From Good, to Great: Mastering DIY Recruitment

The concept of ‘doing it yourself’ is becoming increasingly popular in the world of recruitment. Passionate people want to be at the forefront of hiring the right employees for their businesses. DIY recruitment not only saves costs but also lets you align your recruitment to your individual business requirements. After all, who knows your organisation better than you?

In this blog, we’ll run you through the Revise Recruitment approach to in-house recruitment. We understand the value of taking control of your hiring process and finding your perfect match. From defining job requirements and leveraging your network to screening candidates and making the right offer, we’ll provide you with practical tips and insights to help you navigate the DIY recruitment landscape with style.

Whether you’re a small business owner, a startup entrepreneur, or a HR professional looking to streamline your recruitment efforts, Revise can empower you with the knowledge and tools to make informed hiring decisions. So, let’s dive in and explore the world of in-house recruitment, where you become the master of your own recruitment journey.

Crafting Effective Job Adverts

An advert for a job vacancy is your first opportunity to draw in the best candidates. It should clearly outline the required skills, qualifications, and a glimpse into your company culture, not forgetting the remuneration package. Crafting an effective job advert requires a mix of transparency, concise details, and appealing factors about the company and the role, so don’t be afraid to inject some personality into the advert that reflects your company’s values and mission. To attract great candidates, keep your language simple, and be clear about the requirements and benefits.

If in doubt, we have a whole blog on how to craft a job advert that attracts your dream candidate. Check it out here.

Leveraging Your Network

Networking is the backbone of great recruiting. Nowadays, we have a huge list of networking tools at our disposal including, LinkedIn, social media, and job boards, which can make finding the right candidate really easy. Your current employees can also be a great source of potential candidates through their own professional networks.

Another way to leverage your network is through creating meaningful relationships within your industry. Engaging with industry professionals, and attending networking events, webinars, and workshops can provide tons of opportunities to connect with potential candidates.

Additionally, joining professional associations such as the Recruitment, Consulting & Staffing Association (RCSA) and The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) can offer a platform to share knowledge, trends, and best practices. Remember, in recruitment, your network is one of your most valuable assets, so cultivate it and make it work for you.

Screening and Interviews

The hiring process is much more than just a series of interactions. It’s the stage where your organisation gets to know the potential new team member, their capabilities, and how well they align with your business requirements and organisation culture. To take your screening and interview process from good to great, consider following our top tips:

1. Be Consistent and Clear: Start by creating a standard process for every candidate that applies. This includes setting clear criteria for screening CVs, a standard set of interview questions, and a consistent method of scoring and evaluating candidates.
2. Ask Behavioural Questions: Behavioural questions help you understand how a candidate has acted in the past, and situational questions allow you to see how they might act in the future. This combination provides a well-rounded view of a candidate’s capabilities and potential fit within your organisation.
3. Take Notes: Taking notes during an interview helps remember key points discussed, it also helps you in the decision-making process after all interviews have taken place.
4. Follow-up Promptly: Always let candidates know the expected timeline for decisions and follow up promptly. This shows respect for the candidate’s time whilst also enhancing your organisation’s rep.
5. Debrief with Your Team: After the interviews, debrief with your team. Discussing and comparing notes can provide different perspectives and help to select the right candidate. This is a team effort after all.
6. Conduct Thorough Background Checks: Once you have shortlisted candidates, be sure to perform comprehensive background checks, including reference checks, qualification verifications, and skill assessments, to gather additional insights and validate their qualifications and credibility.
7. Provide Feedback: Whether a candidate is successful or not, providing feedback is a valuable part of the hiring process. It aids in the candidate’s professional growth and leaves a positive impression of your organisation, which could be beneficial for future vacancies, and your overall employer brand.

Remember, the goal of screening and interviews is to find the right candidates who will contribute to the success of your organisation. By implementing these tips, you’ll be well on your way to elevating your recruitment process from good to great!

