You never want to see a member of staff leave the team, but sometimes it can’t be helped. Most of the time it’s not a bad split, and you wish them luck in their new place of work. The problem now though is that you have a job role than needs filling. Recruitment can be a stressful process, so we’ve decided to try and help make it a little easier and ensure that the person you hire is perfect for the job.
Planning For The Job – Why Do You Need Someone?
The first step to a successful recruitment process is to determine what role a new employee will be filling.
Why are you looking at hiring a member of staff?
You may have a member of staff leaving the team, meaning you will need to find a replacement. Another reason could be the company is starting to expand and the increased rate of workload is too much, meaning an extra pair of hands would help to stay on top of everything.
Once you’ve determined why you need another member of staff, it’s time to look at what kind of role they will be filling.
You need to think about whether the job on offer is a full time position or only part time, and if it is permanent or seasonal. These kinds of things can be a determining factor in whether or not a person applies for a job, so you need to be upfront about the required hours and days.
Next, you need to consider what the main purpose of the job is and what the main tasks that a successful candidate will have to do on a daily basis. An example of this could be ‘preparing accounts and analysing data’ or ‘ordering supplies and maintaining financial records’.
By being more specific in the job role, you will give the applicant a clearer view of the job role and you will only get people applying that know what is expected of them.
Job Advert – Make Sure You Clearly State What You’re After
Writing the advert for the job role is next step in the recruitment process, and it’s crucial that you clearly list the kind of candidate you’re after.
When describing your ideal candidate, you should focus on the skills and knowledge you want a candidate to have, any previous experience and their attitude towards work. Being more specific in the skills and experience that the job role requires will again narrow down the applicants to people who on paper are more suitable for the job. Be aware of the applicants you are looking for and tailor your descriptions to them – For example, if you are looking to recruit apprentices, you would not include unnecessary experience requirements.
You don’t need to avoid using the people you already know, your wider network, or even your family, but it is wide to keep your pool wide while your adverts focused. This will give as many people as possible the opportunity to apply.
In order to actually get some responses, you need to make your application appealing and easy to read. There is nothing worse than trying to figure out what the job entails within paragraphs of long, lengthily text. You want to give across all the information needed whilst keeping the job sounding appealing. After all, you want people to enjoy themselves in the role.
We spoke with Ian Roe, a recruitment specialist in the print industry from Mercury Search and Selection who said when speaking about writing job adverts;
“Ultimately, the key is you have to know who your target market is and what excites them. You have very little time to get their attention, so keep it punchy and eye catching.”
When promoting the job advert, it’s always suggested that you use at least two different platforms. This could be on your website, through social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.), newspaper or through a JobCentre. All of these can be powerful tools if you use them right.
For example, most social media platforms will allow you to boost and promote posts, targeting certain audiences and people with interests in your industry. This can prove to be a very helpful tool if you’re searching for a certain kind of person to fill a role.
One thing to consider when advertising your job advert is to not include any discriminatory language or signs of discrimination. This can include language commenting on a person’s sex, age, race or culture. All job applicants are protected by the Equality Act 2010, and could be failure to get the job on discrimination. This is something that you will definitely want to avoid, so be careful when putting together the advert.
Interview Stage – Be Prepared
Once the cut off point has passed and you have chosen a handful of applicants, it’s time to start interviewing.
The interview stage of the recruitment process is one of the most important parts, as this is the first time you are meeting the candidates and it allows you to ask questions to determine the best suited.
When interviewing, it’s always advised to have at least 2 people in the room where possible. Having more than one person interviewing will make sure the process is unbiased and will provide another opinion when choosing the final candidate. It’s important that you use a consistent interviewing method for all interviews as well, asking the same questions and giving everyone a fair chance.
For the interviewing process, you should be taking notes throughout and be asking open-ended questions. Doing this will give you more to go off than just your memory and open-ended questions will give you a better answer than simply “Yes” or “No”.
Once you have completed all interviews, compare how each candidate answered each question and confer with the other interviewers. Use a combination between their application, their interview and what you have written in your notes to make a decision on which person best fits the role that you need.
It is better to let the successful candidate know sooner rather than later that they have got the job, as they might receive offers for other jobs in the mean time. Sending them an email or phoning them to congratulate them and offer them the position is the ideal option for breaking the news.
It’s always wise to have a “backup” choice in case something happens with your first pick, so we suggest that you factor that into your hiring plan. You should also let any unsuccessful candidates know that they unfortunately didn’t receive the position and be prepared to give reasons for rejections.
Induction & Training – Don’t Throw Them In The Deep End
The first couple of weeks are crucial for a new employee and will have a big impact on whether or not they see themselves staying with the company.
First impressions count for a lot, so make sure you leave a good one.
Your new employee should receive his/her induction soon after they receive their job offer, as they are likely to be eager to start working. This might cover things like contract signing, giving them uniform, showing them a tour of the building and introducing them to the rest of the team.
Having a strong presence in their induction will help establish a good relationship between you and your new employee and will help them feel more comfortable straight away.
After induction, a sufficient training plan should be provided and it might be a good idea to team them up with somebody, like a “buddy” system. Having an employee looking after your newest team member can help them get to know people and feel a part of the team quicker, which is great for morale and leaves a good impression.
Don’t be too quick to take the training wheels off either – allow them to fully grasp everything you do and encourage them to ask questions.
After Recruitment – Start As You Mean To Go On
Now that the recruitment process is over, it’s important to keep up to date with your newest recruit and make sure they are settling into the team. You can achieve this by having one on ones or PR reviews.
If you need help with any of the recruitment process, Wurkplace’s HR professionals are on hand to assist and make sure you find the perfect person for the job. You can contact us on 0330 400 5940 or on our online form here.
An experienced Director who controls and oversee all business operations, people and ventures. Responsible for the overall success of the business.
As a leader, he is able to steer a company to the most profitable direction while also implementing its vision, mission and long term goals. Additionally, he has strong crisis management skills to “save” companies in times of need.