Hiring the right person is a high-stakes affair for a small business owner. With limited time and resources, you can’t afford to fall victim to inefficient hiring practices. Recruit top talent and do it with efficiency and aplomb with these four tips.
- Avoid unclear job descriptions. Just as a résumé provides the first impression of a candidate, job descriptions typically give a candidate that first glimpse into how your organization conducts its affairs. If the description doesn’t square up with what your company is all about, qualified candidates may form snap judgments that will not accurately reflect your organization. The fact is if your job descriptions are vague, you’ll get what you put out there: Sub-par applicants. The solution is simple: Make crystal clear the exact qualifications and skill sets you are seeking for a particular job position.
- Limit the number of résumés reviewed. The economy hasn’t fully recovered from the recession. It’s not uncommon for employers to sift through more than 100 applications for a single job posting. One strategy is to weed out candidates: Request a video résumé as part of the application. You will likely be able to tell within a few minutes if the person is a good fit for both your company culture and the position at hand. Do be very careful not to unfairly discriminate based on ethnicity or cultural distinctions apparent in the video.
- Sell your company’s attributes. It is undeniable how large a role social media plays when recruiting top talent. Job searchers use a company’s social media presence as an employment tool and that’s a great strategy. Sell your company’s attributes, history and other information jobseekers may want to know on your company’s social-media channels.
- Exert care when using social media to vet a candidate. On the other side of the issue, do exercise caution when tapping information from a social-media site for the purpose of vetting a potential hire. For example, reviewing a candidate’s Facebook posts and profile might shed some light on an individual’s suitability as an employee. Yet workplace discrimination laws may apply, if you decide to use that information to make your decision. LinkedIn is a good social media portal for getting a feel for a person’s background and suitability for a particular position, as the focus of the site is on the professional aspect instead of the personal.
What tips you have employed to cut down on unnecessary time in the hiring process?