Addressing the hiring crisis requires a crucial element: becoming an employer of choice. This esteemed category of employers possesses a reputation that entices individuals to seek employment with them due to their exceptional work environment.
To gain further insight into this matter, I had the privilege of interviewing Joanne Vassiliou last 2019, a distinguished professional recruiter from Prestige Human Resources. During our conversation, she emphasized that becoming an employer of choice necessitates investing in the creation of a positive work experience for employees.
Vassiliou elaborated on the desires of employees, highlighting their yearning for attractive benefits, respectful treatment, and ample opportunities for growth and development. She emphasized that contented employees are inclined to leave positive reviews about their employers on prominent platforms such as Google, Indeed, and Glassdoor.
In today’s digital age, reputation is accessible to all, and potential employees actively seek out the opinions of others before considering employment with a particular company. Vassiliou emphasized the significant influence these reviews hold over individuals’ decisions.
Establishing a commendable reputation as an exceptional employer requires time and should be an integral part of any employee attraction strategy. Regardless of a company’s size, careful planning of this vital component is imperative, as neglecting it can severely hinder growth and profitability. Numerous examples illustrating this point were presented in an article published in the esteemed French daily newspaper, La Presse.
By adopting the mindset of an employer of choice, companies can navigate the current hiring crisis successfully. Investing in a positive work experience, fostering employee satisfaction, and actively managing their reputation will undoubtedly position them as desirable employers, attracting top talent and ensuring long-term success.
Imagine a scenario where a high-paid executive is recruited, only to face termination within three months, along with a significant one-year severance package exceeding $230,000. This situation, reported in 2016, highlights the importance of strategic hiring practices.
Insights gleaned from an Oxford Economics study further underscore the costs associated with replacing staff members, which can surpass $40,000. These costs encompass diminished productivity during the onboarding of new hires and recruitment expenses.
To curtail these expenditures and reduce turnover, follow this concise checklist of actions to ensure optimal candidate selection:
Crafting an Effective Job Description
Write a comprehensive job description that accurately reflects the role’s responsibilities. I have an article that discusses more about writing a compelling job description. Check it out here.
Creating a Distinctive Job Advertisement
Formulate an enticing job advertisement that sets your company apart, particularly in competitive industries.
Soliciting Motivational Letters from Candidates
Request candidates to express their suitability for the role, showcasing their motivation and communication skills.
Building an Engaging Career Page
Construct a webpage that showcases your company as an attractive workplace through images, videos, and employee narratives.
Strategically Advertising the Job
Promote the position on suitable platforms, leveraging word-of-mouth referrals from various sources. You can learn more here.
Harnessing Online Search Tools
Utilize online tools to reach passive job seekers who might be interested in better opportunities.
Utilize assessments and tests to more effectively evaluate top candidates.
Conducting In-depth Follow-up Interviews
Delve deeper into candidates’ suitability through comprehensive interviews and post-assessments.
Conducting Thorough Reference Checks
During reference checks, seek quantifiable performance indicators from candidates, which can be verified with previous supervisors.
By adhering to these crucial steps, you can elevate your hiring practices, minimize unnecessary expenses, and streamline your hiring process.
For enhanced efficacy, consider adding PXT Select™ to your hiring process. PXT Select offers a comprehensive hiring assessment tool designed to facilitate informed and objective hiring choices.
With a range of assessments, it enables you to identify candidates who align with your company’s values and requirements.
Managers bear the responsibility for ensuring the performance of individuals within their department, as well as achieving the overall results of the department. Consequently, it is crucial to have the appropriate individuals in each position to meet performance objectives and criteria.
Organizational structures and sizes may vary across different organizations. A typical organizational hierarchy consists of the CEO, directors or VPs, managers, and employees or team members. In larger organizations, there would be a greater number of staff at each level, with more managers reporting to directors and so on. Additionally, there may be a VP of HR and a manager of recruiting, indicating the need to understand one’s authority and role in the hiring process.
For structured organizations, the role and authority in the hiring process may already be clearly defined. In contrast, in smaller companies where there may not be directors, and managers report directly to the CEO, it becomes imperative for managers to be extensively involved in the employee selection process.
In my opinion, every manager should actively participate in the selection of employees. Their high level of involvement ensures the right individuals are chosen for the positions, regardless of the organization’s size or structure.
As a manager, here’s what you can do to ensure success with the recruitment process.
The initial step is to create a comprehensive job description. While some companies simply use the job description as the job posting, I feel that it may not be adequate, especially in the current environment where promoting the job is essential.
You need to craft a job posting that serves as a marketing advertisement to be posted on job boards. However, it is essential to have a separate job description as a vital tool. I have a dedicated guide and videos on writing job descriptions that you can refer to. This tool is valuable not only for hiring purposes but also throughout the selection process and even for coaching employees. Additionally, it can be utilized for conducting performance reviews in the absence of an established process.
