3 Ways to Improve Your Hiring Process in the New Year

Get it right and you significantly boost productivity; get it wrong and it can cost you in lost time. As 2015 fades out and 2016 rolls in, let’s look at three ways you can improve your hiring process for the New Year. Strategic Planning Develop a more effective and efficient recruiting process by measuring intangibles such as employee fit along with a candidate’s tangible abilities. Organizations that put the focus on fit over ability achieve better hiring decisions by prioritizing factors that add strategic value over lesser value administrative capabilities. Resolve to treat the hiring process as the most important strategic planning your organization does in the New Year. Seek out and hire new employees who enable your business to grow and become more profitable. Create a Candidate Driven Experience A great psychology-inspired tip is to put yourself in the candidate’s chair and take a look at what she or he experiences. Does your company offer a positive experience for potential hires? Strive to create a favorable impression of your company regardless of whether you make the hire or not. Bad hiring experiences can lead to lost revenue, so organizations that hope to retain both top talent and customers should deliver a recruitment process that is engaging and relevant. Build a Smarter and Stronger Employer Brand Great employer branding is all about the long game. The ideal candidate may not be sitting in front of you right now, but when they do appear they’ll be familiar with your company and will be excited about working there. Social media will continue to play an important role in recruitment.  Just as your prospects maintain profiles on various platforms, so too should your business. Get the word out on your brand and candidates will know all about you long before they come in for an interview, and that’s whether they’re actively seeking a job or not. Make the shift from branding for appeal (where you promote your organization as a great place to work) to branding for influence, and help applicants make better decisions about whether they should even apply. According to a recent Glassdoor survey, the top five details job seekers want employers to provide are: 1. What makes the business a great place to work 2. Compensation packages 3. Benefits packages 4. An organization’s mission, vision and values 5. Basic company information Get ready for a fresh approach by incorporating these three steps into your hiring process. They’ll help you streamline and refocus your recruiting methods through a process that will be less burdensome for all concerned, with far-reaching and long-lasting benefits for your organization. Happy New Year Hiring!