When hiring new staff, it is crucial to get the right talent through the door, but also make sure you hire someone who is seeking a long-term career. If you hire someone who is only looking for a stop-gap position or a stepping stone in their career until something deemed better comes along, the costs can be high. Having to go through the whole recruitment process again is costly in terms of business time, resources and money. So, it would be best if you got it right at the first attempt. To do that, use the following five tips to find the best fit for your job opening.
1. Create a Detailed Job Description
One of the reasons that new staff members jump ship early is because the role they thought they were getting into does not reflect reality. Their working day is different, and maybe even their responsibilities and tasks are not what was expected. To counter the miscommunication and high turnover rates, you need to create a detailed job description that goes beyond typical phrases. Include a usual daily routine within the narrative, so applicants know how the job really goes down.
2. Cast the Net Far and Wide
Most jobs receive a staggering number of applicants and far too many for an employer to go through in detail. However, that doesn’t mean you should not try to advertise your role using the best job search websites, as well as LinkedIn and maybe even using employer referral schemes as an incentive. However, just because you want a larger pool to pick from does not mean you should advertise on every site available. Try to choose websites to advertise jobs that reflect your industry. For example, Jobrapido is a UK recruitment site specialising in engineering, tech and the service sector.
3. Do Use Personality and Skill Testing
It would help if you tried to test your shortlisted applicants with skill-based tests within the recruitment process and on interview days. Combining these tests with personality and character assessments will enlace you to not only find the best suited for the role but the people that will stick around and are hungry for a career. You can always outsource these tests to recruitment companies if needed.
4. Meticulous Reference Checking
When a boss has seemingly found the perfect person for the job, it is common to rush through reference checks to get the process over with and move on to integrating the staff member. However, reference checking is arguably the essential part of the process with plenty of people prepared to lie on their CV. Yet, you can go even further by referencing their references. Prepare to start digging on social media and especially on LinkedIn to spot potential connections between applicants and their references!
5. Trust Your Gut Feeling!
And finally, if all else has not helped you pick between a couple of applicants, you can always count on your gut feeling. Bosses and employers can usually judge someone and how they will fit into an existing team within the first few minutes of meeting them. Don’t downplay this internal skill! Once you have onboarded new staff, it is then your responsibility to keep them engaged and help them develop. This is often achieved through training.