Systematising your recruitment process is a great way to ensure you avoid the recruitment traps that we sometimes hear about.
Checklist 1: Pre – Interviews
- Work out the need for a new staff member
- Consider all the options available to you (think creatively!)
- Plan the recruitment process, ensuring that all involved in the process are aware of how it will go
- Decide on the key requirements of the position and any special skills/experience you seek in a candidate – ‘the must haves’
- Develop a Job Description for the role. If this is not your forte, you may wish to engage an HR contractor to assist
- Determine the salary range and any additional benefits
- See if there are any internal staff members who might just ‘fit the bill.’ Advise all employees and arrange for internal interviews. It is essential that this is managed fairly and professionally
- Engage a recruitment company if you wish all the detail for advertising, screening and initial interviewing to be managed
- Decide on advertising strategies which are very numerous these days. Post jobs on-line or in chosen advertising places
Checklist 2: Interviewing & Hiring
- Post the vacancy on your own company website
- Acknowledge receipt of all applications
- Review CV’s against your prioritised list of requirements for the position
- Advise those who are unsuitable
- Telephone those candidates who appear to be close to the mark. Determine salary requirements at this stage as this is important to make sure you are going to interview people who fit the role and the salary range
- Advise those who are unsuitable
- Send candidates a copy of the job Description (by email). Request confirmation they wish to be considered for the position
- Have candidates complete an application form (if available). Here you are able to gain their permission to complete background/credit checks (for financial related roles this is recommended)/reference/qualification or drug testing as identified appropriate for the position or company policy
- Arrange and conduct initial interviews
- Evaluate each candidate against the interview matrix with weightings for responses
- Hold 2nd round interviews. Culture fit, technical qualifications, customer responsiveness and knowledge are several of the screening areas you may want to your invest this time
- Arrange any testing you may wish a preferred candidate to complete: skills based or psychological assessments
- Undertake background/qualification checking – use an external provider if you do not have the resources to do so internally
- Arrange drug testing (if this is part of your process)
- Keep candidates updated throughout the process so they don’t have to keep guessing what is going on. As well, this will help you decide if you have to move very quickly so as to not lose a preferred candidate to another position
- Decide who you want to select – given you have identified a preferred candidate
- Talk informally with the candidate and make a verbal offer. Make sure you say it is “subject to all checking being completed positively” if this is still outstanding
- If the offer is verbally accepted “subject to reviewing the Employment Agreement” – prepare a draft to send to the candidate – asap
- Answer any questions that may arise with the candidate
- Note any changes and prepare an Employment Agreement for signature
- If offer is accepted – schedule a start date and advise other candidates the position has been filled
- If offer is declined, assess if another candidate in the interviewing process would be suitable (as in a very close 2nd) – or start again
From here develop an induction process and prepare to welcome a new addition to the team!
When you are ready to take the next step, click here to read our article on how to make a job offer.
Author: Jane Kennelly
