Recruiting tips

What is recruiting?

Recruiting is the term used to describe the overall process of searching for, and then hiring a candidate for a role; whether that be from within the organization or from outside. There are many steps in the recruitment process, and it can be costly in terms of both time and money for those involved.

What steps are involved in recruiting?

There are a multitude of steps that can be involved in the recruitment process, some of which include:

• Job Analysis: The first step for many companies will be to conduct research on what it is specifically that the job description needs to cover. Once the details of the job have been agreed upon, it is then necessary to determine the hard skills and soft skills that the potential candidates will be required to have.

• Planning: After having identified the job position's needs, the recruiting team must then devise a plan for the process. This can include having a time-frame for different stages of the process, creating a back-up plan, and affirming the lines of communication both inbound and outbound.

• Searching: The company in question then must search for suitable candidates to undergo their selection process. This can be done by creating a job listing and then promoting this listing through various avenues. A business can, for example, share the open job position on recruitment websites, advertise on social media, or attend job fairs. The other option for recruiters is to outsource in a method called Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO). This gives some, if not all, of the process to recruitment experts who find suitable talent.

• Screening: Once potential candidates have been identified, the recruiters can begin the process of assessment and screening. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as psychometric testing and the use of more creative avenues such as video creation or written pieces.

• Interviews: This can be the more time-consuming aspect of the process, with multiple interviews potentially being conducted per candidate. Following on from interviews will be meetings of the hiring personnel regarding the suitability of the candidates and then perhaps more assessment.

• Background check: Before offering any employment the company must carry out a background check of the short-listed candidates. This typically involves police checks, reference corroboration, and perhaps social media screening.

• Job Offer: Once a preferred candidate is chosen, the job offer letter and contract must be written and sent out. Following this will either be rejection, acceptance, or negotiation surrounding certain terms and conditions.

• Hiring: When a candidate accepts a position, the business must then complete more paperwork to ensure eligibility.

• Candidate onboarding: The company must then start the onboarding of the candidate for a smooth transition into their job role. This may involve training, setting up of a work area, and networking opportunities.

Recruiting is a complex and time-consuming operation that can be overwhelming. If you wish to find tips and tricks in order to ease the process, please find ready-to-use tools below.

For more general information on what recruitment encompasses, please refer to these links:

Definition of recruiting

Recruitment Process Outsourcing

The Recruitment Process