In a perfect world every time you had a job opening, filling it would be as simple as placing a hand-lettered ‘Help wanted’ sign in the window.
In this fantasy, you’d receive the exact right amount of applicants – not so many that you feel overwhelmed, not so few that you feel like you’re settling. The interview process would be fun and interesting, the vetting process – sublime. After a week or so, you’d settle on The Perfect Hire who would melt seamlessly into your team, requiring no training, immediately bringing in more business.
In real life, the recruitment process isn’t always butterflies and rainbows – but it’s not necessarily doom and gloom either.
Maybe you suspect that your recruiting process isn’t quite as effective or streamlined as it could be – but you’re not quite sure. You’re not a professional headhunter, you don’t know how this is supposed to go!
Well, as a long-time professional headhunter, I can tell you how it’s supposed to go.
Read on for seven clues that your recruitment process could use a makeover.
1. You only have a few applicants
Like, three. It’s hard to find your dream hire if your only options are two woefully under qualified applicants and one somewhat qualified applicant, with a bad attitude.
2. You have entirely too many applicants
It’s equally hard to find the perfect candidate when you spend weeks poring over resumes and burning out. It’s easy for the needle to get lost in the proverbial hay when you’re overwhelmed with responses.
3. You think “Is this it?”
Not just in terms of how many responses you receive but applicants’ qualifications, their education, their work histories. Are you aiming too high? Should you have mentioned the salary? Should you NOT have mentioned the salary?
4. You’re not sure where to spend your recruiting budget
Is Craigslist ridiculous? What about Monster.com? Or your Facebook page? You don’t want to throw money away but you don’t want to miss any important platforms.
5. Applications are sitting in your inbox for weeks
If you’re the head of HR or a Hiring Manager you’ve got a lot on your plate in addition to finding the next sales lead. Or maybe you have plenty of time, but you’re just not sure how to process the applications and you’re overwhelmed with hundreds of responses.
6. You feel like there’s no ROI
You dropped hundreds of dollars on a job ad in that big publication and … crickets. Or you hired someone you thought was right, but they left after three months. You don’t want to waste any more money on job ads but you’re not sure what else you can do.
7. You’re not really sure who would succeed at your organization
You know you need someone with this skillset and that certification but you’re not really sure who would work well with both your Type-A CEO and your introverted founder. You realize that personalities are incredibly important to the morale of the company but you don’t even know what to look for.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Thirty percent of small businesses are struggling to fill openings, which means current employees are overworked and companies aren’t making the profits they could with a fully staffed office. A bad hire costs a company 30% of that hire’s annual salary, 41% of companies say they lose at least $25,000 a year on bad hires! Some estimates are even higher, SHRM estimates the cost could be 5x their annual salary! Ouch!
How can you refine your recruitment process? Well, I’d love to help. The Recruiting Blueprint will help any small business with their hiring needs at a fraction of my regular rate. Click here to find out more.
If you liked this information you will love my FREE Hiring Hacks ebook – it’s packed with practical advice to make hiring well easier.
P.S. Do you like helping people? Me Too! That’s why I provide this great content to help you grow your team! Now, help me (and your friends) by sharing this great information on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest by using the super-easy share buttons below. Ahh, thank you – that feels good.
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