Recruiting can be hard, and it can be really difficult to make sure that you end up with truly high-quality candidates. If you are trying to fill some roles in your organisation, and you want to make sure that you have only the best quality candidates possible, there are a lot of things you might want to look into and consider to help this process along. As it happens, there are quite a few things you can do to ensure that you are finding higher quality candidates, and it’s worth knowing about these from the start.
In this article, then, we will look at some of these strategies, techniques and approaches that should mean that you have much better quality candidates applying for your roles. The result should be a stronger team, and a stronger business.
Build A Sharp Job Description
People need honesty, and to know what they will actually be doing if they are successful for the role. So it helps to build a strong, honest and realistic job description that people are going to find helpful. This should list much more than just duties. It should clarify what success in the role really looks like, the must-have skills as well as the nice-to-have ones, and how the role connects to the team’s goals.
Candidates who can actually picture themselves in the role as it really is are going to self-select more accurately – and these are the people you really want in the space.
Strengthen Your Employer Presence
This is something that a lot of people don’t think about, but it’s vital. People research potential employers heavily these days, just as much as employers research them. A strong presence will therefore help you to find and attract the right people. That means having a clear mission, a transparent culture, and active community involvement. This all helps to attract talent that resonates with your environment, and it means that you’ll get much more in the way of good quality candidates trying you out.
Even small companies can stand out with authentic communication in this way. Improving your presence is simple and doesn’t take long, but makes a huge difference overall.
Recruit Proactively
Too many HR teams end up being passive in their recruitment, but this is not the best approach. Waiting on applicants alone rarely surfaces the best fit. Proactive tactics include sourcing through professional networks and making use of recruitment agencies, as well as reaching out to more passive candidates. You should also make a point of hosting or attending industry events, where you are likely to meet more well-aligned individuals.
Quality often comes from people who are not actually job hunting, but are open to the right opportunity. Put yourself out there and see who you can find.
Tap Into Employee Referrals
Employees know who’s genuinely good in their field – and who is likely to mesh well with the team. A thoughtful referral program can help a lot – much more than just a bounty. And it encourages recommendations that are genuinely based on quality rather than volume. This is a powerful way to get better candidates on board, while also ensuring that you are making use of your current employees – and thus helping them to feel much more valuable to your business. It’s a win-win-win.
Use More Skill-Based Screening
You ultimately want people who can do the job. It sounds simple, but it’s true – and it’s hugely important. Instead of relying too much on resumes, incorporate work samples and the like, including practical assessments and other things that are going to help you along here. Short tasks that mirror real responsibilities can give you a strong sense of where people stand in terms of their skills. These give clearer signals of ability while reducing the bias that comes from over-indexing on background or pedigree. It’s amazing how much this can help you to find the best possible people for your teams.
Structure Your Interviews
If you want to know who is genuinely the best, you need to have a system, and you need to have structure. The more structured your interviews are, the more you are going to be able to identify the best candidates. That means making use of consistent questions, scoring guides, and clear evaluation rubrics. These level the playing field, which is what you want, and improve the accuracy of your decisions.
On the other hand, if you rely on unstructured vibe checks, you’ll find that a lot of mistakes – and a huge amount of bias – start to creep in. It’s much less likely you’ll end up with who you really need.
Evaluate For Growth
You obviously want people to fit in with the team as well as possible. But you should keep one eye on the future, too. In other words, make sure that you are evaluating for growth, not just the current fit. High-quality candidates bring the ability to learn, adapt, and stretch into new challenges. If you look at learning agility, motivation, and problem-solving, you’ll probably find this tells you much more about future performance than just their technical skill alone. And it will mean that you can have much more faith in the team as a whole as they grow and adapt and learn together. It’s amazing just how much this kind of approach can help, and it’s something you should certainly think about.
Smooth Out The Experience
You really do want to make the candidate process as smooth as possible. The best people often have options. That means a clear timeline, respectful communication, and efficient processes are useful for you. They signal that you are serious and organised, and that helps set you apart from other potential businesses. Remember: you are competing with other organisations, just as the candidates are competing against each other. You need to show that you are the best, and you’ll get the best candidates.
Do all that, and you will have a stronger team by your side.
