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Five Powerful ways to Streamline and Error-Proof Your Hiring Process

Five Powerful ways to Streamline and Error-Proof Your Hiring Process

You’re tired of high turnover, hiring mismatches, and expensive training investments in employees who immediately jump ship. But you’re a small company and you don’t have the advantage of deep pockets or ample room for error. If this describes your situation, you’ll need to improve your hiring process in ways that are both inexpensive and foolproof. Consider these five simple, but effective, tips that can help you bring your hiring process on track.

  1.  Improve your Sourcing Methods

Increase your odds of a successful hire by increasing the overall quality of you applicant pool. This means searching for candidates in the right places (and only the right places). Use the principles of basic marketing and identify your target audience. What does your ideal candidate look like? What does she want? Where does she live? Where did she study? Once you know exactly who your perfect candidate is in every detail, you’ll be better able to find her and create a targeted posting that appeals to her directly.

  1.  Set Clear Goals for both the Position and the Selection Process

Before you begin reading through resumes and narrowing down the pool, make sure the goals for the process are specifically identified, written down, and shared by all who will be participating in the selection. In order to do this, all of you (including contracted recruiters) will need to understand exactly what the position entails and the kinds of credentials and personal qualities that are likely to bring success in this role.

  1.  Invest in Testing and other Objective Screening Mechanisms

Inappropriate tests can be a waste of time and can actually hold you back by letting the wrong candidates past the gate while screening out the right ones. But if you find a test that accurately measures aptitude and carries no risk of adverse selection, don’t hesitate to adopt this test. Even if it costs a little more than you’d like, a test like this will pay for itself.

  1.  Rewrite your Interview Scripts

Tweak your interview protocols. Not just once a year, but all the time. There are always method and adjustments that can add value to this 30 minute conversation. Add behavioral questions, take them out, add knowledge-based questions, take them out if they aren’t helping…Whatever you do, keep working to perfect your recipe.

In the IT field, candidate skills sets and hard credentials are important, but many of these credentials can be taught. A great screening process is one that identifies non-teachable qualities like attitude, flexibility and reliability. Reach out to Techneeds for additional guidance. We can help you develop a screening process that will elevate your productivity, reduce your costs, and save valuable time.