How To Avoid Costly Recruitment Mistakes

Once you’ve decided now’s the right time to recruit new people into your business, how can you make sure you make the right decision? Well, you need to think carefully about how to go about it.

Eliminating Recruitment Mistakes = Brilliant New Employees!

Your business may have specific times of the year that lead your recruitment activities. However, ongoing Talent Acquisition is a crucial element of your business that should, ideally, form part of your day-to-day business. By doing so, you can grow a talent pool to turn to when you have a specific role to fill.

By eliminating recruitment mistakes, you’ll be taking the necessary steps to position yourself as an employer of choice. As a result, you reduce the risk of your recruitment activities being reactive and, as a result, any hint of desperation because you need to fill a vacancy quickly.

Develop Your Strategy

As part of your business planning process, you consider the resources you will need to achieve your goals. This should include your anticipated needs for additional staff and/or skills.

Using this information, before you embark on any other recruitment activities, develop a strategy that aligns with your business plan. This strategy will consider the people and skills you already have in place and identify the gaps you need to address to meet your business goals. At this stage, consider whether closing the gaps will best be achieved by bringing in new people with the skills you need, upskilling existing employees or a mix of both.

Once you understand the factors that reduce recruitment mistakes, use this to build a roadmap of what your recruitment needs are.

Make your Job Descriptions Stand Out!

Having defined your strategy, it’s a good time to look at your job descriptions.

• Do they really reflect the roles you have, or will have in the future?
• Do they reflect the qualities, skills and attitudes you are looking for?
• Do they bring the role to life and make you stand out from your competitors?

Well written job descriptions mean that your applicants know in greater detail exactly what you are looking for. In turn, at an interview, you can probe candidates on how they meet the job description.

Don’t forget that, as well as helping you, a brilliant job description helps candidates too. Your role probably won’t be the only position job-seekers are applying for. Therefore, you need to make sure your job description stands you above your competitors and portrays you as an employer of choice!

Marketing That Measures Up

Marketing isn’t just about selling your services. Marketing also marketing matters when it comes to finding the perfect candidates for your business! Here are some questions to think about when you’re advertising a role:

• Do your adverts match your brand and culture?
• How will you reach your ideal employee?
• Do you need to use an agency? If yes, how much will it cost?
• Will you use a job aggregator board?
• How will you make your advert stand out from your competitors?
• Will you use trade journals?
• Are there local job/career fairs that you can attend that will support your strategy?
• What social media platforms will work well for you?

A Question Of Timing

Planning your recruitment campaign includes thinking about the timing of the process. Map the process considering the likely notice periods of successful candidates. Allow time for your adverts to reach your audience and consider the impact – positive or negative – of recruiting at the same time as your competitors.

Let Us Help You Avoid Recruitment Mistakes

Recruiting staff is time-intensive and can be expensive, so it’s critical to get it right and don’t make recruitment mistakes. If you’re at all unsure, it’s wise to enlist some expert support and guidance. Kate Underwood HR can help you help develop your strategy, freshen up your job descriptions or help to identify the best way to reach your desired applicant. To find out more, please book a call or email [email protected]