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5 Ways to Improve a Recruitment Strategy

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Recruitment Strategy|5 Ways to Improve a Recruitment StrategyAll businesses need to have a recruitment strategy as they work towards growth and an ideal workforce. Recruitment strategies can only be carried out if tactical improvements are consistently made. Here are a few great tips for business leaders looking to reach strategic recruitment goals.

Leverage Technology

It is important to leverage all the technological advantages available to your organization if you want to develop a successful recruitment strategy. The best recruitment agency software comes with several tools to help businesses and agencies identify and manage the best candidates. Modern recruitment programs usually take the form of an ATS – Applicant Tracking Software. Applicant Tracking Software enables an organization to learn more from the pool of candidates that have interacted with job advertisements. It creates a searchable database of candidates and allows a business to sort applicants according to their attributes and qualifications.

Recruit Internally

Recruiting for senior and specialist roles from within the workforce of a company can have some distinct advantages over the hiring of outside talent. By recruiting internally, an organization makes it clear to employees that there is a pathway to career development open to them if they maintain good standards. Employees will often be more responsive to a senior recruit that is already familiar with a company’s culture. Recruiters will save a huge amount of time and money when recruiting internally. A great deal of the time spent recruiting is used for learning about potential candidates. Internal candidates will already be familiar with recruiting members of an organization. Onboarding times also shrink drastically when an employee is recruited from within.


Treat Candidates Like Customers

It is extremely important to make sure that a candidate’s impression of a company is a good one. Treating your candidates like they are customers and collaborators is usually a good way of ensuring that they feel comfortable applying and working towards their own recruitment. Listen to candidate concerns and address them appropriately. Sell the role that you want to fill by advertising unique benefits and progression pathways.

Develop Compelling Job Descriptions

Speaking of selling the role that you want to fill: your organization needs to be able to create compelling and targeted job descriptions that truly speak to your ideal candidates. Job descriptions need to be created with the ideal candidate’s interests in mind. Good workforce research is necessary to identify these interests. Keep job descriptions as concise as possible: candidates are often snowed under when trying to find work and may not have the time to read through a laborious description. Make the role of the candidate clear in the description and clarify any company benefits that they would receive if they successfully applied. Use targeted social media and job board ads to draw suitable candidates toward the job description.

Network in Person

Don’t forget how important it is to network in person. An interpersonal connection with somebody is often one of the best ways to get to grips with their suitability for a role.

Creating Employee Benefits Programs

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Employee Benefits Programs|Creating Employee Benefits ProgramsDuring these challenging times, organizations are scrambling to recruit, motivate, and retain talent. One important way to gain a competitive edge is by knowing which benefits these days matter to your people the most.

How you’re supporting your employees, current and future, in this topsy-turvy environment can mean the difference between a loyal and resilient workforce and one that’s noncommitted – to you or its work.

So, you must put a premium on setting up the best benefits program possible. After all, benefits are a key component of the overall compensation package. Here’s what you need to know about creating employee benefits programs.

A Budget Must Be Established

Regardless of what kinds of benefits you offer, you’re going to have to figure out how much you can spend on a benefits package. This amount will be based on how much you can handle and what employers are offering as standard.

When calculating your budget, it’s crucial that you conduct a cost analysis per benefit. To help guide you, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics keeps data on all the differing amounts that employers shell out for various kinds of employee benefits such as health, dental, and vision insurance; FSA and HSA; retirement planning; commuter benefits; and life and disability insurance.

There Must Be Decisions About What to Include

Now you must figure out what goes into your plan. Employers usually choose among medical, dental, vision benefits; paid time off; retirement savings options; FSAs or HSAs; life and disability insurance; and work/life balance perquisites.

Note that while you aren’t required to provide all the above, those elements are still considered the basics, when it comes to benefits plans. More and more, to get a leg up on rivals, organizations are expected to go beyond the fundamentals and offer creative employee experiences such as free yoga classes or daycare services, pet-friendly workplaces, or free workplace snacks and drinks.

Total Compensation Must Be Determined

In addition to the paycheck and requisite benefits, total compensation lumps in employee compensation such as any commissions, bonuses, child-care and tuition assistance, profit-sharing distributions, IT reimbursements such as personal computer, public transit credit, employee assistance programs, or gym or club membership.

