5 Secret Techniques to Improve Recruiting

Those who hire top talent out there reap the rewards. As simple as that. The good news is that money is not always a deciding factor if one master the techniques needed to improve recruiting process. The bad news is that the labor pool has been shrinking with the unemployment rate consistently sitting at below 5%. Does it mean that the only way forward is to “steal“ some animal seduction strategies and perform a sort of mating dance? Not really. For now, it suffices to get rid of some old habits. Forget about rummaging through a heap of CVs and resumes that is a thing of the past. 

And this is present time:

• Asking Magic Bullet Questions?

Forget about them and try with something more relevant to the job

A lot of recruiters use some non-conventional ways to try and get inside the head of their applicants: the Rorschach test, asking Freudian questions, even to the point of trying to find out what would be their animagus in Harry Potter universe. They do not help because they are not relevant and give no proof of the candidate’s skills, character and ability to fit in the workplace.

• Want to Find out who is Really Interested?

Invite them to an Open House event

Not only that this strategy can be seen as part of a screening process eliminating those who do not have enough interest to show up, but it can also be used as an indication of how an applicant behaves in a group setting, how they communicate, interact with their prospective co-workers etc. It is also an opportunity to introduce potential candidates to their prospective employer: facilities, equipment, corporate culture.

• Post a Creative ad

Preferably on Friday

Why on Friday? Some companies have reported having their best results when they posted on Friday, about lunchtime. When one thinks about it, it is logical. Those who already have a job but are on the lookout for a new one are the most approachable on Fridays after the end of their working week. But this alone does not help if an ad is not compelling: gives an insight into why is it so awesome to work for that company in particular, what it can offer to its prospective employees.

• Get Other People Involved

It always helps to add a new perspective

Les McKeown, CEO, believes that a way to make sure that one hires great people every time is to add a new perspective. It is quite possible that an applicant who has a great interview with one recruiter would not behave the same with other recruiters, so the best option is to use a hiring panels.

• Use Open-Ended job Postings

Behaviors are more important

They say: “Hire for attitude, train for skill “. If one wants to select only those applicants who are a great fit for their corporate culture, open-ended job postings are the best option.

To survive in the world where it is getting increasingly difficult to attract top talent, one needs to be creative. These five recruiting strategies are the first step.