As in other processes, there are some good practices to follow in recruitment too. By following these practices, organizations can get the best from their talent acquisition processes and ensure the entry of top talent into the organization. Let’s take a look at some of them:
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Create a talent pool
Sourcing is a tough job that takes up a lot of time. Therefore, always going back to square one every time you have a new opening is a huge waste of time, which can be remedied by having a talent pool that you can dip into whenever you need to. It is a good idea to invite applications from prospective candidates even if you don’t have immediate openings so that you know whom to turn to when you do have one. Also, you might not even know it, but there might be a candidate who can fill an important role even when he or she did not apply for it.
Therefore, source effectively and optimally so that you have your talent pool ready as and when you need it.
Training recruiters
Even though they are often the first point of contact for candidates, organizations do not take care to train their recruiters and make them create a favorable first impression with the candidates. Also, recruiters have the very important job of being the first screeners for a position, and as such, their intuitions also play a big part in recruitment. Therefore, care should be that they are up for the job. This might mean training, and you need to provide it for them if they, and ultimately, the organization, have to be successful.
Getting communication right
Communication is one of the most important aspects of recruitment. If you expect your candidates to have excellent skills, you should reciprocate the same. Your recruiters, your interviewers, and all the stakeholders in recruitment need to ensure that the flow of communication is smooth and unhindered. Communication gaps create delays, and worse, lead to bad hiring decisions, which will be harmful to the organization. There should be a proper communication channel in place, with stakeholders responding immediately to eliminate delays in hiring.
Measuring recruitment:
Not many organizations do this, but those who do not, will miss out on the benefits, and have a poor recruitment process. Measuring the recruitment process to understand its deficiencies will allow organizations to close them, and ensure that things are being run in an optimal manner. There are a variety of things that can be measured — time taken for the entire recruitment cycle, cost of a hire, average delays, and so on – that will give stakeholders a better understanding of the process.
Employing technology:
Using technology will significantly improve recruitment and ensure that the process is optimal. Recruitment technology comes with the applicant tracking system, which allows users to streamline the process. The ATS helps with sourcing, resume management, communication, and scheduling. Its dashboard will allow users to know the status of the process at a glance.
Considering candidates holistically
Sometimes, interviewers fall for the flash, and make their decision in haste, which can lead to a bad hire. Therefore, it is necessary to go past the bling and consider the candidature holistically so as to make better decisions.
Accounting for culture:
Not accounting for culture is a huge mistake that many organizations make. Culture has a lot of impact on the organization and the employees, and it is important to hire candidates who will fit and enhance the company culture instead of someone who does not find a place there at all. In the hurry to fill a position or if they find a candidate who ticks most of the boxes, managers sometimes hire candidates who cannot impact culture positively. This is no good, and one must always account for culture while making the hiring decision.
Rejecting when in doubt:
The position you have is not someone’s birth right – he or she will have to earn that position, and earn it handsomely. If the candidate ticks some boxes and does not tick the others, there is no need to compromise and hire. It is completely ok to reject when you have the least bit of doubt. This doubt can be in anything – integrity of the candidate, expertise, and so on. However, it is imperative to not let personal biases cloud judgements. But if you legitimately have a doubt, please go ahead and reject the candidate. There is a huge talent pool out there, and it might take some time, but you sure will get the right person.
Getting employees to refer:
As mentioned earlier, sourcing is a tough job, not the least for the due diligence it entails. However, if you can skip this step while still not compromising on it, you can save a lot of time. This can be possible if your own employees refer candidates. Not only will this save time but also costs in sourcing. Also, the candidates will be better-informed, and since they made the decision to attend the selection process after knowing about the organization, they are more liable to stick with you. Also, referrals show you how much your employees value their positions at your organization.
Recruitment is a combination of multiple factors, and following some of the above practices will help you recruit better and smarter.
