Partner Article

Top Six Tips to Recruiting Effectively

Recruiting someone into your business can be costly and time consuming. Getting the process wrong can cost your business over £40,000 in lost revenue. Here are my top six tips to help you recruit more effectively.

Evaluate your skills-gap

Be honest what are the real time skills-gaps that are stopping your business from growing? Are these skills already in your business but you’re not utilising them properly? Or do you need to look externally to being these skills in. And if so are they available? Five years ago SEO was an unknown quantity and now it’s in huge demand. Is your business future proofed?

Look internally

Our Round Peg Audit offers employers the chance to better understand the skills they already have within their organisation before committing to a recruitment campaign, helping identify those illusive square pegs in round holes.

Tell the world what you want

Advertising forms a huge part of the recruitment process but there are some important learning points to take on board. Firstly, job boards do not need to cost the earth – many offer a free trial so shop around. Secondly, make sure you pick a job board that is relevant to the audience you’re trying to attract – there’s no point telling a mass audience of marketers you’re looking for an Accountant! And finally, consider when you are going to advertise the job. Most job hunters have a quick search on a Sunday when they realise they’ve got to face work on Monday so advertising your job on Monday morning and missing all these people isn’t going to help!

Shortlist the right people

A well written advert on the correct job board, posted at the right time can easily generate fifty to a hundred applications, now you’ve got to pick out the ones that are right for your company’s current skills-gap. Use your job and person spec to review each application and formulate a shortlist. Contact the preferred applications and invite in for interview but remember not to do damage your reputation by not responding to everyone!

Have a fit for purpose Interview

Just because someone is successful at running a business it does not make them a good interviewer. Picking the right type of interview is vital to finding the right person for the job.

What type of interviews are available…

• You could have a chat on the phone – ideal for telesales jobs
• You could meet somewhere for a coffee – ideal for customer facing positions
• You can invite people to your offices for a formal interview – ideal for head office positions
• You can do Competency based interviews – ideal for technical positions
• Haven’t got time to bring everyone to the office – what about having a video interview?

In reality most interviews require a blend of the options above but whatever interview you decide upon you must treat it as a professional meeting and give it your full attention.

Look after your new employee

It’s the little details that make such a big difference when starting a new job so think about the impression you’re giving your new employee on day one and be ready for them. I’ve seen and heard many horror stories of this going wrong including someone turning up and no-one even knew they were starting and one company not having a desk or chair available for someone to sit at!

The first three months employment are the most vital in settling your new employee into their new job and new company. Get this process right and you’ll quickly see a return on your investment and have a valuable employee filling that skills-gap to help your business continue to grow.

For further tips on how to recruit effectively just give us a call on 01937 547 098 or drop us an email to hello@coopervance.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Andrew Pickersgill .