Tips for Employers to Improve Their Hiring Process

Are your clients aware of how to create and improve the hiring process to increase employee quality and retention? A hiring process is a step-by-step method of finding, recruiting, and hiring employees. A robust hiring process will attract and retain high-quality employees. Your clients can likely enhance their hiring process to serve their business needs better.

Hiring new talent is a critical role within just about every business, and it’s more complex than simply reviewing resumes and conducting interviews. There are many recruiting mistakes that can deter a qualified candidate from wanting to entertain the thought of employment with a specific company, from poorly crafted job descriptions to lack of communication. However, a strong hiring and onboarding process will significantly help to hire the best candidates. The specific elements of a hiring process are unique to each company and the position. However, there are general steps that can be followed to attract and hire qualified candidates. Most hiring processes include basic steps like recruiting, interviewing, screening, hiring, and onboarding employees. But, your clients can take it a few steps further with these tips.

Build a Strong Employer Brand

Most professionals are passive candidates who are not actively looking for a job, but are open to new opportunities. Building a strong employer brand will reduce employee turnover and attract passive candidates to one company over others.

Individuals are much more likely to apply for a job if the employer is actively managing the brand by responding to reviews, updating the company’s profile, and sharing updates on the company’s culture and work environment.

When focused on building a well-known employer brand, active recruiting will not be needed as much. This will help the organization to become highly sought-after with many applicants.

Move as Quickly and Efficiently as Possible

Oftentimes, the best candidates will no longer be on the market within just a quick 10-day span. It is imperative to act quickly, especially when there is a specific applicant that a recruiter has their eye on. Even if a decision hasn’t been made yet, it is helpful to frequently follow up with the candidate to discuss further details of the position, ensuring that the job stays on top of mind. Employers must promptly respond to any questions or concerns, so candidates are updated throughout the process.

Write Better Job Descriptions

All too often, recruiters write descriptions with a long list of responsibilities and requirements, but this can actually alienate qualified employees.

There are two approaches that can be taken. A “Needs-Supplies approach” focuses on what the company can do for the candidate, and the “Demands-Abilities approach” focuses on what the company expects from the candidate. Applicants who respond to Needs-Supplies job listings are rated higher than those who responded to the Demands-Abilities ads.

It is helpful to focus on what the company can do for potential employees to attract candidates who better fit the needs.

Embrace Digital Trends and Social Media

Most people want to work for companies that keep up with digital trends. Part of embracing this digital era means that recruiters should utilize social media profiles for candidate research. Most employers conduct a standard background investigation on applicants, but a social media profile can offer even more details about a candidate as a person and an employee, for better or for worse.

It may be a legal risk to use a candidate’s social media activity to factor into a hiring decision, as it can lead to unconscious bias or discrimination, but it does allow for a clearer picture of an applicant.

Fit the Personality to the Job

Employers must keep in mind that skills can be acquired, but personalities cannot.

During the selection process, recruiters should consider how a candidate’s personality traits align with the daily job tasks. For instance, someone that easily can show empathy isn’t really needed for a tax attorney or a computer programmer job as opposed to a nurse or a social worker.

The type of person that is hired depends on the culture of the organization and the kind of job. An individual with tons of skills may be a good fit for one job position and a poor fit for another, simply based on their personality type.

Improve the Interviews

New employee failures often result from flawed interview processes. Interviewers must stay on topic, have plenty of time, and have confidence in their interviewing abilities to pay attention to red flags.

The job interview process should focus on making sure new hires are technically competent, whereas other factors that are also crucial to employee success, such as coachability, emotional intelligence, temperament, and motivation – are often overlooked.

Prospective employees should be allowed to interview the company as well. Letting candidates ask questions gives the hiring manager a chance to see what’s important to them and determine if they want to keep pursuing a job at the company.

It is best to be open and honest about what it’s going to be like to work for the company, with a realistic preview of the work environment.

Keep an Eye on Reviews

Potential employees often seek insider information about companies they are interested in working for, such as salary estimates, interview tips, and employee reviews. Most people nowadays will read company reviews and ratings before deciding to apply for a job. Top candidates may not even apply in the first place if they don’t like what they see and will not take a job with a company that has a bad reputation, even for a pay increase.

Candidates can be drawn in by a company that is active on review websites and that posts accurate information. If there are negative reviews from former employees, the company culture should be reworked before trying to fill any open positions. It is in an employer’s interest to improve employee retention for more positive reviews that will attract quality employees.

All in all, to improve the recruitment cycle, your clients should embrace technology, build a positive company brand and online reputation, and improve the job descriptions and interviews.

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