10 Recruitment Best Practices & Other Tips

Hiring requires a certain level of risk. There's no way around that, but we can do as much as possible to get to know whom we are hiring before we decide to do so. In today's labor market, however, hiring processes must be quicker than in the past because the typical candidate now has multiple opportunities. However, faster does not mean less intention and quality. Following are 10 recruitment best practices and other tips to elevate your hiring:

1. Have a plan

• Make sure you have all the details ironed out before you start recruiting, including:
• An up-to-date job description.
• Knowing what compensation you are willing to provide (set a range for yourself for negotiation purposes).
• Knowing where you will place job ads (use social media, local businesses, and industry-specific job boards).
• Have answers to the commonly asked questions about your company ready to go.
• Have your interview questions drafted and ready and your interview team selected, trained, and prepared.

2. Use recruitment sites that do some work for you

These may include LinkedIn Recruiter, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter, to name a few.

3. Be proactive

Search for candidates on sites like LinkedIn using key terms of required skills and education.

4. Structured interviews

Within a structured interview, you ask the same questions of all candidates interviewing for the same position. You may have follow-up questions that differ based on responses, and this is okay, but you must ensure the main questions are standard for everyone. Structured interviews may also use a rating scale to help narrow down candidates based on their responses.

5. Behavioral-based interviewing

Behavioral-based interviewing aims to discover how the interviewee performed in specific situations in the past. The idea behind this is that past behavior predicts future performance. More information on this topic is under the Behavioral-Based Interviewing section.

6. Consider "How will they add to my culture" rather than "How do they fit into my culture box" or worse, "How can I fit my culture around them."

Today, candidates are more interested in the working environment than the job itself and how the company's values are similar to theirs. You want to attract those candidates who have similar values to your organization. Don't try to become what you think candidates desire. Not everyone will connect with your values, and that's okay. There is someone who does, and that's the person you want. So, stand for who you are – don't change based on what you think would attract others. Knowing who you are and your values are foundational to this process.

7. Don't be afraid to poach

If you know of someone in the community or have experienced outstanding service, recruit that person. You may need to invest in training and developing specific skills, but if they have the character you're looking for, that's worth it.

8. Certification and licensing

For positions that require certifications or licenses, does your state keep records? If so, ask for a list and solicit. Sending direct mailers with a flyer outlining the company and the role is an effective recruitment method.

9. Use employee testimonials

A 60-second video of an employee explaining why they work here, love it here, or stay here on a social media page will speak volumes to potential candidates. Remember, candidates today are more worried about the working environment, so seeing and hearing from people who work for your company is invaluable.

10. Candidate assessments

Assessments are an excellent way to determine cultural add, but you must ensure they are job-related.

BEHAVIORAL-BASED INTERVIEWING

Behavioral-based interviewing aims to discover how the interviewee performed in specific situations. This interviewing follows the principle that past performance predicts future behavior. In a behavioral-based interview, questions are typically probing and specific, seeking to discern if the applicant possesses specific attributes or skills by asking how they managed a particular situation in the past. Following are some examples of behavioral questions:

• Describe a situation in which you convinced someone to see things your way.
• Describe a time when you faced a stressful situation and how you managed it.
• Describe a specific problem resolved because of your good judgment and reasoning.
• Give me an example of when you set a goal and achieved it. Now, tell me about a goal you set but did not achieve.
• Describe a time you had to present an idea or recommendation that required someone else's approval. Were you able to get that person to approve?
• Describe a time you disagreed with a policy but still had to comply.
• Describe a time you felt overwhelmed by work. What steps did you take to overcome this and achieve results?

Ask follow-up questions if enough details were not relayed, such as:

• What exactly did you do?
• What was your specific role in this?
• What obstacles were in your way?
• Why did you do that?
• Why did you make that decision?

Using open-ended questions allow candidates to expand on their knowledge, strengths, and job experiences. These questions also give the interviewer a sense of the individual's personality and help the interviewer understand the applicant's potential for how they can add to the company's culture or if they will conflict with it. Examples of open-ended questions include:

• Tell me about your work history and the roles you've held previously.
• What specifically are you looking for in your next job?
• Why would you choose to work here?
• Why are you no longer working in your last job?
• How was your relationship with your previous manager(s)?

CANDIDATE ASSESSMENTS

Candidate assessments are an excellent way to determine cultural add, but you must make sure they are job-related and be very careful that you don't fall into legal trouble. While some argue that personality assessments can reduce hiring bias, they can also have a discriminatory effect. When used in hiring, the primary legal risk from these tests is disparate impact discrimination claims.

An assessment must be statistically validated to use as a hiring tool safely. If it is not, you leave yourself vulnerable to unintentional bias. The vendor's assurance that the assessment isn't biased is not a legitimate legal defense. Understanding how the structure of questions can influence how different people score on a statistical basis for personality tests is essential. If these differences are significant, using the test could violate the EEOC's regulations.

You also need to interpret the results carefully. Personality is complicated, and understanding how someone's personality will interplay with the company's culture and within a specific position is even more complex. So, if the results are too easy to understand, then you're probably not getting much value.

It is worth noting that many assessments have proven to hold steady across different protected classes. Do your homework, ensure you comply with all related regulations, and not allow unintentional bias. Only conducting assessments that evaluate how well the candidate's work preferences align with the environment your company offers to its employees is a safer way to approach this.

For additional help with recruitment contact Hi-Wire HR today.