Talent acquisition is much more than proverbial “bums on seats.” It’s a critical end-to-end function that identifies future hiring needs and builds talent pipelines.
It’s also a people management strategy that aligns with business objectives. And it involves implementing effective listening practices that go beyond large-scale employee surveys.
Table of Contents
Identifying the Right Candidates
Successful TA teams must evaluate their current state and processes in their journey to hiring success. The hiring maturity assessment, combined with a thorough analysis of the results and workshopping with TA stakeholders, gives companies a roadmap and compass to guide their hiring transformation.
Through candidate communications, ad campaigns, sourcing, and interview processes, the best hiring practices enable TA teams to reduce hiring time and fill the pipeline with qualified candidates. These best practices also help them deliver a consistent and engaging candidate experience that sets the tone for their culture and performance on the job.
For example, if an application takes 20 minutes to complete, it’s easy for candidates to get frustrated and drop out. Shortening the application to five or 10 minutes will increase the speed and quality of the hiring process while reducing costs. Similarly, video recording interviews allows recruiters to focus on the candidate and eliminates the risk of missing critical information while taking notes.
Creating a Job Description
With a well-crafted job description, you’re ready to start the hiring process. As the job ad makes its way around your networks and into the world, you can rest assured that no one who’d be an ideal fit will miss out on the opportunity because they’ll know all the details they need to decide whether or not to apply.
Your job description should include:
- A summary of the role.
- A list of core responsibilities and duties.
- Any special qualifications and skills that are needed to do the work well.
Being honest in your description is essential, especially if the job is challenging. A candidate will appreciate your honesty and be better prepared for what to expect in the role.
They will have an intimate understanding of the daily tasks and responsibilities required and can provide valuable insight as you write your job specifications.
Developing a Recruiting Strategy
Once you’ve identified your ideal candidate profile, streamlined your interview process, and created a job description, it’s time to develop an effective recruitment strategy. It is a crucial step that allows you to optimize your hiring process and recruit like a pro. You must know how to source and nurture talent throughout the hiring funnel and understand which tools will help you succeed.
For example, one way to do this is by building a pool of high-quality candidates on standby. It allows you to quickly scale up when needed without sacrificing candidate quality. You can also use creative recruiting tactics such as tapping into your networks or finding places where the people you want to hire might hang out. For instance, if you’re looking for techies, try contacting your employees on Slack and other online communities to see if they have any leads. It will save you time and money and provide better job candidates.
Conducting Interviews
While some interviewers use structured interviews with pre-written questions, a more flexible approach allows organic conversations that reveal a candidate’s thought processes or ability to take constructive criticism. For example, asking how a candidate would react to receiving specific feedback in the past can reveal their openness to professional growth and their ability to adapt to your organization’s culture.
It’s also important to be mindful of how much of the interview process relates to your job description and the skills you’re looking for in your candidates. For example, some applicants may have gaps in their work experience or education that can be explained (such as being in school for another field).
Make it easy for candidates to interview by having a variety of time slots available and offering the option to conduct phone interviews. It will help reduce selection bias and provide all applicants with a more fair and consistent hiring process.
