Are You Recruiting Right?
“You can’t teach employees to smile. They have to smile before you hire them.”
– Arte Nathan, Wynn Las Vegas
As businesses compete to fill positions and offer potential employees better compensation packages, business owners find themselves with a mounting number of open positions. In this market, candidates often have more options than employers. To attract qualified candidates and hire right takes more planning and resources than during the pre-pandemic era.
Define the Opportunity
Follow these guidelines to create an appealing ad:
- Be specific about must-have requirements
- Make the open position and the business sound appealing
- Write in a conversational team rather than using formal, impersonal language
- Create a strong headline and consider framing it as question to engage interest
- Get to the point quickly
- Be honest and authentic about the job description
- Keep sentences short
- Explain next steps for interested candidates
Keep an open mind
Traditionally job candidates have been screened in terms of how well they matched up with requirements in three key areas: education, experience, and skills. But according to Brad Sugars, founder of ActionCoach, “Skills can always be learned, improved upon, or acquired, but passion, personality, and heart are the things that will give any team a winning edge” (Sugars, 2006). You can teach skills, but candidates have bring their own passion, enthusiasm, and motivation to the table.
Employers who think this way about assessing candidates are open to a broader pool of applicants. They don’t dismiss a promising applicant who may not be a perfect match with the job requirements.
This doesn’t mean ignore the must-have skills for the position, but take into consideration these personal qualities:
- Enthusiasm
- Promptness
- Respectful of others
- Attentiveness
- Positivity
- Appropriate appearance
- Self-motivation
- Common Sense
- Honesty
Get your team involved
You’ll have a better chance at making a strong hiring decision if you engage your team in the process. Have several key employees meet candidates individually or in a group, or ask candidates to complete a written questionnaire that you can share with your team. A candidate who appeals to all or the majority of the team is more likely to be a good fit than if just one person evaluates the candidate.
Use a number-based evaluation system
To increase objectivity in comparing candidates, use a numerical system. Rate the candidate on a scale of 1 to 5 for each of the position qualifications and attributes you are seeking in the ideal employee.
For more information about best recruiting practices, reach out to me for a free consultation.
If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk: