We all know that the team with the best players always win, so it comes as no surprise that hiring managers are starting to do their home-work when it comes to hiring right! With so many up-and-coming dynamic companies out there, candidates can often be spoilt for choice. Finding and hiring those unicorn employees who impress daily with their work ethic and stick around for years can be a minefield!
Employers who are casting their eye over a wide search are now able to filter out those less qualified from a vast array of candidates.
Miranda Wilsnagh, Avatar International’s COO has been in the recruitment industry for over 30 years – working with small SME’s to giant multinational corporations, Miranda has been around throughout both the financial recession and the pandemic, guiding employers where they otherwise may feel lost in the sea of their employee search. I managed to squeeze 10 minutes out of Mirandas busy day for an interview about her top hiring hacks into finding (and keeping) the right talent!
- Do you recommend job sites/ and if so which ones and why are they important?
For the right level of role, job sites are ok – I would suggest doing some research to see which job sites would be most relevant to the role and industry – however if its for a specialist role, especially a highly skilled technical role, a specialist recruitment consultant will be worth their weight in gold! Using job boards will create a lot of noise and work for yourself (or your assistant) and your mailbox may become flooded with inexperienced candidates who’ve not taken the time to read the job ad properly. Using a professional helps you to stick to your day job, and get the desired results by only interviewing screened, fully vetted and shortlisted professionals who can do the job and will be more likely to fit the culture of the workplace.
- What do you think is more important when interviewing a candidate – character, personality, and past experiences – or skills assessments and evaluating their qualifications?
Both are equally as important, however, to ensure a good candidate experience and to send away even the unsuccessful candidates with a good impression of your company is by managing their expectations and explaining your process up front. If testing is necessary, let it be later in the process once the candidate has bought into the idea of working for your organisation. Keep in mind, that a skill can be taught however in the early days of your start-up bringing the right people on board to guarantee the success of your business is of utmost importance.
- How important is it to remain unbiased and give equal opportunities to all qualifying candidates in the process?
Diversity and inclusiveness in today’s society should be on the top of the agenda for all businesses including start-ups. If everyone around the board room table had the same experience and background you would have no fresh ideas, and the business would not be able to deliver on the diverse expectations from your clients.
- If you were to choose between two amazing candidates with the same qualifications on paper – what would your final decision come down to?
Who came across as the most passionate about our service offering, and the one who wanted the position the most. The one whose personality would best compliment those of your team. Reference checking is also a great way of ensuring that the successful candidate is aligned with your values, and lastly what are the candidate’s ambition and how can they add value to the organisation. When stuck between the two final choices, due diligence is vital – I see it all too often that employers who attempt to do their own recruitment turn to ‘doppleganger syndrome’ – in other words ‘oh this person reminds me so much of X they are going to do so well!’ they end up not doing the reference checks and have to start the process all over again 3 months down the line.
- How can you tell if a candidate is in it for the long haul?
I know it’s a cliché, but ‘Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?’ Is the best indicator of what their future goals and aspirations are – if they are open and honest with you about only wanting this career move for the next 3-5 years you can do your succession planning up front. If their answer is too vague or they are in it for the wrong reasons, its best to choose the candidate that is most aligned with the company’s future goals.
- Do you think potential candidates will avoid applying due to a poor job advert? What can employers be doing to encourage more applicants to apply? (Besides the obvious salary package increase)
Start with getting the job spec right! Know the difference between a job spec and well written job advert! Lead with ‘What is in it for the candidate?’ Your web page, your Glassdoor, and your Linked In Page, tells the prospective employee a LOT about the business – showcase your company as a good employer by highlighting WHY you are a good company to work for – and let this message be uniform across all platforms. Share your vision of where the company is going and its objectives, what career progression is available, how you will support and train staff, what benefits you offer, even down to having free coffee and fruit goes a long way to indicating how accommodating you are to your staff.
- What do you think can be done to increase employee retention/ what is the biggest reason candidates come to you in the first place when they are thinking of finding a new role/leaving their old one?
The first thing to remember is that people resign from people, not from companies. Money is typically not the main motivator for leaving but being unhappy with line management ranks highest on the list! Therefore, if you see that your attrition rate is high it is vitally important to identify management issues using exit interviews to determine a trend. The best way of finding, hiring, training, and retaining the right team is by having the right recruiter, familiar with your business and your long-term strategy, act as an extension of your team! This can be inhouse talent acquisition, or if a smaller business, an outsourced recruiter that you have built up a relationship with.
So there you have it, a true industry insiders hiring hacks to finding and keeping the right talent for your company – if you find you need help with any of the above mentioned don’t be afraid to get in touch, as Miranda always says ‘Every day’s a school day’ and she is not wrong – educating yourself on hiring right will make a big difference in not only finding the right talent, but keeping them with the business long term.
