The role of a HR professional can be extremely varied depending on the organisation they are in. They may have to recruit new talent, get involved with training and developing new employees, and even take part in wider business decisions such as how staff should be paid and rewarded. One thing that all of these HR roles do have in common though is process. HR process is often in place to help things run more smoothly within an organisation, and ensure companies adhere to various standards within employment law and their own values, but what is interesting to see is how this same process can be hindering so many company’s hiring ability! Is it time to be less rigid when it comes to:
Your PSL
Most companies have a PSL (preferred supplier list) in place, which is a small list of recruitment agencies that you use when you need to fill a job role. The benefit of having a PSL in place is that the recruitment agencies you work with will (in theory) know your organisation in and out and be able to act as real advocates of your employer brand. But what happens when your PSL fails to get you that perfect candidate? Do you sit and wait patiently while your current employees get bogged down with extra workloads, all for the sake of not stepping out of the precious PSL? Your PSL shouldn’t be concrete, it should be in place to help! If your PSL isn’t delivering then don’t be afraid to explore new options, after all the last thing you want is to is risk your current employees getting stressed by carrying the extra workload of an unfilled vacancy!
Your interview process
There’s no question that it often takes more than one interview to ensure a candidate is a good fit for your company (and vice versa) but is your interview process driving good candidates away? Candidates can get disgruntled by an over complicated process, as they can feel like they are repeating themselves and having to constantly prove their worth. If your interview process involves a candidate meeting with various team members, try and condense it so it all happens within the same interview slot. This is particularly important for candidates who aren’t local and are currently working (and therefore find it difficult to take the time off work). Does your interview process drag on for too long? Do you take over a week to feedback to your candidates after an interview? Or perhaps you can’t arrange an interview until your Director is back at the end of the month? If you drag your heels then you risk losing out on great people, so try and be as efficient as possible!
No contact between recruitment agencies and hiring managers
A lot of companies like all recruitment activity to come through the HR department, which is a great way to ensure compliance of guidelines and consistency in (you guessed it) process. But with such varied roles within an organisation is the HR department always best placed to sign off potential candidates? For example a specialist IT Recruiter who has an exclusive PHP Developer candidate may be best placed discussing the candidates experience directly with the IT Manager, rather than someone within the HR team who may not have as deep an understanding of the technologies used. It can save a lot of time and ensure that only candidates who are at the right level are booked in for an interview.
Unrealistic rates for recruitment agencies
There’s no denying that some roles are easier to fill than others, for example if you advertise an entry level customer service role in a city centre you are almost guaranteed to get a good direct applicant. Companies that use agencies at below 15% may get a quick win when it comes to the “lower hanging fruit”, but if you’re looking for something a bit more specialist then you may need to pay a bit more to get it! Higher fees often come with a better service, more resources to attract candidates and more security – such as a rebate period in case anything goes wrong after you onboard that person.
Not considering UX/UI in your application process
We mentioned how a lengthy interview process can be off-putting for your candidates, well this is even more true when it comes to the application itself. Candidates spend hours perfecting their CV, so asking them to submit individual answers on a lengthy application form or automated ATS that duplicate this information can give candidates a negative experience, and even stop them from applying altogether! Try and make this bit as simple as possible! Even more important is to make sure your careers site is mobile friendly, as most candidates will search and apply for a role on their mobile rather than on a desktop computer.
Working 9-5
Standard office hours are almost unheard of in the recruitment industry, so if your HR department is trying to recruit without the help of an agency then you may need to re-think this. The reason? Most candidates are already working and therefore will need to be contacted either before or after office hours! Don’t fancy working evenings / weekends to find the right candidate? Then it’s time to call a recruiter who’ll do it for you!
Want to find out more ways to beat the process and recruit smarter? Get in touch with Searchability on 01244 567 567 / [email protected].
