Recruiting just one new employee can cost your company thousands of dollars. Even an employee earning around minimum wage can cost a business $3,500 in recruitment and turnover costs.
If you’re regularly having to replace and expand your staff, the costs can eat away at your business’s bottom line.
One way to save money and resources while recruiting is to update your company’s hiring process. Read on to learn the best strategies at each step of recruitment to help you lock in the best, brightest talent.
Attracting New Employees
If you have a position to fill in your company, you must first attract prospects to interview and hire. But you don’t want to attract just anyone to apply—you want to attract people who will truly be a good fit for the job.
Here are some of the ways you can attract the attention of high-quality talent:
Job Postings
Studies in recent years have shown that 80% of people looking for jobs searched online job boards for employment opportunities. Your company will likely receive most of its candidates from online sources.
Job postings appear on a variety of websites allowing people to search job databases. They usually search by location, keywords, job position name, and even pay. It’s crucial, then, to add as much of this information as you can to attract top talent.
It’s also essential to add a detailed job description that lists the benefits of the role for the kind of candidate you hope to find. Imagine what they value, such as remote work options or regular bonuses.
Describe what the experience of working in this role is actually like for employees, skipping technical jargon or corporate language.
Hire From Within
To improve the hiring process, one shortcut is to hire from within. That way, you can tap someone who has already been onboarded and is familiar with the company to take on a new position.
You may still want to interview them and offer an assessment or skills test, especially if the role is quite different from their current one.
Ask for Referrals
Your trusted employees can act as recruiters for your company. Ask employees and managers for referrals to help you locate talent.
You can offer an incentive for any successful referrals, making it a win-win for both you and your employees.
Other Ways to Find New Talent
If you’re still searching for talent to fill a position in your company, don’t rule out slightly more involved methods. For example, go beyond just placing a job post on an online job board; pay for online ads to advertise your opening.
You can also place print ads in local newspapers and magazines if your job is local. This can be especially effective if you’re looking to target candidates who may not use the internet or be as computer savvy as younger applicants.
On the other hand, if you’re hoping to attract young talent, such as recent college graduates, a job fair can be a great option. Many colleges and communities hold events for grads and other job seekers looking to kickstart their careers.
Contacting and Hiring a New Employee
You’ve published some job advertisements, and the applications are pouring in. Now what?
Even if you’re in desperate need of a new employee, there are several steps you must take before extending an offer.
Judge Applications Carefully
It can be difficult to decide who is a good fit just from a resume. But there are a few key things to look for that can help you make a wise decision.
First, prioritize applicants that included a cover letter with their resume. Those who take the time to personalize their application and explain why they want the job may be more dedicated than those who passively attach a resume and hit “send.”
Watch for measurable accomplishments and achievements. Did they receive the first place in a competition? Are they managing a staff of 50 people at their current workplace? Have they increased sales by 70% in the last year?
This information helps you understand their impact in their previous jobs that they may bring to yours, too.
Finally, consider what kind of employees didn’t work out in the past. Maybe you tend to choose a certain kind of person for this role, but time and time again they quit or are otherwise unsuccessful. Consider taking a new approach, and avoid hiring the same type of candidates out of habit.
Conduct Effective Interviews
Once you’ve narrowed down some candidate options, it’s time to conduct interviews.
Interviews can be tedious and time consuming, so consider starting out with one quick round conducted by phone or video call. Save longer, in-person meetings for the second round.
Offering more than just one round of interviews also allows more than one person to be in charge of the hiring decision. The first round could be conducted by an HR person, while the second round could be done by a manager or the CEO.
Make sure to brief the candidates on all steps of the hiring process during the interview, and welcome any questions they may have. When possible, keep the interview somewhat casual. Avoid asking standard interview questions, which applicants may have a recited (and often less genuine) answer to.
After the interviews, be sure to update interviewees on the status of the hiring process. If a high-quality candidate hasn’t heard back in a week or two, they may move on to other opportunities.
Utilize Assessments, Tests, and Other Tools Before Hiring
If you want to reduce turnover and hire the best people for the job, you must go beyond interviews. There are several other ways to judge if a candidate will be a good fit.
Assessments are one easy way to find people who are right for the job at hand. You can use assessments to judge skills, personality, and other key attributes. Many assessments can be completed remotely, only requiring a website or software. In many cases, you don’t need to monitor applicants taking these assessments.
