Strategies for Effective Employee Recruitment

Hiring might look easy on paper: you post a job, interview candidates and then pick one. However, it’s a lot more complicated when you consider what’s on the line. Your employees are the heart of your business and their performance can drastically influence your success. To give yourself the best shot at bringing in the best talent it’s crucial to understand recruitment inside and out.

What is recruitment?

Recruitment involves drawing in, screening, interviewing and choosing candidates for a vacancy within a company. This process might also extend to hiring and integrating new hires into the organization. Companies often recruit to staff a brand-new position or replace someone who has left or moved to a different role within the company. To find suitable candidates, businesses might use recruitment software or enlist the help of external agencies.

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Types of Recruitment

Recruitment falls into two main categories: internal and external.

Internal Recruitment

Internal recruitment looks within the company to find potential candidates. This could involve seeking referrals from current employees or promoting someone already on the team. If your company operates in multiple locations, you might also consider transferring an employee from one site to another.

External Recruitment

External recruitment uses various approaches to find candidates outside the company. This can include posting job ads on job boards, sharing the vacancy on your company’s website and social media platforms, and collaborating with educational institutions. Often, employers benefit from using a mix of these strategies to attract a wide range of applicants.

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Who Manages Recruitment?

Recruitment is an important business function and needs to be handled by experienced professionals. The responsibility for recruiting varies based on factors like company size and available resources.

In small businesses, recruitment and hiring duties often fall to the future manager of the new employee, known as the hiring manager. Larger organizations with an in-house human resources (HR) department delegate these tasks to HR professionals. These HR managers or teams screen candidates and work closely with the hiring manager before finalizing any hiring decisions.

If an organization lacks internal resources to manage recruitment effectively, seeking external assistance is a viable option. For instance, Sarah Dewey, a talent sourcer at Meta, suggests:

“Companies that can’t manage their recruitment needs alone should consider partnering with a recruitment agency to streamline the process and fill positions more effectively.”

Organizations that either have dedicated recruitment agencies or internal recruiters are ideally positioned. Recruiters handle the majority of the recruitment tasks, from posting jobs and sourcing candidates to negotiating salaries and placing employees, though they may collaborate with HR managers or hiring managers throughout the process.

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What Does the Recruitment Process Entail?

Recruitment can vary depending on your company’s specific needs or the role you’re filling. Generally, it includes six main steps:

Defining the Open Position

First, clearly define the role. Determine the essential duties, necessary qualifications, expected start date, salary range and reporting structure. Write a detailed job description and prepare a standard set of interview questions to streamline the hiring process.

Sourcing Job Applicants

The next step is to attract candidates. This could be managed by a recruiter or an agency or through referrals from employees or colleagues. You can also advertise the position on your company website (xyz.com etc), job boards and social media platforms.

There are two types of candidates: active candidates who apply directly and passive candidates who might not have shown interest yet. For passive candidates, adjust your approach based on their familiarity with your company, as Joe Mullings, CEO of The Mullings Group, categorizes:

• Candidates who know your company and are likely to respond because of an existing market relationship.
• Candidates who may not know you personally but are familiar with your company through referrals or your brand.
• Candidates who are unfamiliar with your company and will need more information about what you stand for.

Screening Potential Candidates

After receiving applications, sift through them to identify the most promising ones. Review resumes and cover letters then conduct brief phone screenings using a consistent set of questions to assess qualifications. Move the top candidates forward to the interview stage.

For those who don’t make the cut, always send a polite rejection to maintain goodwill. As Techbonafide suggests, be responsive and maintain connections, as today’s rejected candidate could be a future fit.

Interviewing Qualified Candidates

At this stage, the hiring manager meets with potential hires. They should use competency-based questions to assess if the candidate aligns well with the team and the company’s culture. This phase might include one or more rounds of interviews. It’s also a good time to check the candidate’s references.

Selecting a Candidate & Extending an Offer

Once the interviews are complete, choose the candidate who seems the best fit. Prepare an offer letter and send it to them. You might also conduct a criminal background check at this point. Make sure the offer letter mentions that the job offer depends on the results of the background check and comply with all relevant laws.

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Let the candidates you didn’t select know that you’ve chosen someone else and thank them for their time. Keep things positive, as you might consider them for future roles if your top choice doesn’t pan out.

Onboarding New Hires

When a candidate accepts your offer, it’s time for onboarding. This process is typically managed by HR. They’ll handle all the necessary paperwork and help the new employee integrate smoothly into the company, ensuring all legal requirements are met.

“By understanding each stage of the recruitment cycle, you can better manage how you find and hire the right people for your company.”

Effective Recruitment Best Practices

Making a poor hiring decision can cost your business up to 30% of the employee’s first-year earnings, highlighting the importance of a careful and strategic recruitment process. As Mullings points out, often the recruitment approach is haphazard, rushed and lacks a solid strategy, typically falling into a post-and-pray routine. Here are three expert-recommended best practices for recruiting effectively and strategically:

Prioritize Clear Communication

Clear communication is crucial throughout the recruitment process. Ensure that job descriptions are accurate and all communication with candidates, whether it’s an offer, a rejection or an update, is prompt. Keeping recruiters, HR professionals, hiring managers and candidates on the same page is vital for an efficient hiring process.

Implement the “Hum, Sing, Shout” Method

Recruitment should be an ongoing activity and branding your hiring process can help attract the best talent when needed. Mullings recommends the “Hum, Sing, Shout” method:

• Hum: Maintain a constant presence in your market through advertising, networking and branding on the most suitable social media platforms for your industry.
• Sing: When not actively hiring, keep your efforts visible to potential candidates, exploring a wider and deeper talent pool.
• Shout: When it’s time to hire, amplify your efforts using social media, job boards and your network to fill positions swiftly, highlighting why candidates should want to join your team.

Track Candidates Efficiently

Maintaining an organized tracking system throughout the talent acquisition process is essential. Whether using HR software, an applicant tracking system or another method, standardize your approach to ensure no candidate or detail is overlooked. This organized tracking aids in reporting and understanding your recruitment efforts’ effectiveness.

Recommended HR Software for Recruitment and Onboarding

Several HR software options can support your recruitment and onboarding needs:

• Paychex Flex: This platform allows you to post job openings directly to top career sites and social media through an easy-to-use dashboard. Paychex also offers services for background checks.
• BambooHR: BambooHR manages all stages of the employee lifecycle, from recruitment to offboarding. It enables you to post job openings, track applications, review and rate candidates and send offer letters and new-hire documents with electronic signature capabilities.
• Rippling: Known for its easy implementation, Rippling allows you to onboard new hires in about 90 seconds, customize and automate the onboarding process and conduct background checks and e-verification.

As Dewey suggests, diligent tracking and management of your recruitment pipeline are crucial for maintaining oversight and preparing for progress reports.

“Recruitment is not just a process, it is a way of building your greatest asset: your team. The right hire can propel a company forward, while the wrong hire can set it back significantly.”