Sure, every CEO wants their business to be successful, but what makes one company more successful than the next? Personally, I think it has to do with the attitude of each and every employee, and how well everyone works together. Whether your company has 20 or 20,000 employees, think about this – does each employee serve a distinct purpose? If you were to ask each employee, what do you think they would say? I know this may sound silly, but think of your workforce like a colony of ants. Without each ant serving its purpose, the colony (company) cannot grow!
So how do you go about making sure your colony is growing and advancing? It all starts with a sound recruiting strategy.
Here are 8 top tips for employing the very best:
1. Make sure the job description accurately reflects the role. By doing this, you’ll make sure to attract the right kind of candidate.
2. Be clear on the skills required. I have lost track of the number of times I’ve changed job descriptions before I send them along to candidates, as the true qualifications on paper do not match what the hiring manager has shared with me.
3. Use a structured interview and assessment process – don’t just wing it. It’s better to learn more about each candidate, than wing it, and wish you had.
4. Combine an interview with a skills-based test. Don’t leave it up to chance – if this employee must know Excel like the back of their hand, then you should check their competency before extending the offer.
5. Involve other employees in the recruitment process. Others in your department (or in other departments that this person will be spending time with) might be able to see things that you can’t, or be able to offer a unique perspective.
6. Train your entire staff on your company’s unique selling points. Trust me, too often interviewers do way too much grilling the candidate when they really should sell first, screen second.
7. Don’t advertise for help, but rather explain why someone would want to apply. It’s important to always be recruiting.
8. Look to promote internally first. Someone may have untapped skills just waiting to be developed. Spending time looking internally first prevents you from having to tell external candidates the bad news that you hired a current employee for the role they wanted. I’m willing to bet this will put a bad taste in their mouth, and they’ll likely tell their friends. Don’t open to door for candidates to spread negativity about your process.
If you’re a company of 20, you’ll likely want to find an agency partner that is able to find the right kind of talent you’re looking for. And yes, that means you’ll have to do more than just send over a job description. I always tell new clients that the recruiters you spend the least amount of time connecting with, are likely the ones that will not produce the right candidate for you.
The recruiters you spend the most time with are likely the ones that will have a unique perspective on your culture, your selling points, and why others like working at your company. Yes, it does require a little more effort, but isn’t it worth it to get your “colony” working purposefully and marching toward the same end goal together? I think so!
