Unfortunately for business owners, employing somebody new is not simple or straightforward. You do not want just anyone walking in and having an impact on your business, so you must undergo a thorough screening process. Your business is immensely personal so, naturally, you want a respectful and loyal individual working with you. But how do you find the needle in a haystack?
1. Use A Recruitment Consultancy
The use of a recruitment consultancy alleviates a lot of the work and pressure that comes alongside the hiring process. It is standard practice for a consultancy to take care of the job advertisement, seeking out suitable candidates, assessment of CVs and cover letters, initial interviews, and the development of shortlist candidates. It is important to bear in mind that there are different recruitment consultancies for different specialties, so you will need to select one that caters to your field.
2. Request A CV/Resume
The initial point of call when it comes to selecting and narrowing down candidates is a CV. This is the simplest way that a jobseeker can express their qualifications, work experience, and skillset. However, the way that the CV is written can depict much more about a candidate’s character than the actual words they write. For example, a logical thinker will provide a clear-cut and direct CV, whilst a creative thinker might embellish their writing. Concerning this, you should select someone based on what will be required of their job role.
3. Request A Cover Letter
With the limited space available on a CV, it can often only scratch the surface of a candidate’s achievements. If you want to know a little more about the jobseeker’s professional background, it is a good idea to request a cover letter. This is also an ideal method of assessing a candidate’s written communication skills, as a well-written and convincing cover letter will say a lot about the jobseeker’s ability. Similarly, if you have two competing CVs, this may be a good way to shortlist the candidates ahead of an interview.
4. Request an Application Form
Some roles will require a very specific set of skills and the easiest way to screen for these skills is via an application form. The form can simply state what skills will be required to successfully do the job and the jobseeker can indicate their capability of such. However, it is important to note that not a lot can be determined about a candidate’s personality through an application form; this should only be an assessment of their skills and suitability for the role.
5. Carry Out an Interview
More often than not, an interview will be the make-or-break section of the recruitment process. It is very difficult to form an opinion of someone before meeting them face-to-face, and you form these opinions within the first seven seconds of meeting. Look out for someone who naturally smiles, as they will appear to be approachable to others, whilst a confident individual will give sufficient eye contact. Despite this, the interviewee’s responses to questions cannot be neglected, and confident and convincing answers suggest that they are both qualified for the job and prepared for the interview.
Conclusion
Though this is the standard procedure for recruitment, there is no one way to seek out new employees. Recruitment processes will differ from company to company, and you should always use the method that is best suited to your business. Despite this, one fact remains that it is vitally important to assess a new candidate’s compatibility with the existing team. This ensures that employees are comfortable and at their most productive, benefiting both the individuals and the company itself.
