Finding the right talent is a labor-intensive process despite the abundance of electronic job boards, social media platforms and behavioral assessment tools available. Businesses are looking for the right tools and processes to overcome recruitment challenges and drive long-term success.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for recruiting. However, there are tangible steps a business can take that significantly enhance their recruiting efforts.

Here are ten tips to improve recruiting for roles within an organization.

1. Define the Position Clearly: Before posting a job, ensure a thorough understanding of the role's responsibilities and required skills. Compile these into key accountabilities, prioritizing them based on importance and time commitment. Job benchmarking takes the guesswork out of finding someone who’s the right fit for an organization by providing an in-depth analysis of what the position requires to ensure the highest probability of candidate success.

2. Research Job Board Options: Explore various job boards to find the most effective platform for your posting. While popular options like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com exist, consider more targeted alternatives. Seek advice from industry colleagues, explore industry-specific LinkedIn groups or use platforms like Indeed.com and ZipRecruiter.com strategically. When posting a position, keep the job description short and easy to read. Ensure your applications are mobile-friendly since many candidates will complete them on their phones.

3. Outsource Legwork: Whether enlisting the help of a colleague, intern or consultant, leveraging others and their unique skills can help streamline your tasks. The labor market continues to be tight so simply posting a position online won’t get the desired results. Utilizing active sourcing approaches, networking and getting current employees involved in sharing the job is important.

4. Structure Your Screening: View every interaction with a candidate as part of the screening process. Assess responsiveness and communication skills, as these can be indicative of a candidate's professionalism. If a candidate's performance is underwhelming at any stage, consider it in the overall evaluation.

5. Implement Behavioral Testing: Embrace behavioral testing as a crucial element in the recruitment process. Allocate one-third of the hiring decision to behavioral testing, emphasizing comprehensive assessments that align with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission standards.

6. Use Behavioral Interview Questions: During face-to-face interviews, focus on behavioral questions to understand a candidate's past performance. Questions like "tell me about a time when..." or "give me an example of how you..." provide insights into a candidate's actions in previous roles.

7. Employ Panel Interviews: Opt for group interviews involving at least two interviewers. This approach allows for collective observation, discussion and comparison of candidate responses. It promotes a more comprehensive evaluation compared to individual one-on-one interviews.

8. Plan Questions in Advance: When conducting group interviews, plan questions in advance and assign specific areas to different interviewers. Maintain consistency by asking the same behavioral questions to each candidate for fair comparisons.

9. Avoid Bias: Guard against biases, both positive and negative, that may influence candidate evaluation. Stick to the job description and assess candidates solely based on the outlined requirements, avoiding personal preferences that may cloud judgment.

10. Don't Settle – Stay Excited: If unimpressed with the candidate pool, resist the urge to settle for the best among unqualified candidates. It's crucial to remain excited about potential hires. If necessary, restart the search to secure the right fit, saving time and resources in the long run.

Remember, the hiring process is not just about filling a position, it's about finding the right person who can contribute to the growth and success of your organization. So, stay focused and determined in your search, and don't settle for anything less than the best fit.

Q&A with The Workplace Advisors

Question: I’m finding candidates but not the right ones. What should I do?

Answer: Experience. Compensation. Location. These are the three factors that most strongly affect the success of a recruiting project.

If the position requires industry experience, specific licensing or technical skills and your budget is very tight, this can definitely impact the quantity and quality of the candidates you see. Likewise, consider the location and the size of the candidate pool. We find that the market tells us very quickly if one of these three factors is “off.” That means, one or all may need to be adjusted.

  • Are you able to pay more for the experience level?
  • Do you need to look at folks with lesser experience who will fit into your compensation structure?
  • Can the position be done remotely?

As the labor market continues to tighten, it’s important to be flexible and creative. Good candidates with the right attributes and attitudes are out there… go get them!

Ritchie is vice president, recruiting and talent selection, at The Workplace Advisors, Inc., formerly Affinity HR Group Inc. The Workplace Advisors specializes in providing human resources assistance to associations such as PPAI and their member companies. To learn more, visit www.theworkplaceadvisors.com.