6 Tips to Happy Recruiting of the perfect candidate
Knowing how to attract the correct candidate is a tough task. Follow these six steps to happy recruiting, and you will be on the right track! It’s a worthwhile read, you won’t be sorry! Ask better questions! Get to know your candidate. Don’t make assumptions; this is a fundamental mistake often made by someone conducting an interview. There is no better way to get to know someone than when they are sitting in front of you. Probe the candidate, be sure to get all the information first hand! Asking for and accepting Employee Referrals The staff you currently have employed are the staff you hired so if they are referring someone to you, it could be worth your while considering their referral. They would understand first hand the job intricacies, demands as well as the skill set needed. Seek and Embrace Diversity Be open to welcoming new cultures into your team. Often diversity brings with it an opportunity for people to learn and embrace something new. It could be exhilarating and bring a whole new dimension to your workplace. Communicate A Strong Employee Value Proposition Being upfront with your candidate about its core values and ethics as early as the interview stage is critical. If a potential candidate doesn’t feel they fit or vice versa, why continue? Streamline the Hiring Process Don’t make this process unnecessarily long and drawn out. Ensure your company knows what you are looking for and don’t settle for less. If you have your exact candidate specification, and someone you have interviewed meets the criteria and feel they would be an excellent cultural fit, hire them! Why delay. Write Catchy Job Descriptions When advertising the job, be 100% sure that you are not overselling the position, neither underselling it. Use the correct terminology, specific words to attract the correctly qualified person, and brag a little about the benefits. If you are struggling with the recruitment process or managing employees, please contact me. Anthony Kettle is the co-owner of West Coast Personnel, a successful recruitment agency that has been around for going on 21 years in the Table View, Western Cape area. Anthony specialises predominantly in the engineering and manufacturing space; however, he has a wealth of knowledge to impart all aspects of recruitment. He has recently published his books, The Job Seeker’s Handbook and The Recruiter’s Handbook, available on Amazon as eBooks. You can connect with Anthony via email, web, or social platforms – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – LinkedIn
5 ways to ensure you recruit right the first time round
There is no doubt that the recruitment process can be costly. However, you can make sure it’s worth every cent if you recruit right the first time around. Not only will you save money, but you will increase the productivity within your company, build a team that will easily run the business well, and protect your brand and ensure longevity. And, it all starts with a very simple step. 5 ways to ensure you recruit right the first time round 1. Work that job description The job description needs to be on point, and even if you have to draft an essay, it should cover all angles. Your job description should not only cover the job description, which nowadays means very little but should also list the exact duties and experience. In addition, underline the job’s purpose, what the role should fulfill, and how it affects the overall company structure and future. Be clear about who they would report to, what the future opportunities and growth are, and when you require them to start. 2. Source and sift process This is where you do your searching. Yes, put the job description out on various platforms, but do your head-hunting. LinkedIn is a great place to start and, if they are not on LinkedIn with a great profile, keep searching. Once you a few firm favourites, start digging deeper and have a checklist to compare to. 3. See deeper than the obvious A candidate can often look fine on paper, but when you go deeper, you will see they don’t suit or have huge red flags attached to their application. Know what you are looking for and know what you definitely don’t want. 4. Ensure there is a company culture fit You may not think it’s important, but if someone moves into your home (which is what your business is in this instance) and does not fit socially, culturally, and emotionally, you will regret your decision to employ them. Getting a divorce from your employee can be a costly and draining process. 5. Let them sell it to you If you are very clear about what you need, then once you have done your part, it is up to the candidate to sell it to you. They should be telling you why you need to employ them; however, know the fine line between desperation and confidence in themselves. It seems like a simple enough process, this recruiting game, but let me tell you, after almost 2 decades in this business, there is never an easy moment, only learnings. If you are struggling with the recruitment process and want to ensure you do this once, please reach out and chat with me. Anthony Kettle is the co-owner of West Coast Personnel, a successful recruitment agency that has been around for going on 21 years in the Table View, Western Cape area. Anthony specialises predominantly in the engineering and manufacturing space; however, he has a wealth of knowledge to impart all aspects of recruitment. He has recently published his books, The Job Seeker’s Handbook and The Recruiter’s Handbook, available on Amazon as eBooks. You can connect with Anthony via email, web, or social platforms – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – LinkedIn
Slow Processes lose hot prospects
The early bird catches the worm! You snooze, you lose! First come, first served! These idioms and many others like them are pretty cliché, but they are accurate to the point that we should be more aware and more wake up. When it comes to recruitment, the buck does not stop with the candidate. In fact, the candidate is the one, very often, who calls the shots. If you’re in the market for quality and high-level talent, then you have to move fast to secure them. Waiting for that possibly better option is like waiting for the right life partner to come along. It may never happen, or you will miss them because you were looking elsewhere. Slow processes lose hot prospects What do I mean? Simply, if you don’t know when a hot prospect is presented to you and don’t act fast, you will lose a good thing. And, it all starts with knowing what you’re looking for, understanding the value in a hot prospect, and what that looks like. What are you looking for, and have you communicated that well? First, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, how in the blazes is the candidate supposed to know if they fit the bill? Have a clear understanding of what it is you want. Make this openly clear in your job description and be realistic about it. This will save time from the get-go and will wean out those that don’t suit. Know what HOT looks like From your job description to the finer and softer details, you should have your ideal candidate plotted out in your head, on paper, and certainly, in the public advert you place. If you’re using a recruiter, then this applies as well. Another cliché idiom is “not know a good thing when it stands right in front of you.” Research your perfect candidate down to what they do for fun. All areas of their lives should be analysed. Yes, stalker 101, but it’s necessary to find THE ONE! Use technology. It has been one of the saving graces in this recruitment industry. It saves time. It helps you. Just know how to use it effectively. Once you know exactly what it is you want, you have to have a checklist, which you then sit with each and every time you come across a potential. Literally, tick off all the elements that match your checklist. I do appreciate that you may not get them all ticked, but you have to decide what are hard yes’s, and what are hard no’s. Weigh it all up afterward and put those closest to one side for further processing. Move quickly A high-level candidate won’t be available for long. You are not the only one looking for them, and if someone else acts quicker than you, they will be lost. And, the last thing you want is to get into a bidding war over them. Learn to recognise them quickly and take action, i.e., offer them the job. And, do approach your possible Unicorn with kid gloves. Again, they may have been approached by others, and you want to, first, come from a place of power, however not overbearingly so. You want to let them know you are an expert in your field, and you chose them for a reason. The reason being that they are possibly the best available candidate in their field. Do show off your company too. Impress like you were on a first date. Not too arrogant but with enough confidence to make them sit up and listen. Now, this might sound like you are on the back foot and almost at the point of begging. Not so. You need to be clear about what you want, that you believe they are the right fit, that you want to put forward a serious offer, and that you are there to guide them through the process. In this case, ‘slowly does it’ only pertains to slow cooking a Sunday stew. If you are struggling with the recruitment process, please reach out and chat with me. Anthony Kettle is the co-owner of West Coast Personnel, a successful recruitment agency that has been around for going on 21 years in the Table View, Western Cape area. Anthony specialises predominantly in the engineering and manufacturing space; however, he has a wealth of knowledge to impart all aspects of recruitment. He has recently published his books, The Job Seeker’s Handbook and The Recruiter’s Handbook, available on Amazon as eBooks. You can connect with Anthony via email, web, or social platforms – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – LinkedIn