The Plan Needs Rechecking

Now that you’ve gone through all the major steps, scour the plan before you put it in place. If you aren’t using an external resource such as Mercer to help you, you’ll have to contact healthcare providers on your own to find the best employee benefit programs for your organization.

The Plan Gets Launched

Congratulations, as you’re now ready to communicate to your employees not only what has been developed, but how and why. This means that after notifying your staffers of the plan, but you’ll need to provide details and give people a chance to ask questions. Then you need to publish the program so that employees have a portal or some place to return to for points of clarification.

You should also be certain to add your new top benefits to your company’s online career page where prospective talent can see it. The new benefits should also be included in your job advertisements. After all, a Glassdoor survey found that about half of jobseekers reported being frustrated by the lack of online info about an organization’s benefits.

As you can see, creating an employee benefits program is more than a notion, but at least now you know what goes into it. To put a program in place, we recommend not only that you get outside help, but that you go with the consultant Mercer for its breadth of experience and expertise. The firm will work with you to produce health and benefits solutions that will benefit your employees and their families, as well as your organization.

Here are the Biggest Hiring Mistakes You’re Probably Making Right Now

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Hiring Mistake|Here are the Biggest Hiring Mistakes You’re Probably Making Right NowIf you want to make sure that you hire the right people for your team then you have come to the right place. Here you can find out what mistakes people make when hiring team members, while also finding out if there is anything that you can do to avoid them yourself in the future.

Hiring without a Set Process

Meeting and even interviewing candidates for the job becomes too easy if you are an experienced business owner. You may find that it is too easy for you to hire someone based on your gut feeling and that everything else goes out of the window. If you want to do something about this, then you need to make sure that you have a process in place so that you can make sure that you end up making the right decisions from the get-go.

Not Knowing what You Need

Not knowing what kind of person you need to hire often means that you hire a generalist. You may also hire people who are good at everything, and this may not be what you need. Before you dive right into the recruitment process, you have to make it clear that you know the person you need for the job, and you also need to be clear on your recruitment process. If you are aware of what you need, then you may find that you can let your potential candidates know, and this will save you and them money, time and energy. During the screening process, it is a good idea for you to have a list of criteria that you are looking for, so you can then take steps to eliminate who is and who is not fit for the job.

Hiring without Testing

It is very easy for you to hire someone based on what they say. They may look like they are the cream of the crop, and they may look like they can do just about anything in a very short space of time. One way for you to check to see if people are able to show the skills you need would be for you to set them tests. You can find a lot of these online so that you can test how proficient someone is or even their aptitude. You can do this depending on the field of your industry. Remember, it is also more than possible for you to create your very own test so that you can see how they do. You can do this during the interview, or right after, so you can find out if they are a good fit for your team. Remember, employee screening should be an essential part of your process too.

Of course, there are many things that you can do to make sure that you are hiring the right team, and if you follow this guide, you should find that you are able to come out on top without experiencing any issues at all. Why not implement these tips for yourself today?

You Need HR Services – Here’s Why

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |HR Services|You Need HR Services - Here's WhyDid you know that there are over 30 million businesses in the US right now that hire almost 60 million people? Small businesses are popping up all over the place and those small businesses are employing people to work within their walls. While large enterprises are still sweeping through and making a name for themselves, it’s smaller businesses that need some help with human resource issues as they crop up.

Small businesses are facing some of the biggest challenges in-house than bigger businesses, and they are often on a very steep learning curve. Outsourcing issues you might have with contracts and employee separation agreements is important and you will find that HR issues like payroll disputes are often better left to experts. An outsourced agency could be the support you need, and understanding what they can do for you will help. If you are operating a small business, the best thing that you could do is to check out whether you need outsourced HR services in the first place. You might not even think that you need a human resources department, but if you’re hiring people, you need someone to manage them. You’re the owner and you should be considering keeping up with your regular business practices.

The last thing that you want to do is leave things up to chance. Your employees can be your best asset and below, we’ve got a list of reasons you need to have HR services to help your business.

