Tips & Hints

The role:

Consider:

• Review the current structure and role within your business – do you need the same skill sets, or do you require different skills and competencies to meet your future business needs?
• Talk to us about current recruitment “hot spots” – what are the roles that are currently in high demand and short supply.
• Is the vacancy an opportunity to promote or develop an existing employee.
• If the economy is tough can you exist without this permanent role and perhaps utilise a mix of extending other roles, or consider part-time and temporary or contract staff?
• Is this an opportunity to stretch a more junior employee and provide mentoring to develop them further?
• What technical skills do you need in your business that you don’t currently have – this is an opportunity to bring them in and train other staff
• If possible prepare a job specification – describe your ideal employee, the qualifications and experience you need and the personal qualities that would fit with your team.

Timing:

• Allow time for the recruitment process. Then depending on the candidate they may have to give up to a month’s notice period. Don’t rush and take a candidate because you’re pushed for time – an interim temp or contract employee can assist in the meantime.
• Be flexible with interview times for candidates.  It is sometimes difficult to co-ordinate your key staff to meet with candidates, be as flexible as possible keeping in mind that some candidates are still working for employers.
• Move through the interview and offer process as quickly as possible.  In a competitive market the best employees are snapped up quickly.  You don’t want to make an offer and find out that your perfect candidate has just taken another role, or you end up in a salary war.
• Try and keep to a maximum of two interviews – bring your key people together to interview rather than have the candidate have to attend additional meetings.
• Provide feedback to us so we can continually refine the process, understand your needs better and ensure the candidates are right for you.
• The interview is a two way process – you get to interview the prospective employee, however they are also interviewing you! You need to sell your role and the company to prospective candidates so they will want to work for you.  Even if they don’t get the job you still want them to perceive your company as a professional and ethical business. Try and apply the 80/20 rule – you should be talking 20% of the time and listening 80% to get the candidates responses.
• Ensure all your “interviewers” are prepared for the interview.  They should have read the candidates profile and resume, have some pre-prepared questions – note that the same questions should be asked of all candidates to ensure consistency and equality.  We can provide advice and assistance in this regard.  Notes on each candidate’s responses should be taken – when you are seeing several candidates it is very hard to recall details later.
• Keep to interview times, make sure there is sufficient gap between each interview to allow for any run-overs, and also to take a break to summarise your interview notes.
• Ensure you wrap up the interview on a positive note advising the candidate of next steps.
• The salary expectations for the role should have been determined at the start of the recruitment process, do not start haggling to reduce salary range when you find a good candidate. You want your new employee to be satisfied with their offer, not feeling undervalued.
• Once an offer has been accepted start working on an induction plan.  Make sure your employees know when the new person is starting. Ensure work areas and resources (desk, stationery, phones, computer, expense accounts) are set up and any meetings and introductions are in the calendar.  The first few days in a  new role are daunting, the more you can do to make this a smooth transition for your new employee and make them feel welcome is fundamental.