The start of the new school year is often synonymous with new beginnings, new ambitions and new resolutions. For recruiters, this is an ideal opportunity to rethink their strategies and adopt new habits to optimise their recruitment process. We could have told you that the best way was to use our recruitment software, but that would have been too easy. So here are our 10 good resolutions for putting people back at the heart of recruitment and recruiting more effectively.
1. Focus on active listening:
Take the time to listen to the candidates, their aspirations, their fears and their ambitions. This will give you a better understanding of their motivations and help you find the ideal candidate for the job.
If, during an interview, a candidate mentions that they left their previous job due to a lack of career development opportunities, they will be asked to explain why. Instead of quickly moving on to the next question, you can take the time to ask for details of what the candidate is looking for in terms of career development and how they see their career path in the long term.
Example 2: Imagine you are recruiting for a project manager position; During the interview, the candidate expresses an interest in further training and the possibility of moving into a management role. By listening actively, you may remember that your company has a leadership training programme in the pipeline. By sharing this information with the candidate, you will not only show that you have listened to their aspirations, but also that your company could be the right place for them.
2. Optimise your job offer:
Review your job descriptions to ensure they are clear, precise and attractive. Make sure they reflect your company’s culture and the values you are looking for in a candidate. If you haven’t read it yet, we’ve already written an article on how to write a good job advert.
Instead of a simple list of tasks, the job advert can include details of the company’s culture, recent projects the team has worked on, or even testimonials from current employees.
Example: You are recruiting for a web developer position. In the advert, instead of just saying “Seeking developer with JavaScript experience”, you could add “Join a dynamic team who have recently developed an award-winning application for an international client. We value creativity and innovation and offer weekly brainstorming sessions to share ideas and best practice.” Be more than just generic terms.
3. Diversify your recruitment sources:
Don’t limit yourself to traditional recruitment platforms. Explore social networks, specialist forums and networking events to reach a wider audience.
Instead of limiting themselves to online recruitment, a recruiter could attend local meetups related to their sector of activity or work with universities on internship programmes. Here again, we have several articles on sourcing, like this one.
Example: You are looking for young talent in digital marketing. Rather than publishing exclusively on traditional job boards, you decide to organise a workshop at a local university on digital marketing trends. Not only does this position your company as a leader in the field, it also gives you the opportunity to meet passionate students who could be future candidates.
4. Adopt technology, but with discretion:
While technological tools such as our Jobaffinity recruitment software can make the recruitment process a lot easier, but it shouldn’t replace human contact. Use them to filter applications, but always take the time to meet candidates in person.
Using CV parsing, for example, can help to filter applications quickly, but it is essential to take the time to meet shortlisted candidates in person or via video conference to assess their cultural fit and interpersonal skills.
Example: You have received 200 applications for a position. After using our CV analysis tool to narrow down the list to 20 candidates, you organise live or asynchronous video interviews for each of them. During these interviews, you discover that one of the candidates, while not having all the technical skills listed, has a passion and curiosity that perfectly matches your company’s culture.
5. Keep training:
The world of recruitment is constantly changing. Take part in training courses, webinars and conferences to keep up to date with industry best practice.
Recruiters can sign up for webinars on new trends in recruitment, or take a training course on unconscious bias to improve the diversity of their recruitment. By the way, did you know that we hold regular webinars?
Example: Your interviews last too long and you always find it hard to get the information or feedback you want. You decide to take cognitive training to prepare your questions better, react more effectively and analyse your candidates’ non-verbal speech. (on this subject, have you read our article on the questions to ask a candidate when recruiting?)
6. Value diversity and inclusion:
Make an effort to recruit candidates from all backgrounds. This will enrich your business and encourage innovation.
Instead of focusing solely on technical skills, a recruiter could also assess candidates’ ability to work in diverse environments and bring unique perspectives to the table.
Example: You are recruiting for a team leader position. During interviews, you ask questions about how candidates have managed diversity in their previous teams. One candidate shares an experience in which he set up monthly meetings to celebrate the different cultures in his team, thereby strengthening cohesion and mutual understanding.
7. Put in place a solid onboarding process:
Once the candidate has been recruited, make sure they feel welcome and integrated. This will increase their chances of success and loyalty to the company.
Instead of a simple orientation day, an onboarding programme could include mentoring sessions, job-specific training and regular check-ins during the first few months. We’ve written an article on the different ways to manage candidate onboarding well.
Example: You have recently recruited a new sales representative. To help them integrate, you will assign them a mentor within the team. The mentor will accompany the employee on his first customer visits, give him constructive feedback and be available to answer any questions he may have. After a few months, the new sales representative feels fully integrated and is performing beyond expectations, and will no doubt want to become a mentor in his or her own right.
8. Be transparent:
Whether it’s the expectations of the job, the culture of the company or the prospects for career development, transparency is essential if we are to establish a relationship of trust with candidates.
If a job has less attractive aspects, such as frequent travel, relatively frequent late working hours or having to deal with unhappy customers on a regular basis, it’s best to mention this from the outset to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Example: You are recruiting for a position that requires you to work some weekends. Rather than omitting it, you should mention it in the advert and during interviews. One candidate appreciates this transparency and shares that he is available at weekends because he is taking courses during the week. Transparency has enabled us to find the ideal candidate for the job, saving you time in your recruitment process.
9. Get feedback from candidates:
After each interview, ask candidates for their opinion on the recruitment process. This will help you identify areas for improvement.
You can quite simply send a short questionnaire to candidates to gather their impressions of the recruitment process.
Example: Following several feedbacks from candidates mentioning that the technical interview was too long, you decide to divide it into two shorter sessions. Candidates appreciate this change, and you have noticed an improvement in the quality of interviews.
10. Take care of yourself:
Recruitment can be stressful. Don’t forget to take time out for yourself, whether it’s for training, resting or simply relaxing.
Plan regular breaks during the interview days to recharge your batteries and stay focused. The human element must remain at the heart of the interview – you are one of them!
Example: After a particularly busy week with lots of interviews, you decide to take a day off to relax. You return to work more rested and with a fresh perspective, enabling you to approach future meetings more effectively and with greater empathy.
Back to school is a good time to rethink and revitalise our methods. As a recruiter, every interaction, every interview and every decision plays a crucial role in building strong, successful teams.
But beyond good practices and resolutions, the effectiveness of the recruitment process also depends on the tools we use. In an increasingly digital world, relying on innovative technological solutions such as Jobaffinity recruitment software can make all the difference. It’s not just a question of saving time or automating certain tasks, but of truly optimising each stage of the recruitment process to bring out the human element while benefiting from the power of technology.
Recruiting is all about people, and every detail counts in making the right choices.
