How to Improve Your Recruiting and Hiring Process

Since the cost of a bad hire can be astronomical, it pays to invest in hiring managers who can help you attract and retain top talent. The first step is to make sure that managers have the right mindset, set priorities, and leverage their time productively. Next, the following thirteen tips will start you off on the right foot:

Be clear about what success looks like

Managers must know what they are aiming for before they start recruiting candidates or deciding which candidate to hire.

• Where do you want your organization’s strengths to lie?
• What culture and values will characterize your team?
• What are your criteria for a successful hire?

A concrete strategy will help your managers choose the right people and ensure that all the hard work goes into making the best hire. Once you’ve set clear goals, share them with your managers so they can use these objectives to make wise strategic decisions.

Write smart job descriptions

You can’t expect to attract candidates if you don’t know what to look for. Invest in the right talent and research. Develop a smart job description that will help managers articulate why they’re hiring in the first place.

Get managers on board

Managers need to be functional members of your team, not just recruiting and hiring managers. They should have a clear understanding of their role and how they can benefit through their interactions with candidates and employees. Put together training sessions for all managers on how to effectively recruit and choose candidates.

Be realistic

The hiring process is an arduous one and managers can spend much of their time filling out paper forms. Since the candidate’s application, the interview, and the candidate’s reference check are all part of the hiring process, it’s easy to lose sight of why you’re doing what you’re doing. Managers who are realistic about what they can achieve will have a better chance of achieving their goals.

Set priorities

When recruiting for positions, it is important for managers to decide what areas they would like to improve or emphasize in their organization. Managers should focus on growth in key areas that are most crucial to the company (e.g. adding talent to a new product line, broadening the organization’s technology adoption, improving customer service, etc.).

Use your time wisely

Managers must be careful not to sacrifice the quality of their hiring process by allowing it to get bogged down by paperwork. (e.g. waiting “too long” between a reference check and an interview can leave candidates wondering if they will ever get a second chance.) Managers shouldn’t waste time doing things such as monitoring applications or sending out mass emails that might not have any value in improving their hiring process.

Reinforce the positives

Managers must send out emails or provide feedback to candidates which reinforces their strengths. For instance, if a candidate is invited back for an interview, managers should tell them how impressed they were by the conversation and how great it felt to learn more about them. This will increase the likelihood of the candidate remaining engaged and interested in the opportunity.

Encourage candidates

Managers shouldn’t be afraid to praise and encourage candidates who are trying to get into a particular organization. If a candidate does have an interest in getting into your organization, it will likely be because they truly are interested in your company, its values, and your culture. Candidates who have made an effort in putting together a good application or going through several interviews deserve praise just like anybody else.

Be honest

Although it is important for hiring managers to recognize the positive aspects of each candidate, they must also be honest and transparent about where the candidate falls short (e.g. a certain skill really isn’t appropriate for the position, or a candidate was not hired because of other priorities). Managing a hiring process and recruiting top talent requires honesty from all parties involved.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Not only should hiring managers seek feedback from others (e.g. supervisors, HR people), but they must also take their fair share of the responsibility. Hiring managers must determine which skills they need, what resources they need, what processes they need to be completed, and how best to communicate with others in the organization [e.g. sales, etc.].

Be confident

The hiring process is a vital part of an organization and managers must be confident in their abilities to carry out this process. Managers who are confident in what they can do will have a greater chance of attracting the right candidates, retaining top talent, and ensuring the highest quality hiring process.

Be proactive

Just as managers must be willing to involve other departments (e.g. marketing or HR), they must also be proactive in involving themselves in their recruiting efforts. Managers need to let others know which candidates they are interested in and how fast they would like it done (e.g. “I’d like candidates for the VP of Marketing position to interview by the Friday before Thanksgiving.”) By being proactive and involving others in their recruitment efforts, managers will have a greater chance at attracting top talent and ensuring that the hiring process is an efficient one.

Be consistent

Although hiring managers should be flexible, they must also set rules for recruiting and hiring. It can be hard for managers to predict how things will evolve and changing processes can be tiring for many parties involved. Adhering to the same processes year after year can help ensure that these issues don’t arise again. Managers who are consistent in their recruitment policies will have a better chance of attracting top talent and ensuring that their hiring process is efficient and enjoyable for all parties involved.

Once you’re able to accomplish and agree on each of the aforementioned areas, you and your organization will have the best opportunity to attract top talent to join your team. In doing so, you can rest assured that you have also chosen a candidate who will work well with the team and outside of their job.

Hiring the right people goes a long way in ensuring that you achieve your organization’s goals for growth and effectiveness.