A test task can be another way to get to know an applicant’s work quality. Give them an assignment, such as creating a marketing presentation or writing up a proposal, depending on the job and its duties.
It’s generally best to pay applicants for completing any test work, even if they haven’t been hired yet.
Another important tool is a background check. Pre-employment background checks allow you to screen for criminal charges, social security number confirmation, and education history.
You may wish to ask candidates to pay for their own background checks, though it’s important to follow state laws before doing so. Many employers pay for background checks themselves, so you may want to hold off on this step until you’re fairly sure a candidate is a good match.
Make an Offer
After collecting notes from your interviews, performing assessments, and doing background checks, you now (hopefully) have an idea of who you’d like to hire. Ideally, you have a list of a few top picks, numbered in order.
Now is the time to make an offer for your top pick (or picks, if hiring multiple candidates at once). Don’t delay this step—if you delay, you may lose the interest of some of your favorite candidates.
In your formal offer, be sure to include:
- the exact title of the position
- the name of the candidate
- the number of work hours and schedule details
- specific compensation information, including base salary/wage plus any overtime, bonus pay, and other compensation
- a description of the position and duties required
- the proposed start date
- information about benefits, such as healthcare
- directions on what the applicant should do next to accept the offer (including a deadline)
You may first discuss the offer on the phone before emailing the formal offer letter. Make sure to answer any questions and confirm any details the candidate is unsure of.
You should also expect some negotiation at this time. A survey showed that 55% of new hires negotiated the pay of their last job offer. Have a range in mind for what compensation you think is appropriate, and be willing to negotiate to find a mutually beneficial rate.
Welcome Your New Employee to the Team
You’ve found a great candidate who you believe will add a lot of value to your business. Once they’ve accepted your job offer, the hiring process is nearly over—but not yet.
One out of five job seekers would quit a job within just one month if they didn’t like it. That’s why it’s important to be mindful during the onboarding and training process. The first several weeks with your new hire will secure their commitment and interest in the job.
Streamline Onboarding
The onboarding process isn’t usually considered fun or even easy. But it doesn’t have to be so tiresome. Streamlining the process can make all that necessary paperwork a breeze for both you and your new employee.
The onboarding process usually involves:
- the employee officially accepting the employment offer and signing contracts
- sharing rules and guidelines of the workplace with the employee
- setting up communication channels, such as email addresses and remote work tools
- preparing a workspace, such as a desk or computer space
- introducing the employee to coworkers and supervisors
- setting up taxes and direct deposits
- enrolling the employee in company benefits programs
There may be additional steps, depending on the position and workplace. Onboarding paperwork can be difficult to manage, but there are handy tools such as WorkBright.com that collect and organize digital forms.
Begin Training
New hires will start to really get a feel for the job once they begin training. Training does much more than teach the employee how to work. It also gives them a chance to learn more about company culture and start interacting with their peers.
If you used an assessment or test during the hiring process earlier, now is a good time to refer back to it to see what skill gaps your employee may have. If there are certain areas they have little experience or skill in, make sure to provide personalized training to catch them up.
Set goals for the training period, and make sure the employee understands and agrees to the goals. Get to know what they want to learn and what learning styles they prefer. For example, some may be hands-on learners, while others learn by watching and taking notes.
Get Feedback From Your New Hire
Once your new employee has gotten acclimated to the role, set up a meeting to check in with them.
Many employers do this to find out how well the employee is adapting to their position and team. This information is valuable, but it shouldn’t be the only focus of your talk.
While the hiring process is still fresh in your new employee’s mind, focus some of your meeting on gaining their feedback. Ask what parts of the hiring process they enjoyed and which they didn’t. Get their opinion on the interviews, onboarding, and other recruiting steps.
If you’ve hired multiple people at once, you can also collect this information anonymously to encourage new hires to answer as honestly as possible. Whether you receive positive or negative feedback, use it to improve your company’s hiring process in the future.
Improve the Hiring Process, Improve Your Team
A successful team of employees starts with an effective hiring process. When you improve the hiring process, you can choose better talent and give them the warm welcome they deserve.
Bookmark this guide when searching for your next new hire. For even more business tools and advice, check out our other blog articles!