    1. Reducing your overheads. Did you know that a HR department can help you to reduce your overheads? HR departments often increase your staff, which means that you have to have more desks, more technology and more space for documents. If you outsource your HR services, you’re going to save on this and still get an excellent service. Great HR departments outside your business are going to help you to save money in the long term. The costs can vary when you pay an agency, so shop around and get the right one.
    2. Attracting employees. A big red flag for the best talent out there is a business that has no regular processes in place to make sure they are protected. A HR department is one that will ensure that your staff are happy, protected and able to continue their work. If you’re not experienced in recruitment, you don’t have to be. You can have the experts doing the job for you and this will help you to attract the best talent. Their onboarding processes are going to be targeted, too, which will help you to bring on the best people.
    3. Training. You know that your business works with you at the helm; it’s why you’re the owner. If you want to ensure that your business training and education works well with your employees, contact a HR agency outside the business. Training may not even be a huge part of your business but it also doesn’t have to be. It can pay to outsource this as training isn’t cheap!
    4. Policy development. It’s not easy to develop a range of employee policies, especially if you’re not aware of the law. You can hire an expert to do this for you, though, and they can work with you to come up with employee separation agreements and working contracts that will be used across all departments. The right HR services can help you to develop policies that suit your business and what you need.
    5. Coping with risks. There are some things that can be a liability in businesses and you might not know all of them. It’s okay if you don’t; that’s why you have external HR resources to help. You might not know much about labor laws, but your HR expert will. There are plenty of laws like this that are out there and these change all of the time. The best thing to do here is to have a trained professional handle it all for you and keep up with them – so you don’t have to.
    6. Payroll issues. One of the biggest HR issues is payroll! People not getting paid, people not getting the right perks and benefits and trying to get what they are contracted to get is important. Your HR service can handle this for you because you don’t need to let this slip through the cracks. You have to stop what you’re doing so that you can deal with difficult issues, but if you hire a HR expert, you’re going to be able to avoid this and let someone else handle it. There’s nothing wrong with stepping aside and asking someone else to take over; you just have to be brave enough to ask for help!
    7. Health insurance. A HR service is going to be the best place to look for the best health plans out there and with the right service, you’re going to be able to offer your employees the best. Going with an outside HR company will help you to have access to a range of benefits that you wouldn’t normally get, too. These are the benefits you want to look for for your staff.
    8. Insurance management. Did you know that your human resource department can work with you to set up the right insurances? There are so many different types of insurance out there that you have to understand, and there are HR experts to handle it all. There are liability insurances and workers’ compensation insurances, professional liability and commercial insurance. It’s a lot, but you are one person and you don’t have to worry about understanding it all.

Human resource experts are out there looking after businesses. You will never have to worry about your business being without an expert in people if you hire a great HR service to work with you. Your whole business is going to be built on the people who work for you – make sure that they are as looked after as possible and don’t skimp on this expense.

Loopholes in Hiring: What Are You Doing Wrong?

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Hiring Loopholes|Loopholes in Hiring: What Are You Doing Wrong?It seems like you’ve decided to go through this article. Well, in that case, there’s a high probability that you’re looking for some assistance in your hiring decisions. Even if you’re an experienced recruiter, things could be looking gloomy in the recruiting area for some time, and that’s a point of concern indeed.

For instance, the problem could be that your employees aren’t meeting expectations, or you feel you’ve hired a good candidate for the wrong position! Fortunately, you’ve stumbled upon this article that will assist you in assessing your own recruiting methods and criteria.

Undoubtedly, hiring new employees is a complicated process. You have to know the law, set recruiting criteria early on, sort out an employment contract and – above all, ensure you’re recruiting the right person. You can easily err if you don’t check all the right boxes. After all, finding the wrong person is worse than finding no one at all – it means having to start over.

The trick to recruiting new employees for your business is to have a clear idea of the skills, characteristics, and experience required for that particular position. A reasonable plan to assess and attract the best of the best entrants is an essential component of effective recruitment. Unfortunately, too many businesses commit the same slipups over and over again, costing themselves money and time in the process. The best way to dodge these mistakes is to learn from them.

To make it easier on you, we’ve compiled a list of all the loopholes that exist in recruiting new employees, including a gist of how to avoid them.

Mistake #1: Not Manifesting Technology

Are you still taking a stroll down the river to wash your clothes on the rocks? Do you hang your unmentionables over shrubbery to dry? Of course not: There is a better way, and you’d only give yourself some trouble if you do not use it. The same applies to screening potential candidates. Sifting through a mountain of resumes and printing every email is a tedious process. It wastes time and energy and leads to inefficient results, such as losing track of an applicant’s information, slowing down the recruitment process.

