Here’s What Top Recruitment Companies Know About Finding Top Talent
The vast majority of recruitment agencies take a job description and cast a wide net. They bring in absolutely anyone with more than two or three points of overlap on their resume and then start sorting through the chaff. Unless you’re looking for a wide selection of mixed experience, background, and levels of professionalism, this method is a waste of yours and the recruiter’s time. The real pros know how to use the right platforms, finely tuned role descriptions, and no-nonsense recruiting strategies to find you the professionals you’re looking for with the right background, skills, and attitude necessary to fill your company’s needs.
So how do they do it? How do the top recruitment companies make the difference between wading through thousands of mostly irrelevant resumes to sorting a half-dozen top talent candidates? It’s all about professionalism, strategy, and knowing your audience.
Speak the Language
The first step is to be familiar with the industries and roles you’re recruiting for. A recruiter who knows your industry cannot only eliminate candidates who clearly have no experience in your line of work, they can also use subtle cues in the job descriptions to give candidates a real idea of what the work will be like. The more your recruitment agency understands your business, the higher quality candidates they can bring you because they will know the difference between a good and bad hire for your company.
Employed Talent is Not ‘Off the Table’
You’ve heard of hiring top talent professionals away from their current employers but most small businesses figure this is the kind of thing that corporations get up to when they’ve already hit the top. The fact of the matter is that top talent goes where they want to and if your smaller project looks more interesting or rewarding, they will consider a switch. Great recruiters know that and may know who to approach to help you poach a highly desired industry professional.
Technology Can be Learned Quickly, Expertise Takes Years
Networking technology, hardware, software, and programming languages are all racing forward at a breakneck speed, but professionals are only human and often get head-down in a project for a few months to a few years using a smaller or older selection of tech. This means that the best candidate for a position may not be fully up on the most recent version updates or brand new scripting languages. Remember that for a tech professional, these things can be learned quickly but industry expertise is valuable all on its own. Don’t be afraid to do a little in-house training to connect the right people with the skills you need.
Technical Positions Need Technical Interviews
That said, it’s also important to make absolutely sure someone you’d like to hire can do the work you need from them. This means assessing their technical abilities long before they have their first day in the office. Make sure to do at least one long interview with a lead technician present who understands the position being hired for. Run every candidate through their paces with quizzing on process, correct response, and technical procedures for a variety of situations. Their responses will give you a much clearer indication of capability than simply asking if they’re good.
Train for Future Positions
For startups and growing small businesses, it’s not uncommon to have a position that will need filling in the future but the team isn’t ready for the role quite yet. While you could start recruiting for this position early, one of the best ways to make sure you have everyone you need is to train them from the inside. This allows you to hire easier-to-find employees at a lower level of skill and experience, then train them on the job to take on bigger and better positions. Everyone wins and you get staff with exactly the right mix of skills and abilities for your project needs.
Use Your Team for Tie-Breakers
Finally, every new hire is probably going to have to work with a team. Whether they’re a member of a department or will be joining a tightly knit group of developers, rapport with the team will matter a great deal after recruiting and onboarding is over. This means that your team should get a say in who you bring on, especially if your hiring manager is torn between a few very good options.
If your company, like most others across the globe, is struggling to bring in top talent to fill important roles, make sure you’re working with an agency that works like a top recruiter. With these helpful tips and a lot of industry connections, you should have talented professionals for your vital positions in no time.
Originally published at www.expansion-pack.com.
