Perfecting the Recruitment Process: The Employers Guide

A frequent ask, especially for an employer new to the recruiting process, is “what is the best approach to take when looking to recruit”?

Glen Callum Associates was established over 17 years ago and therefore our staff have a wealth of knowledge to share to enable recruitment success. To ensure that a business is ready to embark on the recruitment journey we suggest employers need to have a check on the following:

Understanding – Employers need to ensure they fully understand the position they want to fill and the type of candidate they want to recruit. It can be a costly exercise in both time and recruitment budget if the process becomes drawn out whilst businesses are “testing the market” to determine the kind of candidate who may be a fit.

Timescale– Employers need to ensure they set time aside for the recruitment process and they are aware of their timescales to recruit. Active job search candidates are quite often only on the job market for a short period of time and if an employer doesn’t have the time to select or interview promptly then quite often promising candidates have already been snapped up. This can lead to the search and advertising process having to be started again using up valuable budget and time resource.

Budget– It is important that employers are aware of the budget they want to invest. It is advisable to take advice from a recruitment specialist on the current candidate job market to get a feel for talent availability and also to enable the employer to set a realistic salary. Trying to recruit below market value could ensure that the process takes longer and could incur extra expense in re-advertising and time resource. You could also question why a quality candidate would accept a position below the current market rate?

Reputation– A point for employers to consider is their reputation within the job search marketplace. As experienced recruiters we have had quality candidates question staff retention when they have seen multiple job adverts or have been approached by multiple agencies. Quite often the agencies are all working towards one role however it can give a negative impression of the employer if it appears that they are constantly recruiting.

Impression – The recruitment process should be a two way opportunity; to assess whether a candidate is right for an employer and likewise an employer is right for a candidate. It is essential for candidates to ensure they “give a good impression” of themselves during an interview it is also essential that the employer does the same.

Advertising – Trends within recruitment advertising are ever-changing and candidate preferences to job boards and social networking sites can also vary according to the job type on offer. Take advice from a recruitment specialist on where to advertise to ensure you receive the best response.

Attraction– Ensure your advert is written and optimised to target your candidate specification, compelling content that ensures you attract candidates to apply is key.

Candidate Engagement– whether you use a professional agency who are already proficient at engaging candidates or if you do this yourself, try to appreciate that engaging candidates who aren’t necessarily looking for a role can be an art in itself. Consideration needs to be made, especially if you are using social networking sites, of the time involved in approaching candidates and also the skills needed to engage.

The above is just part of the recruitment process; interview ability, managing the offer and of course induction preparation, are all key to securing and maintaining quality staff.

For more advice on the recruitment process from a friendly, experienced and knowledgeable team of industry professionals contact our team here at Glen Callum Associates on 01384 485274 or email jobs@glencallum.co.uk

Post written by

Kerrie Richards, FIRP

Director at Glen Callum Associates Ltd – Automotive Aftermarket, Engineering & Industrial Recruitment Specialists