Embracing Technology

Including tech tools in your recruitment process is a game-changer for making it more efficient, and enhancing the overall experience for both recruiters and candidates. Here are some more ways we like to leverage technology:

Use AI to Streamline Processes

Many aspects of recruitment can be automated with AI, like screening CVs or scheduling interviews. This can save a significant amount of time and let you focus on other critical parts of the recruitment process.

LinkedIn Recruiting

With millions of active professionals and job seekers, LinkedIn offers a huge talent pool to explore and promote your company culture. To make the most of LinkedIn recruiting, optimise your company profile, connect with industry professionals, and engage in conversations. This helps attract candidates who align with your values and mission.

Mobile Optimisation

A study by Glassdoor revealed that job seekers complete 53% fewer applications on a mobile device and take 80% longer to do so than when applying on a desktop. That’s a staggering drop-off considering 58% of people use their phones to search for jobs. Be sure that your job adverts and application processes are mobile-friendly. This will enhance the applicant experience and increase the number of quality applicants. Don’t let a nightmare application process turn off a potential superstar employee.

Data Analytics

Using data analytics in your recruitment strategy can provide insights into hiring trends, the efficiency of your recruitment process, and areas for improvement. We’ll touch on tracking your success more later on.

Creating a Positive Candidate Experience

A positive candidate experience hinges on transparency, engagement, and a personal approach. It all boils down to clear communication, timely feedback, and respect for the candidate’s time.

Being transparent about the role and the hiring process helps manage expectations and builds trust, a vital component for any successful relationship. Regular updates keep candidates engaged and assure them that their application is under consideration.

A personal touch, such as showing interest in their aspirations and acknowledging their unique skills, adds a layer of appreciation, making candidates feel valued. Even for unsuccessful applicants, a positive experience leaves a good impression and encourages them to consider future opportunities with your organisation.

Making the Offer

Once you’ve identified the ideal candidate, it’s time to make a compelling offer. Clearly communicate the remuneration package, including salary, bonuses, benefits, and perks. Specify the proposed start date and provide an overview of the onboarding process. Formalise the offer with a written letter or contract outlining the terms and conditions. Be open to negotiation if needed, and express enthusiasm when the candidate accepts the offer.

How Do I Welcome My New Recruits?

After the hiring process concludes and you’ve found your successful candidate, you need to ensure their onboarding is effective. A structured plan, assigning a mentor, and regular check-ins are key steps to making your new employees feel part of the organisation.

Understanding where they fit within the organisational structure and learning the nuances of their role goes a long way in building their confidence. It’ll encourage them to hit the ground running and start contributing effectively to your team.

A detailed orientation about their role, a clear explanation of their responsibilities, and setting realistic expectations can pave the way for their success. The key here is to ensure they don’t feel like just another cog in the machine but a vital part of the team.

Track Your Results

To truly understand the impact of your recruitment efforts, it’s important to keep track of your results. One nifty trick is to create trackable links, like bit.ly links, to see which avenues are driving the most interest and applications. It’s like having a behind-the-scenes view of your tactics. Did your outreach to friends and connections work wonders? Was it LinkedIn’s job engine that brought in the star candidates? Or perhaps your company newsletter played a secret role? While you might not have all the answers, a mix of different sources often does the trick.

For instance, you might find that the successful candidate came through LinkedIn, but they already had some knowledge about your company from a current employee. By unravelling the insights, you can fine-tune your strategy and focus your efforts on the channels that worked best next time you’re hiring.

DIY with Revise Recruitment

The recruitment landscape constantly evolves, and with that, we must revise our approach. Revise Recruitment is committed to supporting you on your DIY recruitment journey. That’s why we offer a comprehensive range of consulting and advice solutions to help you improve your recruitment processes and enable you to recruit yourself.

Our services include a one-off discovery call, workshops on recruitment best practices, monthly peer group collab and ongoing support and recruitment advice to internal teams and hiring managers. Get in touch today if you’re ready to begin your DIY recruitment journey.