Why Work Harder When you can Work Smarter?!

April 17, 2023

ARTICLES

Welcome to the first instalment of Behind the Exterior with me, Ellis Morris! If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past few months it’s that too many hiring managers are working harder, not smarter. So, how can you fix it?

In hiring, as with anything, learn the basic steps that need to be done and then do them over and over again until you’ve perfected them.

Here are my top 3 tips.

1. Show your recruiter you’re committed

When working with a recruiter, show them you’re committed to finding the perfect candidate. Dedicate a specific time and date to interviewing candidates and let the recruiter know. They’ll appreciate the upfront investment and ensure your timecard is filled up with prospective employees. Alternatively, they might put in the effort for hiring managers who’ve already set up times. Once you’ve built a relationship with the recruiter, you can also lean on them to gain perspective on the current market and find out how to attract the most in-demand talent.

2. Project manage the hiring process

This step is designed to speed up the hiring process and ensure you’re not losing out on top talent with a lengthy waiting period. When you’ve got a candidate you’re interested in and you send your President their CV, schedule in time in that President’s schedule for them to review it. Then, set up reminders to actively get responses from the President on the candidates so you don’t lose track. Take the time to project manage the hiring process and you’ll find everything goes a lot quicker and smoother.

3. Offer better feedback to candidates

Creating a better relationship with candidates can only benefit hiring managers. It’s a great way to improve your company’s employer branding and ensure you always get the best applications.

Candidates want to know where they’re going right and where they’re missing the mark. Helping them improve how they present themselves is a great way to produce better candidates in general. And they’re more likely to reapply after they make improvements if they feel they’ve had a positive experience – even if they don’t get the job!

One easy idea is to create a basic scorecard for candidates that you can fill in quickly after an interview. Simply score them 1 – 5 in a few set categories and you can pop that over to them in an email.

Alternatively, if you have 2 minutes to spare, you can send them over topline feedback on three areas:

What they can improve on

What they did well

What skills they could learn to get the job next time

Perfecting these three simple steps will make it easier to find the right talent and improve your hiring strategy in no time. It also gives the recruiter insights into what you’re looking for so they can send you better candidates next time. It’s the basics that make us great at what we do, after all.

Any other tips you’d add? Let me know your thoughts.

See you next time,

Ellis