As human resource professionals, one of our main job functions is recruitment. Every aspect of our HR responsibility starts with finding the right talent for our company, and significant challenges in that area create a domino effect on our role in the organization. There are always recruiting issues and oftentimes, we have to pedal backwards to identify them and find solutions. An area that needs attention is our company branding since candidates research us as much as we research them. In this age of social media and the like, companies must promote their culture when possible and use a continuous and collective effort to build a strong company brand.
The quest to “find the right candidate” is often what drives hiring success, but how can we attract and engage qualified individuals? We can begin with a pool of applicants, but it is often not the quantity in that pool but rather the quality which makes the pool significantly smaller. We should avoid getting caught in the snare of hiring the best person we can find at the time instead of a qualified candidate. Using a short online application with direct ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions related to the job requirements will weed out unqualified aspirants.
Engaging qualified candidates is another crucial aspect of hiring. Finding that qualified individual in this current job market requires us to put in the effort to persuade them to choose our offer. It is important to get to know applicants during the interview process to understand what they are looking for, and if making an offer, we can tailor the offer to their needs and not just focus on what they can do for the organization.
When we have open positions, we want to hire as quickly as possible because delays will affect our operations. At times however, we may have complex positions that take an extended time to fill and it is important to give our department heads realistic expectations on how long it will take us to “find” the right candidate. Because of the shortage of qualified individuals, which has created a competitive arena, it is also important to have the right structure in place for an efficient selection process. We don’t want internal delays in selection to cause us to lose good candidates as they accept other job offers.
We must also create structured interview processes keeping in mind any legal ramifications. We should train our interviewers to avoid biases and to interview in a manner that will promote a positive and inclusive workplace environment. Remember, we are also being interviewed, especially given the intricacies of hiring millennials and understanding what potential candidates now seek when looking for positions. It’s also a good idea to create a pool of applicants that are qualified but may not have been selected at the time; if they impressed you but you had more qualified candidates than open positions, they can be a good source for new vacancies.
The Human Resources department is considered the root of a good organization and not being able to attract and retain good talent can cripple a company. In addition to ensuring that we follow all the necessary protocols, we must become bold and creative as we keep up with the changing needs of our company and the generational changes that affect how we attract, hire and retain good members to our team.