Finding strong talent is important for building a great team. However, small businesses often struggle with recruitment, since they can’t dedicate an entire department to the process and don’t always have the same things to offer that big companies do. Rather than settling for the lower talent pools, here are some hiring tips for hacking your recruitment process.
Streamline the Process
When you designed your website for the consumer, you probably put a lot of time and effort (and money!) into making the process easy to navigate and conversion-friendly. However, most companies don’t put much thought into their application process to encourage potential talent. Make it a one-click process and don’t require your talent to fill out page after page of information they have already entered elsewhere. To really streamline the process, you can even embed an “Apply with LinkedIn” button directly onto your website and remove barriers applicants might face with lengthy forms and indirect processes.
Treat Candidates Like Customers
As we just stated, you want to make the application process as easy to navigate as your product website is for your customers. At the same time, you want your listings to read like enticing products that peaks the interest of top talent.
Be Authentically You
Your brand needs to be a realistic place with a realistic approach to appealing to candidates. Stop purchasing cheesy stock photos and using them as-is. Instead, create your own images and visual aids that resonate with candidates because of the authenticity shown. Give your employees free reign to talk about their workplace on social media and be the kind of brand that builds brand advocates. This will help improve your candidate pool.
Nurture Your “Leads”
Candidates are like leads and you have to go past the lead generation. Sure, you can get new people clicking on links and viewing your job listings, but how are you connecting with them after that initial show of interest? Look into retargeting ads for those who saw the listing and never applied. Also, create an outreach plan to keep your candidates in the loop and let them know what they can expect from you and the company during the hiring process. Keep your leads in the loop and you won’t burn bridges with top talent as you go.
Reduce Multi-Tasking
Surprisingly, studies have shown that multi-tasking actually slows down productivity. Focus on one task at a time to get the most out of your efforts. If you have to juggle the recruitment efforts, consider taking a certain day of the week or time of the day to focus solely on your tasks related to recruiting talent and listing jobs.
Create an Autoresponder
To reduce your efforts, you can simply set up an automatic email to be sent to each new applicant, thanking them for applying and explaining the next steps in the process. By letting the applicant know what they can do next or when they can expect to hear from you, you will receive fewer calls and have to write fewer emails yourself. Send the email from the CEO or boss who will be overseeing the hiring process so there is continuity in the procedure.
Keep the Candidate in Mind
Once you’ve brought in the candidate for an interview, never keep them waiting. Your first impression is a lasting one and could make a big impact, driving away talent you need. Be prepared for the interview and offer refreshment. After the process is over, send a personal thank you and be honest about where they stand in the proceedings. Constructive feedback is valuable for nurturing talent and you may be able to glean tips for your own process (such as how other competitor hiring processes went and what you could improve on).
During the hiring process, you are also being interviewed. With these hiring tips, you will win over the talent you need for your business.