Finding and hiring the right person for a position takes time, which is why it's important to get it right. Staffing managers need to make sure they're spending their time wisely throughout the hiring process. Finding ways to become more efficient when sorting through applicants and scheduling interviews will be crucial to your success as a talent management staffer.
If you're new to staffing management, here are some tips and strategies to make the hiring process as smooth as possible and ensure that you have the most talented candidate filling your company's open position.
1. Take advantage of your network.
Having a robust network can reduce the time it takes for you to find the perfect candidate. If you don't already have a large network, it's worth spending time now to develop it. Online networks are great for making connections, but only if you're proactive. Consider these 10 professional platforms to make business connections:
- Bark
- BranchOut
- Doostang
- JobCase
- Lunchmeet
- Meetup
- Opportunity
- Slack
Send personal messages or pick up the phone and talk to people in your network who you think might know someone who's qualified for open roles within your company. This can help you find qualified candidates in less time.
Genuine personal connections are the best way to build your network and turn it into a resource that you can use during the hiring process.
2. Understand your company's hiring process.
Every company has a different hiring process. It could be quick, or it could take months to find, interview and hire job candidates. Make sure you fully understand the company's expectations so you can give candidates an accurate timeline for the process. This also ensures that you don't overlook any important steps.
Once you understand the hiring process, look for areas that could be improved. For instance, some hiring processes are quite lengthy, to the point that you may lose qualified candidates to companies that are faster to hire. If you experience this, see if there are aspects of the process that can be shortened or eliminated to improve your company's efficiency, which then helps you get the right people into the right positions in less time.
3. Avoid becoming overwhelmed.
When you're a staffing manager, it's easy to become overwhelmed with everything involved in recruiting and talent management, on top of other important tasks you might have on your plate. Creating time blocks can be a good way to help you devote enough attention to each task without sacrificing your entire workload.
Set aside blocks of time dedicated to checking email, reading resumes, scheduling interviews and handling other tasks. Try not to multitask, as this will likely make you less efficient and even forgetful of everything that must be taken care of.
4. Stay organized.
A staffing manager often works to fill multiple positions at the same time. If you don't have the right organizational structure in place, you can soon become disorganized. This can lead to all sorts of problems, including missing out on opportunities to interview talented and qualified candidates.
Spreadsheets are a popular organizational method for new staffing managers. The manual process is tedious, however, and these tools are prone to human error due to lots of manual entry. What's more, spreadsheets aren't compliant, and it can be difficult to track data in real time. As an alternative, consider talent management software to keep track of data and receive reports that will make the hiring process simpler.
5. Ask the right questions.
There's a lot more to hiring than just finding someone with the right credentials. You also need to find candidates who have the personality traits and characteristics that will allow them to succeed in their role.
When interviewing candidates, go deeper than just learning about their work and education backgrounds. Ask questions that get to the root of what motivates the candidate to determine whether they're truly a good fit for the position. Also consider the level of cultural fit a job candidate demonstrates by asking questions that help you verify they are right for the company. Here are some examples:
- What is one word that former co-workers would use to describe you?
- What would your most recent manager say about you?
- What elements do you feel a team must have for success?
6. Build your brand.
As a staffing manager, you become the face of the company to job seekers. Candidates may search your name online when they apply for a position, and they'll expect to see a professional profile that gives them confidence in your abilities.
Take the time to build your online profile (such as on LinkedIn) so that when a job candidate searches for you, they find up-to-date, accurate information that reflects your professional experience and capabilities.
7. Understand ideal candidate profiles.
Before you start recruiting for an open position, spend time with the hiring manager to understand exactly what type of candidate they're seeking. Consider asking the manager questions like these:
- Who are the best employees you currently have on the team?
- What are the personality traits of a great candidate?
- What traits do you not want to see in a candidate?
- What skill set does the ideal candidate for the position have?
Asking these questions before you start recruiting will help you identify and zero in on candidates who meet the qualifications and expectations of the hiring manager.
8. Use technology to find candidates.
The great thing about being a staffing manager in the 21st century is that you have the benefit of technology on your side to help you find qualified candidates who meet your specific criteria. Recruiting technology has come a long way and will quickly become your new best friend as you navigate the world of hiring in today's competitive environment. As a staffing manager, you can use technology to your advantage to do the following:
- Find candidates
- Sort through profiles
- Filter out resumes from unqualified candidates
- Verify credentials
- Schedule interviews
The right talent management software will give you back more time to focus on finding the perfect hire. For example, you can use Veriklick to verify the candidates' authenticity.
9. Keep notes handy.
As a staffing manager, you're in a role that consists of many moving parts, and unfortunately, this makes it easy to forget things. Take notes as you move through the hiring process so you can learn from experiences and have a better idea of what to do next time.
For instance, if you had a difficult time filling a position and then finally found a good candidate, make note of why the process took so long, what worked, what didn't work, etc. Reference your notes the next time the position (or a similar one) becomes available so you're prepared to find a good candidate faster.
10. Get to know your company's all-stars.
Knowing who excels in their role at your company will provide valuable insight into the types of candidates you need to bring in for interviews. New staffing managers should spend time with the all-stars throughout the organization to understand how they go above and beyond in their roles. Have informal conversations with them over coffee, asking them questions such as these:
- What do you love about your role and responsibilities?
- What do you love about the company?
- What do you do to help the company succeed?
- What motivates you?
Asking top-performing employees these questions will help you weed out the candidates who don't align with their feelings and attitudes.
11. Expect rejection.
Hiring the right candidate is a marathon, not a sprint. Chances are, you won't find the perfect match 100% of the time, so be prepared to experience failure and rejection as part of your job. Remember that when you're working with candidates, you're working with a resource that isn't always reliable – people. People can act unexpectedly and unpredictably. For instance, you might make an offer to a great candidate only to have them accept a counteroffer from their current employer.
You can't always predict or prevent rejection, so the best thing you can do is learn from your experiences and move on. Know that this is part of the deal as a staffing manager, so don't let a failure to fill a job prevent you from moving forward in your profession.