Improve Recruitment: 5 Tips for Better Efficiency

For some small or midsize companies that are busy with their day-to-day operations, recruiting can get pushed to the back burner. Others are constantly recruiting but see lacklustre results. Either way, it’s important to constantly improve recruitment strategies, especially in a tight labour market.

Whether you are an in-house recruiter or work independently, you may be wondering how you can improve employee recruitment efforts to more expediently hire in-demand talent. Here are five ways to reduce the time it takes to recruit and more efficiently fulfil your company’s hiring needs:

1. Streamline Your Hiring Process

Improve recruitment strategies by eliminating steps in your hiring process that slow down your time to hire. Here are three ways to do so:

• Reduce the number of decision-makers. Make a list of everyone who is currently involved in hiring for the position and remove half of them. Here is why: companies take way too long to hire employees. During that time, candidates often receive and accept job offers elsewhere.
• Eliminate steps. Does your hiring process require that you interview a minimum of three candidates prior to extending an offer, even if the first candidate you interview is the perfect match? If so, update your interview process to better mirror the realities of today’s landscape.
• Check references sooner. Do not wait until everyone has agreed on the candidate who will be given an offer before checking references. Consider checking references for all of your top applicants so you can extend an offer to your first choice right on the spot.

This approach will significantly reduce your time to hire and more importantly, dramatically increase the odds of your first-choice candidate accepting your job offer.

2. Amplify Your Employee Referral Programme

Current employees can be a great way for recruiting talented employees, especially since they have a sense of the company culture and what it takes to succeed there. One of the best ways to improve recruitment results is to offer employees the opportunity to receive a bonus when they refer a candidate who is hired.

When programmes like these are first introduced, participation levels are off the charts. But as time marches on, so does the thrill. So, even if you already have an employee referral programme, now is the time to turn up the volume and get employees excited about it again. Here are some ways to do this:

• Increase monetary awards. You may need to do this more than once until you get a sense of the threshold that gets people to take action.
• Keep referrals at the top of your mind. Openly acknowledge and celebrate those who have received awards.
• Think of other rewards. Offer contests, such as a drawing to win a trip or the latest tech gadget. Every qualified referral provides the employee another chance to win.

3. Gain Commitment From Your Hiring Managers

Often, a qualified candidate will apply for a job and is excited to receive an interview request soon after. But then, after several attempts to follow up and schedule an interview, the candidate never hears back. Discouraged, they move on to other employers who appear to be more committed to filling their open positions.

Remember, part of the job of a recruiter is to educate hiring managers as to the roles that both the recruiter and the hiring manager will play and what is expected of them. Gently remind the hiring manager of your role in recruiting talented employees and their commitment to getting candidates in the door as quickly as possible.

4. Tap Into Your Social Networks

It can certainly be helpful to stir up interest on social media for recruiting passive candidates. But do not underestimate the importance of more traditional tactics and socialising in real-time. Membership in an organisation is a good first step toward figuring out how to improve recruitment efforts and increase your social network.

Identify two or three industry-specific associations where candidates of interest typically gather. See if you can join these associations or attend meetings with someone in your organisation who is already a member. Consider joining your local Chamber of Commerce or Rotary Club to hear about hiring needs. Volunteer to participate in or lead a committee to be helpful and increase your visibility.

Getting involved with networking organisations and staying in touch with potential hires is how you build a talent pool, which will help you avoid scrambling every time you need a new employee.

5. Look Inside Your Organisation for Talent

Recruiting is so competitive these days, but it does not have to be. Try looking within your own organisation prior to going outside to fill a position. After all, your own employees already know what it is like to work for your company. If they perform well, they have already proven they are a good fit for your company culture.

Scan performance appraisal data to see who in the organisation may be a good match for the position you need to fill. Check your hiring process to determine next steps in approaching internal candidates who are worth further consideration.

Improve Recruitment Efforts For Your Business by Staying Informed

As a recruitment professional, you know the importance of honing your skills, sourcing tactics, and hiring strategies, especially in light of current trends and market conditions. Figuring out how to improve your recruiting efforts is a never-ending task. Get a leg up by staying connected with Monster where you can post a job for free today.