This year is expected to be a strong one for hiring, which is great news for employers and job seekers alike. This also means there’s going to be stiff competition for top talent, however, and every company needs to be prepared by having the best hiring strategy possible. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to bring your recruitment activities to the next level, read on. We’ll go through some emerging trends in talent acquisition and gather the actionable insights that can help you improve your hiring process.
1. Improve Your Interviews
Many hiring mistakes – most of which are preventable – happen in the first 30 minutes of a job interview, according to Business Insider. Meeting a candidate who is personable and apparently qualified is all it takes to push a hiring manage into deciding to bring him or her on board as soon as possible. Therefore, according to the article, it’s best to wait out the first 30 minutes of an interview in a state of suspended judgment. Training all of your HR staff in this technique might help remove snap emotional reactions from the hiring process, which can help everyone involved make clear decisions from a place of reason.
The article also recommends taking a team approach to interviews by having several people meet and question a candidate and – crucially – each of them getting an equal say in whether to hire or not. Another technique that can help interviewers make less emotional decisions is the phone interview – with fewer physical cues, it’s harder to develop an attachment right away.
2. Balance Your Expectations
When you post a job, it’s easy to draw hard lines – a set number of years of experience in a certain field may be required to apply to your job opening, for example. While this is standard practice for a reason, some great hires may come your way if you’re willing to bend the mold a little. According to Information Week, some of the best hires are those who have the right soft skills, like a passion for good work and customer service, but may need a little training to get all of the technical requirements of their positions down pat. This is much harder to screen for in aresume database or similar tool like social media, so pay serious attention to cover letters and any candidates you come to know through a glowing recommendation from someone you trust. A potential employee’s total personality is what you want to consider, not just his or her proficiency in a certain program.
3. Hire for the Long Term
Job postings that only describe the current responsibilities of an open position may be something you want to do away with. If you treat every candidate like he or she is going to spend a whole career with you, your decisions might move to the next level.
“We hire for the future, not the past,” Havas Worldwide president Andrew Benett told Business Insider. “Agility and relentless adaptation are vital, and so we’re typically not looking for someone to slot into a position shaped by the person who just vacated it. We give hires the freedom to meld each position to their own individual strengths and interests. And we help them keep adding on new skills and experiences so they – and their position – can grow along with the business.”
In practical terms, this means seriously thinking about what a certain role might look like in five or 10 years. Can any of the candidates you have for the job fill those needs now? How many of them seem like quick learners and innovators who can help you shape that position for the good of the business? While it may seem a lot to ask of someone you’ve only just met, these are considerations you should keep at the front of your mind throughout the hiring process. If a candidate really impresses you, try asking him or her the same questions. The answers may surprise you, and will almost certainly help you make the best choice.
4. Build a Strong Employer Brand and Get it Out There
Social media continues to be an important part of recruitment, according to Information Week. Whether or not you’re reaching out to prospects via networking sites, you can bet they maintain profiles. So should your business. Good employer branding involves playing the long game – you might not find the perfect candidate right now, but when that person comes across your desk, he or she will know enough about your company to be intrigued and excited. This is of particular importance for working with passive candidates who you might find via recommendations or a networking site. You don’t want your contact with them to be the first they have ever heard of your company. If you’re a meaningful presence in your field, candidates will know about you, whether or not they’re actively seeking a job.
