No real need to point this out, but hiring is stressful, and making great hiring decisions is very important. Now, the need for speed and quality has become all too real, and employers are struggling to quickly rebuild and sustain robust staff when they need it most.
More than half of Millennial and Gen Z hiring managers say that hiring the right person for their organization is stressful. So, you are not alone! Finding the right people with the right fit is essential. Hiring the wrong people creates even more stress for you, for them and your whole team.
Here are some tips to help you prepare, reduce the inevitable stress, and start making significant hiring decisions.
Define the Role for the Right Person
You will never find the right person for your Cook position if your role description says Mechanic experience required, right? Make sure you are specific enough without being too detailed. You want to think about the top 3 or four most important skills or attributes, and the top 3 or 4 most important responsibilities, and describe them in less than one page.
Job seekers are searching for their ideal position, so by adding keywords specific to the role in the description, you can help them find you!
Don’t Limit Your Search
Sure, the big job boards are excellent and bring in quite a few candidates. However, in today’s recruiting environment, you need a tool like Efficient Hire’s Recruiting and Applicant Tracking Engine, so you can be sure to cast an even wider net for the most qualified candidates.
Use social media and your company career page and have it all link back to the quick, Efficient Hire application. Use your network and your employee’s networks. Offer an employee referral program as an incentive to bring you, quality candidates.
Tell everyone who you’re looking for; you never know where the right candidate will come from!
Beware of Unconscious Bias
Unconscious biases are stereotypes or beliefs about particular groups of people, of which we are not entirely aware. It’s human nature to lean towards people who are similar to us. Know your biases and be consciously aware of how they could negatively affect the role description, the interview, or the hiring decision.
Strive for a diverse candidate pool, including non-traditional candidates. Implement a diverse team of interviewers, with people from different backgrounds and career stages, and even different departments. Use a standard list of questions to ask every candidate, change by role if necessary. If you don’t already have specific diversity goals, develop them now!
Be Flexible So You Can Make Great Hiring Decisions
Consider the candidate’s potential, not their past. Someone with less experience in the exact role can bring very relevant skills from other roles, plus a new perspective. Maybe it’s time to stop thinking that all candidates fit the same pattern we have in mind.
Each person is unique; we can’t judge candidates based on their life decisions, employment gaps, or unusual educational backgrounds. We should only judge them based on whether they can do this particular job right now, regardless of how and why they got here. This is why it’s so important to nail that role description!
Use All of Your Resources
If you don’t have experience in writing a great role description, ask a pro. If you don’t have the right hiring tools, now’s the time to acquire them. Here’s our blog on how to hire quickly and safely, using the right technology.
If you have any gaps in your hiring process – whether it’s variance in the skill levels of your location managers or complicated procedures – the sooner you can identify and close those gaps, the better.
The Interview
Prepare before the candidates come in (or before an online interview) by reviewing the role profile, the skills you’re looking for, and the culture you want to build or maintain.
During the interview, remember the candidate is interviewing you and your business as much as you are interviewing them. Be open and honest about what you need, what your management style is, how the team works together, what the day is like, where you can be flexible, and not.
Final Thoughts
Hiring is stressful but doesn’t have to be terrifying. Reduce the stress on your whole team by fixing any gaps in your hiring process, get the right technology to increase your efficiency, and follow these common-sense tips. You will find the right person with the right skills & the right attitude. Be sure to give your new hire a proper welcome and reward yourself for another great hiring decision.
Still not sure you can make great hiring decisions? Learn more about how Efficient Hire can transform your hiring process with technology. Contact the Sales Team today!