback on your job descriptions. Share it with them before starting the process and ask them for their input. This way, you will hopefully tailor your description to find people that will fit better and work well within the team.
Lastly, ensure that you ask for feedback when employees leave via exit interviews. Getting feedback like this is one of the best ways to improve employee retention, addressing any problems as they arise.
You can read our blog about how to attract the best talent to your business here
5 - Make sure that your employee value proposition is on point.
Your EVP is your Employee Value Proposition. It's the unique set of benefits that your employees receive in return for offering their skills and experience to your business.
Ensuring that your EVP is unique, relevant, and exciting is crucial. Developing a compelling and robust employee value proposition will help you retain top performers and help attract top-notch external talent.
Defining your employer brand clearly within your EVP will show clearly what your business embodies and how any new potential hires values might fit in with the organisation. Use this to draft your EVP and consider questions like;
- Does it fit within your businesses objectives?
- Does it make your company different from everyone else?
- Does it show what it's like to work at your company?
- Is it inspiring?
- Does it appeal to different groups?
Work with your existing team to see if your EVP resonates with them, draft in some people from the external market (LinkedIn would be great for this) to see if it would attract them to come and join your business.
You can read our full blog about how to make sure your Employee Value Proposition is on point here
How can we help?
Making recruitment processes faster, more responsive, and more effective is essential for many organisations. Working with an experienced recruitment agency can be a significant step toward achieving this.
Employment Solutions can help you review your current recruitment and interviewing processes to identify potential efficiency gains, eliminate unnecessary steps, and remove any barriers preventing your organisation from accessing the talent it needs.
To learn more about how Employment Solutions help you streamline and improve all aspects of your recruitment processes, call the team on 0161 839 5353, or complete the contact form below, and we will get back in touch at your convenience.