Tips for Successful Recruiting and Hiring

Tips for Successful Recruiting and Hiring Hiring the wrong people costs employers money—and lots of it. A Career Builder survey found that one-in-four of employers surveyed said that a bad hire cost them more than $50,000. The wrong employees cost employers in a variety of ways, including: Reduced productivity Costs and lost time to recruit and train another worker Negative impact on employee morale Fewer sales Legal issues Poor quality of work, negative attitude, not working well with others, and attendance problems were some of the characteristics of bad hires, according to the employers surveyed.

It’s clear that hiring the right person with the right talent and attitude is essential. We’ll cover the steps you can take to ensure you recruit the right candidates, but first a note about traditional hiring practices (and how the processes of recruiting and hiring are evolving).

In the past hiring was a fairly simplistic process: Look for candidates with impressive educational backgrounds and great references, and hire them. These things are important, but they don’t tell you much about how a candidate will actually perform on the job, whether they’ll fit in well, and whether they’re aligned with the mission and values of your company.

Beyond an impressive resume, you want candidates who are: Resourceful Reliable Flexible Open to change Growth-oriented Finding the Right Candidate during the Interview Process How do you find candidates with these qualities? An increasingly popular candidate screening method involves replicating the work environment to the greatest extent possible during the interview process, allowing the interviewer to observe how well the candidate handles the tasks and functions of their job, and how they react to the challenges of your workplace. This takes time, but it’s worth the investment—as we’ve covered, a bad hire can be exceedingly costly.

During the recruiting process, look for candidates who are aligned with your organization’s mission, values, and goals, and who are talented and growth-oriented. Test candidates during the interview process on their ability to handle the demands and challenges of your organization, and take your time selecting the best candidate.

Tips for Recruiting the Most Talented Candidates 1: First, look into hiring in-house candidates. Existing employees already understand your business and (hopefully) fit in well with the culture of your workplace. Providing promotional opportunities gives existing employees something to strive for, helps them realize their talents and abilities, and positively boosts morale.

2: Outside of in-house possibilities, the best candidates are usually already working for someone else. Take the time to develop relationships with university placement offices and recruiters to learn about the most qualified candidates as they become available.

3: Utilize recruiting software to search online job boards for candidates whose resumes are posted online even when they’re not actively looking for employment.

4: Get your key staff members attending industry conferences, recruiting events, and job fairs where they’re likely to meet talented job candidates.

5: Turn off the “auto-pilot” button and refresh your recruitment strategy. Start by assessing the biases you’ve created over time during your search for candidates. Look for leadership traits like resourcefulness and resilience in potential candidates, rather than exclusively focusing on their qualifications and accomplishments.