Top tips to elevate your company’s recruitment strategy

Recruitment is a competitive, ever-evolving industry, and you need to ensure you have a solid recruitment strategy in place in order to succeed.

Being a recruiter means being pulled in multiple directions at the same time and still moving forward with a clear strategy.

Not only must you find great candidates, but you also need to screen them, schedule interviews, follow up, coordinate new hires, and everything in between.

Incorporating new trends and tools into your strategy allows you to stay current. It creates a great impression of your company, helps you excel in your position, and, most importantly, allows you to spend more time connecting with qualified candidates.

So, today we are sharing our top tips to enhance your recruitment strategy.

Simplify your recruiting process  

If your application and interviews are inconvenient and time-consuming, shorten it up by combining a couple of recruiting steps.

If you have an application form, in-person paperwork, and an online assessment, meld the three together into one package, and have candidates sign and send it back using document signing software.

Review your process with a critical eye and cut out the unnecessary parts. People are generally looking for work now, not in 4 months’ time. You are losing interested candidates to a long process when competitors can offer them another position in half the time.

Be clear about what you are looking for  

The best way to find great candidates for your open positions is to be honest about what you’re looking for. Be transparent about what the role entails, and give them an opportunity to show their skills and demonstrate why they are a good fit.

We also recommend including a salary range in your job advert. This will improve your chances of attracting top-tier talent, as many highly skilled professionals will not consider applying for a role that doesn’t include a prospective salary.

Don’t waste time sifting through resumes looking for applicants that meet every single one of your desired qualifications – you’re likely to miss out on some great talent that way.

Be flexible and open to hiring proactive people with the attitude to learn as they go and grow as part of your company.

Instead, focus on the must-haves and use the cover letter and resume to get a sense of their writing style, personality, and drive.

Leverage social media  

Social media can be a great way to connect with potential candidates and create a positive impression of your brand.

Use social media to post job openings, share business updates, and give people a behind-the-scenes look at your business.

You can also use social media to connect with candidates on a personal level, which can make the recruitment process more human and relatable.

It also allows you to share more about your company culture, workforce, and approach to leadership, which can help attract high-level talent and increase trust in your brand.

Make sure you are active on the platforms that your target candidates are using. Set reasonable goals and objectives for you to achieve and start expanding your reach by getting employees involved in your online activities.

LinkedIn is a great place to begin if you’re unsure where to start. Here you can interact with current and prospective candidates and reach a wide network of professionals and freelancers in your field.

Advertising on LinkedIn  

Recruitment advertising is one of the most important – and expensive – aspects of your recruitment strategy. So if you use them, it’s essential to make sure that your ads are targeted, clear, and engaging.

LinkedIn can be a great place to advertise your open roles, as you can target people based on their industry, skill level, experience, and more.

This is a great way to level up your recruitment strategy and attract talented individuals with the skills and experience to ensure future success for your business.

Position your business in the best light to attract top-tier talent  

Your recruitment strategy should be about more than just filling open roles – it should be about positioning your business as an employer of choice. Attracting top talent requires that you have a strong employer brand.

Make sure your website, social media channels, and job postings are all up-to-date and showcase your business in the best light possible.

Remember to highlight your company’s unique culture, values, and mission. And don’t forget to emphasise the benefits and perks you offer, such as flexible working hours, remote working opportunities, and development programs.

Qualify your candidates using technology  

There are many great tools available to help you screen and qualify candidates. Take advantage of them!

Utilise online assessments to test for specific skills related to the role you’re hiring for. Look for software that can automatically score the results and rank the candidates so you can quickly identify the top talent.

Additionally, use tools like video interviewing to get to know your candidates better. This is a great way to see how they communicate and interact without the time and expense of an in-person meeting.

Pre-screen candidates  

Before you interview a great candidate, take the time to do a 5-10 minute pre-screen with them. Go over the high-level needs of your job and make sure they are a fit before taking up both of your time on a full-length interview.

While pre-screens take extra time, they can shorten your list of 10 potential candidates down to 4 great candidates.

Now you are only meeting with applicants who best match your role. Make pre-screens a critical part of your recruitment strategy.

Change up your interview process  

Successful interviews pave the way for successful job placements. However, if your current recruiting efforts aren’t getting the hires you need, it may be time to review your recruitment process and shake up how you conduct your job interviews.

Instead of doing telephone interviews, try conducting them via Teams or Zoom. This will help you to get a better read on each of the candidates, as you will be able to view their personal demeanour and overall attitude more clearly on a video call.

Panel interviews are also worth conducting, as they allow you to gather the opinions of your leadership team about each candidate before making a decision. This means that new hires become a group decision, as opposed to the individual perspective of one person.

Get creative with your questions, too. Instead of the same old “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” try asking something new. Like, “What would you do if you were faced with XYZ problem?” or “How do you handle stress in the workplace, especially in a team environment?”

These questions will help you better assess each candidate’s ability to think on their feet and critical thinking skills.

Before you start your next hiring process, take some time to review the interview questions you’ve traditionally stuck to and consider mixing them up.

Stop playing it safe, mix up your tired, outdated interview format and elevate your recruitment strategy.

Focus on your follow up  

Respect the time and effort that applicants put into preparing and attending interviews. Let all candidates know the next steps before they ever leave an interview.

If you are delayed in making a hiring decision, follow up to let your applicants know what happened and when they will hear from you. And when you finally make your selection, thank everyone who applied, and let them know you’ve hired someone else.

This may be time-consuming, but it’s an easy way to ensure your company has an excellent market reputation.

Remember, you never know when someone you previously interviewed may become the perfect fit for a new role later. Keep hold of their information, as you may be able to offer them another role in your business further down the line.

Talent doesn’t grow on trees. Maintaining positive relationships with former applicants could prove a valuable resource later on. Don’t burn your bridges right after you’ve built them.

Update and streamline your technology  

Using five different systems that don’t integrate is incredibly time-consuming and frustrating.

Having the right technology in place can help your recruiting strategy and minimise manual tasks that are holding you back. Your current system could be causing you to miss out on excellent applicants already in your pipeline.

If you are using Excel spreadsheets to manage recruitment for multiple departments, it’s time to upgrade your software. Consider investing in an applicant tracking system.

Retain your best employees instead of recruiting  

You should take retention as seriously as you take your recruiting efforts. Employee turnover is a major problem, but there are ways to avoid it and build a stronger, more cohesive team. The absence of a good employee is felt both financially and culturally.

Put your employees first. People are the most important asset to any business, and companies that value and reward their employees will strengthen their employer brand.

You cannot force a great employee to stay, but you can do everything in your power to prevent them from thinking about leaving in the first place. Ramp up your retention, so you don’t have to ramp up your recruiting game.

Hire a specialist  to help with your recruitment strategy

You don’t have to do this on your own. Remember to leverage your external resources to get the support you need. If your current recruitment strategy isn’t working for you, it’s time to make a change.

Airswift has the expertise you need. Our recruiters work with hiring managers to find technically skilled individuals they need in a wide variety of industries.

Not only do we understand what these roles entail, but also what the market looks like. Let’s work together on your contract hires or permanent placements to ensure that all your needs are met in your next hire.

Our team specialise in helping clients find qualified, talented individuals that are a good fit and will be long-term assets to their business.

Our team provides our clients the necessary support to reach their goals and build a workforce with the skills and experience required to secure future success for their business. Connect with us today!