How to maximise your hiring process –

It’s a candidate’s market, there are an abundance of jobs open at present and not enough candidates to fill them. While we may not be able to chance the amounts of applications that come in for an open role, what we can do is maximise our hiring process.

Here are some simple steps companies can take to help with the hiring process –

·        Job specification – Ensure that the Job Title, Location, Salary and Hours are clearly displayed on your job advert. Include the duties/ responsibilities that the role involves so candidates will know what is expected of them. Make sure to add in the benefits of working with your company, these can include – pension, health insurance, employee rewards, flexible working or remote working.

·        Advertise on as many platforms as you can – There are many different platforms where a company can advertise their jobs such as Irishjobs, Indeed, Glassdoors. Make sure to utilise all platforms available to you. Advertise your vacancy through your company account on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. There are also many groups which you can join and post on like LinkedIn groups or Facebook groups. Candidates actively monitor these groups for jobs which may be of interest to them.

·        Application process – Make it as easy as possible for a candidate to apply for your job, simply by having an “apply now” button on the advert or an email contact to send their CV directly. Companies can often look for candidates to fill in a long application document, send their CV, cover letter, and have additional questions on top of these. Some companies even ask for a video application. Candidates get frustrated with all these steps so make sure your application process isn’t too tedious which may put candidates off applying.

·        Phone screen before interview – Candidates can look great on paper, but often times it takes chatting with a prospective employee to know if they are going to be a good match for the role or not. Phone screenings are a great way to find out more about a candidate and what they are looking for before arranging an interview.

·        Be response & have a hiring plan – One of the biggest mistakes companies make is not contacting hot candidates as soon as they apply. Some companies wait a month if not more to contact candidates. I personally had one client contact me after 3 months to arrange an interview with a candidate, the candidate by then, had been working in a new role a number of weeks and was no longer interested. Have a clear, concise recruitment plan is place. Carry out weekly interviews, have a start date in mind for the successful candidate & training plan.  

·        Interview process – An interview is a good way for a candidate to get an insight of what it will be like to work with your company. Give candidates detailed information about the role, your company, the culture, the benefits. Make sure to give a good impression and make the candidate feel comfortable. Use the interview to ask the candidate important questions that are relevant to the role. Also ask candidates if they have any questions at the end of the interview.

·        Interview Outcome – It is important to not keep a candidate waiting after they have had their interview. If you are carrying out other interviews keep the candidate in the loop, even by dropping them a simple email stating that you are interviewing other candidates but will be in touch with them in X number of days regarding outcome. If you know a candidate was not successful right after interview, inform them straight away, don’t leave them waiting for bad news. Give them feedback and insights on what to improve for future interviews.

·        Obtain references – When you are ready to offer a successful candidate the job, it is important to obtain manager/ supervisor references form recent employers before you extent offer.

·        Offer & onboarding – Once you have suitable references extend official offer. Make sure to send the candidate the offer letter, contract, and also onboarding & training documentation.

·        Ask for a Review – It is a great idea to ask applicants for feedback from applicants on how they found the application & interview process. Candidates can leave ratings on your company page on Indeed or Glassdoors. Prospective candidates can then view these reviews and will know that the application & interview process is a pleasant experience.

If you in the Healthcare or Hospitality industry and looking for assistance with your open roles, then give me a call or drop me an email and I would be happy to help.

Charissa Mulholland

Three Q Perms & Temps

01 878 3335

recruiter@3qrecruitment.ie