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Recruiter Advice!

Last week via LinkedIn our Operations Manager explored five ways in which recruitment is like air travel. You can read it all here today so don’t worry if you missed it. 

1. For lift you need a wide wing span. 

When recruiting it’s really important that you can attract the right talent and mostly this relies on the reach of your advert. In order to attract talent, it’s important your advert has the right information! So what do you need to include:

  • Salary! If your salary isn’t listed or you try putting something like Great Salary, candidates will assume it’s minimum wage and won’t be likely to apply.
  • Benefits Package – think about whether this needs to be refreshed. Working culture has seen a massive shift towards hybrid and home working, so it’s important to consider this as an option and if it’s possible list it the he advert.
  • Progression Opportunities, if there is a particular career path, or development/progression opportunity linked to this role or within the business, it’s important to have this information in your advert, it will attract the ambitious applicant. It’s also important that if you list this in the advert that it’s actually achievable. (Candidates have been known to leave if they feel they’ve been mislead during the recruitment process).
  • Business Culture and Value – of course you want candidates to understand what your business is like, and you want to attract those that share your values.

2. Exit PointsEver found yourself wondering why a candidate has suddenly withdrew their application, or perhaps isn’t answering the phone?

This all starts with your selection and interview process.

Step 1. If you have a closing date for your job, make sure this is communicated on your job adverts or with the recruiter you are working with.
Step 2. Aim to review CV’s and make offers for interview within 1-2 days of the closing date. If you wait longer, candidates will assume you aren’t interested in their CV and lose interest.
Step 3. If you are extending the closing date, make sure you communicate this with candidates already applying, otherwise they will take this as a sign you aren’t interested.
Step 4. If you call a candidate from a mobile number and they don’t answer. Follow it up with an email, so many people are screening mobile numbers due to unsolicited sales calls.
Step 5. During the interview it’s critical you leave time for the candidates questions, if you aren’t interested in hearing what they have to say, why should they be interested in your business.

3. Oxygen – Act Fast!

We’ve all seen this part of the safety presentation on an aeroplane. We know that if the oxygen mask falls down we need to take it IMMEDIATELY, without delay. This is exactly the same in recruitment, a business needs employees to continue to function, so when you interview a great candidate, why delay making an offer?

Some skills are in such high demand at the moment, that candidates don’t need to hang around to hear about your job offer, they have several interviews in the pipeline. So if you interview a candidate and like them:

  • Don’t wait to see more people
  • Don’t decide you need a second, third and fourth interview process
  • MAKE THE OFFER IMMEDIATELY!
  • and most importantly, don’t decide to offer less than you were initially advertising, or less than the candidate wants – this is just a waste of everyone’s time. And if they do accept, they will immediately feel undervalued.

4. Refreshments and Duty Free

It’s time for the refreshments and duty free trolley. Oh excitement!

You’ve found your candidate and either phoned them directly to make a job offer, or called the recruiter to make a verbal job offer.
At this stage things can still go wrong, here’s my advice:

1. Send a formal offer letter (and their employment contract). Make sure this is done within 24 hours. This gives them the confidence to hand in their notice, and also when they sign the contract and return it, gives you the faith they are invested in starting with the business.
2. Give the candidate a call directly within 48 hours of the offer to tell them how excited you are for them to join the team, and offer for them to visit or arrange a zoom for them to meet the team prior to starting (especially if this wasn’t part of the interview process). (This can also be delegated to another team member.)
3. If you have any work social events planned before they start, invite them. It’s a good opportunity to bond and build engagement.

5. Offer Accepted! What’s next?

1. Prepare! Make sure they have a login on your IT system, a phone extension, a desk, pens, stationary etc. Nothing worse than starting your first day and you’re ready to go but nothing is ready for you. The candidate will assume you’re poorly organised or not interested in their arrival. Not the best first impression.
2. Induction, First on the agenda and a tour of the building – kitchen, toilets, fire escape routes. Reaffirm your business vision and values and how they fit into this vision.
3. Management! I cannot stress how important this last step is. The biggest reason for anyone leaving their job is poor management or working for a bad manager. So it’s vital that your managers are capable and equip to support their team, particularly new members of staff. Do they need additional training before your new hire starts?

I hope you’ve enjoyed our recruitment journey and found the content useful. If you have questions or a vacancy you’d like our support with.
Call me 0151 601 52888 or email claire@jfrecruitment.co.uk

You can also follow Claire on LinkedIn by clicking here.