Recruiting the right candidates who suit your organizational requirement and fit into your company’s culture is one of the most challenging tasks for any HR professional. In a job market that is candidate driven, it becomes all the more difficult, given that the candidate of your choice is probably holding multiple offers in hand.
Streamlining recruitment in your organization and setting a clear process helps improve the chances of hiring the right person with the right skills at the right time and the right cost.
A poor recruitment process could result in losing good talent (probably to competition), hiring wrong resources, high attrition rate, waste of precious time and high recruitment costs.
The key to good hiring therefore, lies in a robust and clear recruitment process taking cognizance of the company’s strategic need, assessing the requisite skills, a structured due-diligence of applicants and a smooth onboarding of new employees.
Here are 10 steps that you can consider to improve your hiring efficiency:
1. Clearly identify the hiring needs.
Are you filling up a position that is vacant? Or is this a new role you are adding in your organization? Is the role a full-time requirement? Is it a long-term need of the organization? Answering such questions helps you clearly define the need and the options available to fulfill the need.
2. Write out a detailed job description.
This is one of the most critical steps in the recruitment process. A job description should clearly list out the role and responsibilities of the person filling up the position. It is important that the job description clearly spells out the skills and competencies expected to fulfill the responsibilities. A well-written job description helps all stake holders in the recruitment process to be on the same page and significantly improves your hiring efficiency.
3. Consider internal resources first.
Once the job description is documented, the first step towards filling up the position is to evaluate if any of the existing employees can step into the role. Filling up positions internally go a long way in rewarding good employees, improving team morale, reducing attrition and reducing recruitment and onboarding costs.
4. Explore the option to outsource.
Evaluate if you have the requisite resources and skills to handle the recruitment in-house. To ensure that the recruitment gets the right attention it needs, you could evaluate hiring a good recruitment agency to help you. If the role is a short-term or a project-based role, you could choose to work with a staffing agency to provide you the right candidates for short duration of time.
5. Read every resume in detail before short-listing.
Most recruiters are stretched for time. They have much on their plate and hence tend to browse through resumes they receive. A good recruitment agency will help you save time by providing you only the most relevant resumes. Go through each one diligently so that you do not miss out on small details.
6. Pre-screen profiles through a telephonic interview.
Once you have short-listed the relevant resumes, pre-screen the profiles through a short telephonic interview. This will help you prune down the list of short-listed candidates for the face-to-face interviews. You can take the help of the recruitment agency for the pre-screening by providing them a set of questions to be asked and a checklist for further shortlisting.
7. Conduct at least 2 interviews.
Ideally, candidates shortlisted for the face-to-face interview should be interviewed by the manager in-charge of the new hire, the manger’s supervisor and the HR manager. This eliminates any personal bias, ensures a better cultural fit and more importantly provides a well-rounded evaluation of the candidature. It is important though to remember not to stretch the interview process too long.
8. Do a detailed reference check.
While a face-to-face interview is an effective way to assess a candidate’s skills, it has certain limitations and is also subjective to the interviewer’s skills. Some candidates have mastered the art of giving great interviews and could talk their way into your organization. A reference check with the previous employer helps corroborate your evaluation. It also provides you an insight into the candidate’s attitude and integrity, which are difficult to assess through an interview.
9. Make a detailed written offer.
This is the most delicate stage of the recruitment process. Just because you are making an offer, it is not necessary that the candidate will accept it, especially in today’s candidate-driven market. Before making an offer, ensure you have done your homework well. Be open for negotiation within the framework of your organization’s policy. If you are working with a search firm, it might help to keep them involved in this stage or even for that matter, making the offer through them.
10. Conduct a proper on boarding.
Your new team member is ready to join you. Make her feel welcome and comfortable in the new set-up. Onboarding is not only about the documentation. It involves taking the candidate around, introducing her to the team, conducting a structured induction program and settling her in. You have taken a lot of pains in getting the best candidate. It is important that she stays with you.
We hope the above steps will make the process of recruitment easier for your organization. If you think you need help, we would be glad to be your recruitment and staffing partners