Remember, the job description should always align with the requirements of the role and be regularly updated to remain current.
Another important aspect to consider is leveraging your network for job marketing. Merely posting the job opening is insufficient. Instead, utilize your team members to promote it within the organization and encourage them to spread the word among their colleagues and contacts in the industry. This can include reaching out to suppliers or other relevant connections. Make it known that you have job opportunities available.
Additionally, take advantage of platforms like LinkedIn, where you can add a “We’re Hiring” label to your profile or make a dedicated post linking to the job description. Utilizing your network effectively is crucial, so it is advisable not to solely rely on job boards for recruitment efforts.
After receiving resumes, the next step is to assess and qualify them. This involves evaluating whether the applicants possess the necessary skills. Some job platforms like Indeed offer a free feature where you can include a skill test as part of the application process. Additionally, you can consider utilizing attitude testing methods.
Personally, I find the Step One survey to be effective in assessing an individual’s attitude, work ethic, and integrity. This survey is a valuable tool that I provide as a service to my clients. It helps to differentiate candidates based on these important qualities.
Once you have narrowed down the resumes, it’s time to conduct interviews. You can choose to have virtual or in-person interviews. Online interviews are increasingly popular due to their efficiency, but as the hiring process progresses, it’s recommended to invite candidates for in-person interviews. Face-to-face interactions provide a better opportunity to assess the person’s suitability for the role and have a more meaningful exchange.
Next, it’s advisable to conduct assessments to determine job fit. Personally, I suggest using the PXT Select psychometric assessment, which I have plenty of videos available for you to learn more about. The timing of the assessment can vary. It can be done before the interview process begins or once you have shortlisted candidates to expedite the hiring process. The assessment helps differentiate how well individuals align with the role based on a performance model, assessing their thinking style, behavioral traits, and occupational interests, matching them to the job description requirements.
After the assessments, you can proceed to the final interviews. During this stage, you will further evaluate the candidates and ultimately make your selection for the position.
In the hiring process, the final step is orientation. Throughout each stage, managers play a crucial role by:
– Ensuring the job description remains up to date and actively participating in writing the job posting.
– Seeking support from colleagues or other resources if needed.
– Reviewing resumes, unless delegated to a trained assistant or another skilled individual within the organization.
– Personally meeting the candidates, even if initial interviews are conducted by someone else.
– Adapting the extent of testing based on the organization’s resources and budget.
The final interview is of significant importance, often involving a team of decision-makers. As a manager, it is vital to be an integral part of this team, contributing insights and making the final hiring decision. Additionally, managers play a crucial role in the orientation process, which consists of two parts: cultural orientation, covering general company policies, and job-specific orientation, requiring direct involvement from the manager to familiarize the new team member with their specific role.
To summarize, managers play a crucial role in every stage of the hiring and selection process. They are responsible for creating accurate job descriptions, conducting interviews and assessments, and facilitating orientation. Their active involvement guarantees the selection of suitable candidates, resulting in successful onboarding and seamless integration within the organization.
Finding talent in today’s competitive job market can be challenging for recruiters. Simply posting job openings on job boards and LinkedIn may not be enough. To source potential candidates, recruiters need to have a comprehensive recruitment strategy. However, it can be difficult to determine the best time to approach potential candidates.
In a previous article, I used Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to identify when employees might start considering new job opportunities. While it would be ideal to have a crystal ball to determine when someone is ready to make a career move, it is not feasible. Therefore, it is important to understand trends in the job market.
According to a study by Zippia, the average American changes jobs every 4.1 years.
As such, it may be best to target those who are approaching this milestone when searching for candidates on platforms such as LinkedIn Recruiter or Indeed Resume Search. Additionally, the study found that men tend to stay in their jobs longer than women.
LinkedIn Recruiter (Credits to Skylead.io)
Another useful tool on Indeed is Resume Search, which allows recruiters to see when a candidate last updated their resume. If a candidate has recently updated their resume, it could indicate that they are actively searching for a new job. This information could be valuable for recruiters to approach these candidates with relevant job opportunities.
Indeed for Employers (Credits to Indeed.com)
Furthermore, recruiters can keep an eye on companies that employ the talent they seek. If these companies have recently announced layoffs, it could be an opportune time to approach individuals with the required skills and experience.
Checking company reviews on platforms such as Glassdoor and Indeed can also provide valuable insight into a company’s culture and work environment. Poor reviews could indicate that employees feel overworked or unappreciated, which could make them more receptive to new job opportunities.
In conclusion, recruiters need to be proactive and use various tools and strategies to identify potential candidates. Keeping up with job market trends and understanding when employees are likely to make a career move can help recruiters target the right candidates at the right time.
