8 Tips for Successful Recruiting
1. Never Stop Recruiting:
Successful businesses are always searching for new talent. By being aware of not only the current positions that are open but the skills that may be needed in the future, a good recruiter can recruit proactively, having the talent on hand when it is needed. In fields with high employee turnover, this can prevent a business from being caught short-handed.
This doesn’t mean that just any recruit will do. Building relationships with institutions such as schools and universities can help ensure that the best talent finds the front door.
2. Know What the Position Needs
A good recruiter knows the skills and personality that will make a person successful in a given job, understanding these traits, job descriptions can be developed to assist with hiring. These descriptions can help interviewers select the right candidate for the job, but even after hiring, a good job description can help with training and expectations.
3. Never Say One and Done
Sometimes it can be tempting to hire the first person interviewed, in short: don’t. Even if the first interviewee is the best of the bunch, be certain to line up a number of individuals to meet. Interviews can be used for more than just hiring; they can be valuable tools to gather information about competitors and create unexpected business opportunities.
That being said, never look too far past the perfect fit. If a potential hire has done the same job, in the same industry, in the same corporate climate, look to them first. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel.
4. Always Check References
Today’s employment laws prevent employers from sharing most information about former employees, with the length of employment being the notable exception. Despite that lack of information, references that do not check can say more about a potential employee than references that do. It would be foolish to rely on the interview alone to determine the honesty and integrity of a potential employee.
5. Offer a Fair Wage
This can be understandably difficult for any business, and haggling a wage up or down can feel like buying a used car. That being said, talented and intelligent employees will know what they are worth, and a good employer will know what to pay. Always know the median salary for any position at the company, there are many places online to conduct such research. Savvy business owners know that to get the best deal sometimes, they have to pay a little more.
To get a leg up and recruit better talent, sometimes it can be beneficial to pay better than your competitors. That being said, be judicious when making such decisions. Talent is an investment, and investments should only be made when there is some certainty that they will pay off.
6. Set Clear Expectations
Few new employees will understand what is expected of them, how their performance will be measured, or even which coworkers they will work with the most. All expectations should be clear from the outset, from the first day of employment all of the way until the last.
Failure to set clear expectations can be the doom of even the greatest employees.
7. Great Employees Are Not Born: The best employees are made.
This is something with which every company struggles. Many employees fullest potentials are never realized because of stagnant job conditions. Employees should be provided constant feedback; sometimes a simple ‘good job’ can go a long way. Employees should be given regular opportunities to cross train, and good companies promote from within. All new hires should be trained in all aspects of their job upon hiring. Failure to train new hires adequately can result in employee dissatisfaction, anxiety and eventually departure. By continually providing feedback and training employees quickly, it is easier to mold the kinds of employee that make a company run smoothly and efficiently.
8. The End is Only the Beginning
Conducting thorough exit interviews can help significantly with employee retention. Employees who are walking out of the door and with nothing to lose are not likely to hold anything back, and as painful as it may sound, it can be enlightening and helpful. That being said, for employers to get the most information from exit interviews, an atmosphere of trust and respect must exist in the workplace long before that letter of resignation finds anyone’s desk.
Adaptation is crucial for survival. This is a brief description of the employee life cycle, but it is just that, a cycle. Information means nothing if it is not used, so now we look back at tip number one and begin all over again.
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