The Fix

Incorporating technology and specific tools in the recruitment process is a viable way to track all essential details. An applicant tracker, for instance, is a model built to help you handle everything from potential candidates to interview dates, job positions, job descriptions, and so much more. Furthermore, it casts a vast network for attracting applicants by driving traffic directly to your job openings and screens for the top candidates. So instead of schlepping home a box full of resumes to read, you’re now directly scheduling in-person and phone interviews and getting that position filled. It is not just a keen move but cost-effective and easier on your back as well.

Mistake #2: Rushing to Recruit Someone

Hiring someone without thinking twice or scrutinizing their experience/work profile can be as bad as not using technology or making the hiring process overly lengthy. Of course, there can be a sense of urgency to recruit an employee, especially if you have other staff covering the position putting additional strain on the team. But by trying to speed up the process, you may miss out on vital information, which could prove costly in the future.

The Fix

Focus on setting a realistic timeframe to send out the job offer and go through the hiring process. You can then share this with your team to get an idea of how long it will take to find the right candidate for the job.
Also, ensure that you take all the necessary time to perform relevant checks, contact references, and conduct online skill assessments. A checklist can assist you in this regard; by setting a timeline for every step, you can stay on track and ensure nothing is left out.

Mistake #3: Making decisions based on gut feelings

Human beings are biased – no arguments here. However, this becomes a problem when most of the recruitment at a company is based on gut feelings! Subjective and unthoughtful decisions are a primary problem in several organizations.

The Fix

Fortunately, with AI or Artificial Intelligence, recruiting managers can identify the right fit for the position by evaluating the applicant’s characteristics, skills, and other required criteria. AI-based solutions are designed to collect data and convert them into actionable insights. It will ensure that all the crucial decisions are based on untainted data, allowing companies to compare the skills required for a particular position with the applicants’ job profiles.

Moreover, deciding to hire someone based on gut feel can be damaging to the company. If you’re not careful, you might miss the red flags in job applicants. Performing extensive criminal background checks with candidates’ written consent through a third-party background checker is within a business’s legal right, so it’s something you should consider. Background checks can expose problematic behavior and keep bad employees from being hired at all. Since background checks are standard practice, most job seekers are aware that they may go through them.

Mistake #4: Not Including other Staff Members

Hiring managers often use the same old recruiting criteria used previously to hire the last employee. What they don’t realize is that the skills or role requirements might have changed. They often fail to mention these additional requirements in their requisition. Thus, the job offer might attract the wrong group of candidates.

This mistake usually occurs when recruiters and HR work in isolation, not consulting the team and hiring managers about the actual job preferences and duties. This makes the hiring process even more chaotic and prolonged than anticipated.

The Fix

Involve all your staff members in the recruitment process. More than 50% of the time, it is seen that hiring managers make tweaks to the job description. You can invite your staff members into your talent acquisition podium so that you can all give your two cents on the hiring process. Moreover, with open-end discussions, you can discover the right candidate for the job opening.

Mistake #5: Not Offering Enough

When it comes to hiring new employees, staying within your budget will forever remain an essential consideration. Many organizations walk a fine line between spending enough money to expand their business and staying profitable. But now more than ever, job applicants know what they are worth, and they are searching for a job that will be realistic in terms of amenities and salary. So offering less for a job that deserves more is a definite no-go.

The Fix

It is wise to look at what other organizations are paying their employees. The same websites that candidates will use to research what a position is worth can help recruiters too. You don’t necessarily have to pay more than your competitors. Still, you should play fair if you’re expecting to attract top-class talent.

Furthermore, suppose you don’t have the budget to match what your contenders are paying. In that case, you can perhaps offer other bonuses, such as an office gym, 401k matching, tuition reimbursement, etc.

Conclusion

So there you have it – a list of all the plausible mistakes that are bound to sabotage and possibly derail a recruitment process. All recruiters need to consider the pointers mentioned above to ensure an effective and smooth hiring process. To err is human, of course, but you can streamline the entire process and run it smoothly with a little bit of effort and technology. Just be sure to take your time and assess the potential candidates with a sharp eye, and before you know it, you’ll have no trouble finding the best fit for the job.