If your business is growing that means it’s time to find employees to help you get more work done. This is where things get tricky. You post the ad and wait for resumes but you may be disappointed with the quality of the candidates that apply. Hiring is a difficult, risk-laden business that can keep you up at night.
Why is it so hard to find good employees?
Is Your Process Breaking Down?
If it’s taking you a long time to find a good candidate, it might be time to look at your hiring process. The workflows you’re using to recruit, screen, and hire could be breaking down. Are you:
- Attracting the most qualified candidates to the position?
- Keeping those candidates engaged all the way through the process?
- Assessing and screening the right candidates?
- Closing the deal with your top pick for the job?
There are a lot of steps within this process that could cause you to fail or have difficulty finding the right fit. Where do you start to make sure you find a better quality of candidate—fast?
Tips for Finding Better Employees
A huge problem for companies is simply not having a large enough candidate pool. The recruiting process should be about quality, not quantity, but how do you find a better caliber of candidate? Start with a better job description, typically written by someone who has done the job or works in the department. Make the ad realistic about what you’re looking for in a good candidate but also what their responsibilities will be. Own your cultural environment and share it in the ad to attract candidates who are increasingly interested in finding a better work environment.
Then engage with front-line teams to help you with the interview process. This is time-consuming but worth it. Even if you only schedule 30-minute calls with staff from the department the person will be in, allowing your current employees to interview potential employees will help you find a better hire.
Move quickly during this process and do not leave candidates hanging for too long. This is a huge mistake we see repeatedly. Remember, the best candidates will not stay on the job for long. Taking too long allows other recruiting teams to swoop in and steal your candidate. Cut out any wasted steps in your interview process and keep it fast, professional, and decisive.
It’s also a good idea to have realistic expectations of the kinds of candidates you should pick. How many times have you seen a job ad that you know is just unrealistic for the type of responsibilities required? But you should also realize that “perfect” probably doesn’t exist. Think about whether an equivalent experience is better than a college degree. Consider soft skills and also consider providing additional training to a candidate that is a great fit but is missing experience with a piece of software. Maybe you can team them up with a mentor on the job to bring them up to speed. In any case, to find the right candidate, think outside the box to find a better match more quickly.
PrideStaff is highly experienced in the sourcing, recruiting, negotiations, and hiring process. If you’re struggling in these areas and wondering why it’s so tough to find the right candidate, it’s time to give us a call.
