Innovative recruitment – look at the role now, not how it was
All too often, when recruiting a new employee for an existing role, recruiters take the old job description as a starting point. The problem is, this was probably written years ago and is no longer relevant to the job today. Simply changing the date and updating the salary expectations won’t work. What you need to do is get an accurate description of the job role as it is today, and the best person to give you that is the current employee.
Exit interviews are invaluable
An exit interview is your chance to see what the person in that role really spent their time doing. What were the best, most enjoyable aspects of the job? What did they find frustrating and how would they shape that role if they could? Did they find the role restrictive or challenging? What qualities would they look for in the new candidate?
The job description used during their recruitment will be outdated now; you will need to build a new one based on the job leaver’s opinion. They may tell you that this role has changed completely since they were hired, or that their experience was actually irrelevant in the job. All of this will help you form a new job description to find someone ideally suited to the role, who will do it well and do it with passion.
New recruits need to fit well in the team
It will be up to the MD or the Head of HR to actually sign off the description, but they aren’t the only ones who understand what, or rather who, is needed. The role you are looking to fill needs to be an effective cog in the machine, so it’s worth asking the rest of the machine what shape that cog should be. Conversations with other people in that team and also within the wider department should help you more accurately formulate the job description for the person you need, not just another body to fill your headcount.
Look for internal job candidates not just external
Many recruiters start looking externally straight away, but is that always the best way to find your next hire? You can put out your job ad and get CVs from people in different industries who have all done something similar in the past and will be able to come in and run things their way. But is that what you want? An external recruit will come in with their own way of working and impose it on everyone else. What sort of message does that send to the rest of the team?
By only looking outside of your organisation when it comes to recruiting, not only are you potentially overlooking internal candidates who may have just the passions and talents you are looking for, but you are also sending a signal that the only way to get ahead is to look elsewhere.
External career jumps can appear very appealing to employees, as they represent a new opportunity and often a significant salary jump. But this can have detrimental, long-term effects on your organisation. Your employees, who not only understand the industry and your company, will start to only look externally for career advancement, and these are the very people you need to look at keeping and investing in. They already share your values at work, so why let them leave? Invest in the right ones and you will save on costs of mis-hires and be rewarded with passionate trusted employees.
Look deeper than qualifications and experience
Good A-Levels and a First degree are signs of a diligent student who will no doubt go on to do well. Likewise, a successful track record in a similar role shows that that person knew what they were doing there and did it well. But are they the right person in your organisation now? They may have the right experience but perhaps they don’t have the right oomph.
A too rigid agenda of the person you are looking for, for example, only someone who ticks all the experience qualifications boxes might not be the boat-shaker you really need to come in change things up. At the same time, the maverick, trailblazer might not be the right person to come in now and fit in with a team which has gelled and is working well together.
A new way to recruit the right candidate
An outdated or inefficient recruitment technique can really tie your hands when it comes to finding the right candidate. By only looking at the old job description, you may filter out the person who would grow into the role perfectly and develop in the way that you need.
Future Resume uses an in-depth questionnaire designed to really tap into the passions and values of potential employees and see what it is that makes them tick. And just like a well written job description, it doesn’t just look at the past, but at the real person today and where that person is going in the future.
To see how Future Resume can help you avoid mis-hires and find the right candidate for your role, get in touch with us today.