Finding a purple squirrel, part 2.

In the first installment  of this post,which can be read here, the top five things a company should know about recruiting were discussed. Today we will tell you the next five.

1.)    Be known as a great employer! If you want candidates to want to work for your company, you need to give them a reason to work for you. By creating a great work environment and company culture, you will establish your company as one that people want to work for. It is impossible to attract the highest quality candidates if no one wants to work for you.

2.)    Check references. This one should really go without saying, but many employers do not consistently check references. When you contact the references a candidate provides, you get to hear about the candidate from another perspective and learn more about them. The more you know about a candidate before you hire them, the better prepared you can be to meet their needs and create success for both parties.

3.)    Write GREAT job descriptions. The more information you can give about a job, the better-prepared candidates can be to tell you about experiences relevant to what you are looking for. If the job description is vague, you end up with applications from people who are not qualified and not at all what you are looking for. While poor applicants will never be fully eliminated, having specific job descriptions can help decrease the number you will have to go through. 

4.)    Quality > Quantity. In the last post, we told you to improve your candidate pool. That does not mean expand your pool. It is perfectly okay to only have a handful of candidates rather than an entire stack. You are looking to hire the best person for the job, so you need quality candidates instead of a large quantity. That being said, if you have a large number of qualified candidates, you should certainly look at them all.

5.)    Remember, they’re looking too. A lot of attention is focused on what you should look for in a candidate, but it is vital to remember that candidates are looking at the company as well. In the technological era we live in, access to information is at an all time high. Your company needs to make sure that potential candidates can find good, reliable information on the business.

Connor|Caitlin would be thrilled to help you with your recruiting needs. Contact us with any questions or items you need assistance with.

www.connorcaitlin.com

Are we talking about a job, or about a person?

A job description or a person?

Most people would think that these are two totally separate entities.  How could a job be a person?  I know I got confused at first with that statement.  The reality is, when a company is looking to hire, this is the first trap they fall into. 

When thinking about hiring a new person, the first thing a company does is write down the descriptors that seem to fit the position.  These can be the degree required, the number of years of experience, leadership skills, selling skills, and geographical location.  These are all great things to have in mind, but in truth, they are describing a person, not a job. 

If a hiring manager was asked, “In the next six months, what is the largest goal for this position to achieve?”  This will lead into the discussion about what the job will actually do on a day to day basis, not just what the person in the job needs to qualify for the position.  The hiring manager may answer that the position needs to develop a new three year plan for a particular product, so the talent acquisition team can now go forth and find candidates that have planning and product development skills along with their four year degree. 

A generic job description is the downfall of both recruiters and companies alike.  This leads to hiring challenges, such as diversity hiring trials, an artificial skills gap, and the reason why companies are finding it increasingly difficult to find talented people.  However, companies around the world are using generic job responsibilities to attract and screen new employees. 

If you are struggling finding the perfect candidate or the perfect job, contact Connor|Caitlin Talent Solutions.