The final stages of the candidate selection process (interviews, profile reviews, backgrounds checks, etc) usually get the most attention and discussion, but the initial stages of the sourcing process are just as important to hiring success, if not more so. The best way to hire great candidates is to start with a strong applicant pool from the very beginning. Improve the overall quality of your resume submissions, and the final selection process will be a little more foolproof. Keep these considerations in mind as you move forward.
1. Know where to look, and where to get the right kind of attention for your posting. Do this by creating a clear vision of your ideal candidate. Is she a recent graduate? If so, where did she go to school? Is he a mid-level tech expert who currently works for one of your competitors? If so, where is he focusing his job search efforts? Which job boards and professional communities attract his attention and time?
2. Keep your posting clear. This means don’t just advertise your company as a generically great place to work. Instead, say substantive and honest things about your culture and be very clear about what the job will entail, including the challenges and the stringent requirements, not just the rewards and benefits.
3. Keep your interview process meaningful. In other words, change your questions constantly to keep those that actually aid the selection of great candidates and get rid of those that add nothing to the process. Remove the fluff and clichés and keep the open ended questions that provide a true sense of a candidate’s working style, cultural aptitude, experience, and skill sets. If you know what kinds of personality and behavioral traits you want, sharpen your questions so they hone in directly on these qualities.
4. Onboard immediately. Once you find a candidate you like, don’t drag your feet and wallow in indecision hoping for something better and/or perfect to come along in the interim. It won’t, and if you waffle long enough, your talented candidate will take another offer. So choose wisely, but quickly. And have a clear onboarding program in place so your hiring managers don’t have to reinvent the process with every single new employee.
For specific guidance with your candidate sourcing, selection, screening, or onboarding process, arrange a consultation with the NH IT staffing experts at Techneeds.