When I first started off recruiting, I thought I just… recruited! I learned about the process in school, so it'll be easy right? Post a job, reach out to the candidates who respond, interview them, etc.
Recruiting in the current age of low unemployment and a skilled trades shortage is tough! I started to wonder about and research the elements involved with our recruitment process.
1. Post the job. (Assuming the internal mobility/succession plan was discussed and we need to recruit externally of course!) Where are we posting the jobs to? Are we only going for major job boards or are we looking for niche boards or online groups? Sometimes the more industry or function specific job boards are pricier, but well worth the money if it's a tough role to fill and otherwise could sit open a few months. Once you get the job posted, are the candidates applying relevant? If they aren't, how come? Is the job posting wording attracting the right people? Are we using the right acronyms and lingo? Put yourself in a job seekers shoes - they want to connect with the posting so that they apply. Speak to the reader!
Along with job posting, is sourcing for candidates. It's good to post the job so that you have a link to send candidates with the job description, company overview and salary details, but sometimes you just won't get the applicants you need from your postings. There are so many different sourcing tools and chrome plug ins that can be used to find and reach out to people. Do your research and see what works best for the type of candidates you're looking to attract.
2. Reach out to the candidates who respond. I've seen companies only respond via email to candidates. Some people are easier to reach if you call them or text them! Try options and see what works. Don't lose a good candidate over lack of/method of communication.
3. Interview them. There is so much that goes into interviewing! Some of the feedback I was hearing from candidates was that they were there a long time, got asked the same questions over and over, or that interviewers were late and seemed rushed and flustered. An interview process takes planning and preparation by the interviewers! The hiring manager and I discuss who they want on the on the interview team and why. What insight will they bring to the hiring manager that will help them make a decision? I encourage my hiring managers to hold a pre-interview meeting with their interview team to let each person know why they were chosen and what specifically they should be focusing on during their part of the interview. This way each person doesn't ask the candidate to go over their resume and describe themselves.
This is also a great time to discuss priorities. If filling the role is a priority, then the interviewers need to commit to making the room in their schedules. If they can't, they can let the hiring manager know in the pre-interview meeting, so someone else can be named to the interview team in their place. Interviewers switching places with each other and seeming rushed and flustered is not a good impression to candidates!
Claire Stroh Petrie, MBA, PHR, SHRM-CP, is an HR Practitioner in Buffalo, NY. She has used LinkedIn, Twitter, and networking to build her personal brand and uncover new opportunities for herself and the companies she’s worked for. She’s passionate about helping other professionals do the same! Claire has many years of successively diverse human resources management experience with privately-owned and publicly-traded global leaders. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in HR from the University at Buffalo and an MBA from Niagara University. She is an active member and blogger for SHRM, and also a member of SHRM’s Young Professional Advisory Council (YPAC). She serves as the Professional Development Director on the Buffalo Niagara Human Resources Association (BNHRA) Board of Directors, a Board Member and Camp Counselor for Empower Camp, and is an Organizer for DisruptHR Buffalo.
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