When you, the employer, decide to commence the recruitment process, it can be quite an overwhelming experience. You may therefore often resort to making use of an external company to conduct the process for you. According to Worldometer, there are 7,9 billion people on this planet, and each of you want the best employee to work for your company. Recruitment is about much more than finding the most suitably qualified person; it is also about finding the candidate that will best fit into your company’s culture and team.

You should not jump into the recruitment process without knowing what to expect and what is expected of you. To limit your risk of hiring the wrong person and dealing with the consequences down the road, here are five things you should know before starting the recruitment process.

1. Proper planning is key

The website, The Resourceful Manager, quotes the famous football coach, Vince Lombardi, who said: “If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.”

This is true for football as well as for recruitment and selection. As the employer, it is your job to conduct proper planning and establish what your company’s specific needs are. Instead of being broad, pin down the specific tasks that the employee will be required to do. Think about whether the last occupant was the right person for the position or if there was a mismatch that could be prevented by hiring a different type of individual.

From there, it will be easier to specify what qualities, qualifications and personality specifications the person will need to complete the required tasks and responsibilities successfully. According to Stephanie Lynch, from Zippia The Career Experts, writing a detailed job description will be the most beneficial way to establish what you will need.

2. Have realistic expectations

You should have realistic expectations in terms of the candidate pool that you will be able to attract considering your company itself, its history and reputation, the location as well as the vacant position. You should be realistic when deciding on the compensation you are willing to pay and how the compensation package relates to the quality of applicants you will attract. Individuals with more experience, higher qualifications or scarce skills will most likely require a higher salary.

3. Know your timeline

Knowing the timeline for filling the vacancy ties in with having realistic expectations. Rome was not built in a day, and finding the right candidate will also not take a week or two, or even three. Finding the right person that fits into your company requires proper advertisement, thorough evaluation of candidates and comprehensive interviewing. There will also be multiple rounds of interviews with various stakeholders and oftentimes, psychometric testing and background checks which also take a great deal of time and attention. With that being said, there should still be a realistic timeline of when you would like the new employee to join your company. Having a realistic timeline is important for various reasons i.e., there are a lot of costs involved, stakeholder expectations can be managed, proper resource planning, allowing time for training and development and ensuring the process is not rushed.

4. Be open to take advice

When you decide on using an external company to take over the responsibility of finding the right person for the position, you should trust that the recruiter has the right industry experience to complete the task successfully. Trusting the process and taking advice while still being an active part of the selection process will maximise the results.

5. If you snooze, you lose

Imagine going through all of the steps of recruitment and selection, just to lose the best candidate at the final signature. This happens more often than you would think. It has been seen time and time again that candidates apply for multiple opportunities and they end up comparing them to one another. If you take too long to make a decision or deliberately delay the process, the perfect candidate might just slip through your fingers.

Companies often drag their feet in terms of scheduling, presenting the offers to the candidates or showing up for interviews. Hiring the perfect candidate is a two-way street, and you need to remember that candidates are easily influenced and may be off of the market before you know it.

To wrap up…

The ideal recruitment process is an extensive one consisting of multiple steps. It starts with the identification of needs, constantly reviewing market trends and data available and reviewing the job description. After gaining the necessary information, a job advertisement can be compiled which should be advertised on multiple platforms. As soon as the applications start coming in, it should be reviewed and screening interviews and final interviews should be conducted with the short-listed candidates. Thereafter the necessary reference checks, background checks and psychometric tests should be done. Finally, an offer can be made to the chosen candidate and the contract of employment can be sent.

At Joubert & Associates, we have a thorough and well-established procedure in place and we would be happy to help you find the perfect candidate. We suggest that employers keep these tips in mind before starting the recruitment and selection process and then leave the rest to us.