How to make hiring easy.

Bringing on a new member to your team can be as daunting as ordering a four-course meal at The Cheesecake Factory, except this decision actually matters. Fortunately, finding, screening, and collecting a “selects” list out of your applicants doesn’t have to be a full-time job unto itself – as long as you have the right plan of attack.

10 tips to simplify the hiring process

1. Perfect the job description. If you’re fishing for bass, you don’t use a sailfish lure. Fine tune the description to attract exactly the person you’re looking for. Brainstorm a list of skills, experience, and any other attributes, along with duties and perks the job entails. A sparse description can turn off the best candidates, while at the same time neglecting to filter out those who really aren’t right for the job.
2. Expedite the process. Hiring cycles often outlive the job-seeking lifespan of top recruits – who has months to wait on a job? Investigate any hold-ups in the hiring process, communication gaps, etc., and establish a simple timeline with your applicants, including how many interviews to expect and when you plan to make a decision. This lets them know if/when they’re still on your list so you can stay on theirs.
3. Go to school. Even when you’re not hiring, it’s never a bad idea to keep in touch with the local universities and trade schools. Post to their job boards, and talk to professors – find out who their stars are, and inquire about holding a workshop, or internship program. New grads might not be able to fill your top positions today, but they could save you from having to in the future.
4. Test your application process. Online applications are quick, easy, and time-saving – until they aren’t. Submit a trial application: does it ask for anything twice? Do the pages load efficiently? Do resumes upload successfully? Even if a determined applicant wades through a potentially redundant questionnaire, if their application isn’t delivered, you’ll never know about it.
5. Talk to your recent hires. This should be interesting – ask the last person in your hiring booth how you did. Whether it be troubleshooting inefficiencies or help zeroing in on the right talent, your new teammates are a reservoir of insight right in your own office.
6. It’s okay to screen! When you call in an applicant for an interview only to discover an imbalance of expectations, you’re wasting everyone’s time, from your receptionist to the candidate. If there are technical requirements, create a list of questions essential to the job or a practice test. In general, create a filter-questionnaire composed of the non-personal – can they operate the necessary software, tools, etc.? Is their knowledge base up to the needs of the position? By the time you invite them in for a meeting, qualifications should simply be stepping stones to questions relating to those skills in action.
7. Cyber-interviews. Meeting up online can save money, and more than just the time of the video chat session. However, there is a downside – talking into a webcam can be an awkward experience for some people. That doesn’t mean you should nix the idea, just consider how much their physical performance relates to the job and if it should be a boundary to an on-site interview.
8. Keep your eyes open. What if you didn’t even have to conduct a search in the first place? If you bump into a talented person at the wrong time, don’t neglect making the connection – it could save you weeks, if not months, of searching.
9. Cast a manageable net. With all the online job boards available today it might be tempting to post to as many as you possibly can tolerate, however – your fingers will probably agree – that’s not such a good idea. Unless you have the crew to handle a commercial size mission, keep your postings well placed and limited to a quantity that won’t sink your ship.
10. Use your savvy. In technical fields like IT, use language in both the screening and interview process that demonstrates an understanding of your industry. This will help attract the top candidates while potentially filtering out those who aren’t up to par.

Or you could just leave it to the pros

The best staffing services provide you with all the necessary tools to make a lasting decision. IT professionals are their own special species, and finding the right match for your company is more than just a nuts and bolts decision. Consultis has been matching employers with talented IT pros for over 32 years.  To find out how they can eliminate the pain from hiring for you, connect with one of our consultants today!