Finding the best employees is essential to growing a successful business. When you hire the right people to work, you reduce your employee turnover rate and save your business from spending more money to go through the whole recruitment process again.
However, among the greatest challenges for recruiters is attracting the right and quality candidates. According to statistics, 72.8% of recruiters are struggling with finding relevant candidates, and 45% of employers are worried about how to find employees with the required skills fit for the role.
But with an effective recruitment process, your business can attract relevant candidates and retain high-quality employees that match your brand and industry. The flow and elements of the recruitment process may differ for each business. Here are some tips you can practice to make your hiring process even more effective.
Improve your employee referral program
One of the most affordable and effective hiring strategies you can try for your small business is the employee referral program. As per research, 88% of recruiters consider employee referral programs as the best source of quality applicants since 45% of referral hires stay longer in the company compared to only 25% of job board hires. Thus, improve your employee referral program by building positive energy and providing a better working experience for your existing employees.
For example, if you’re in the cleaning business, you may invest in business management software from Jobber or other software providers to streamline your business processes. Your team can access job scheduling, invoicing, estimating, and client communications all in one source, making their jobs easier and eventually promoting a positive working environment.
Remember, your current workers will not recommend your business to their friends if they think it has an inefficient workflow or a negative environment. On the other hand, if they see that your business values positive culture and work environment, they’ll be more than pleased to refer your business to their networks.
Create a great careers page
When you open a position, the first thing candidates usually check is your careers page. It’s where they see more information about the vacant job position and your company’s requirements. LinkedIn reports that 59% of the candidates will check your careers site when you open a position.
Thus, to help you attract quality candidates, make an effort to create a great and well-detailed careers page. Use this platform to exhibit your company culture and what you can offer as an employer. For example, as a cleaning business, you can impress prospective candidates by showing your brand’s free invoice template.
Although the cleaning invoice is initially meant for your clients, your target candidates will see how efficiently your company is preparing important invoices.
Another way to enhance your careers page is by cultivating your company pitch. Remember, the recruitment process isn’t only about finding quality candidates. It’s also about making them feel comfortable with your company and being comfortable enough to apply to you. So, have a space to show your company’s vision, mission, goals, and values.
Streamline the application and interview processes
Another main issue that recruiters may encounter during recruitment is application abandonment. A 2022 study reveals that 60% of candidates will likely abandon the hiring process if it’s too complex or tedious. As a result, your business could lose as many as 89% of potential quality candidates.
In contrast, complicated and lengthy hiring processes don’t seem to work in filtering out unqualified candidates. They’re often the ones who are desperate enough to go through the long process and might be using those generic resume templates to apply to as many roles as possible.
To prevent application abandonment, you must simplify the recruitment process and streamline the application and interview processes. You can create a standardized template for the vacant job roles and let each department discuss and add more job-related specifics.
Having fixed and standardized requirements will make the application and interview faster. Ultimately, your goal is to make the recruitment process smooth and easy for everyone, not an obstacle.
Evaluate candidates effectively
Even if your recruitment process is quicker, make sure you follow the necessary practices to evaluate your candidates effectively and screen the most qualified candidates. Here are some tips and methods you can try to make the evaluation process more effective:
- Make use of pre-employment screening services (e.g., background checks).
- Ask candidates to complete a particular assignment as part of their evaluation. Then, review their work samples and assignments closely.
- Let all candidates take standardized tests.
- Structure your interviews by preparing questions beforehand. Unstructured interviews may not effectively grade job performance and could result in unintentional bias when comparing applicants.
Additionally, consider investing in an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), so you and your hiring team can easily track your applicants throughout the application and interview process.
Ensure a positive candidate experience
Lastly, ensure you provide a positive recruitment experience for your candidates. Remember, every interaction you have with the candidates will influence their impression of your business. The more negative their experience with the hiring process, the less likely they’ll apply to your company.
Some factors that may impact your candidate’s experience are:
- The atmosphere of the workplace
- Length of the application process
- Interviewer experience
- Responsiveness during and after the recruitment process
A good example is keeping your candidates in the loop during and after the hiring process. Preferably, set reminders to follow up with the applicants about the next interview stage and send out rejection emails to inform them about the status of their application instead of letting them wait for nothing.
Improving your business’s recruitment process should be an ongoing task. It’s part of the significant responsibilities of business owners or recruiters. But through these tips, you can begin creating a solid and well-defined recruitment process that will help you and your HR team filter the best and most qualified candidates fit for your company.
