Finding the Right Candidate to Fill a Role

A business can’t expect to prosper if it doesn’t bring in the right expertise. That’s why recruitment and induction is vital to businesses large and small.

Recruitment is a science as well as an art. Entire books have been devoted to the study of the practice, and how employers might make better decisions when it comes to hiring. But you can improve your hiring process considerably by simply avoiding a few of the common mistakes. 

Deal with Discriminatory Hiring Practices

It’s more-or-less incontrovertible that candidates with traditional British-sounding names like Bob Smith receive favourable treatment when it comes to hiring decisions, while those with unfamiliar foreign-sounding ones are likely to lose out. This might be a consequence of unconscious racism on the part of the person doing the hiring; it might be the case that we’re more likely to be familiar with a Gary than we are with a Gurbanguly. 

Employers don’t need to unravel their own psychology to address this problem. Simply have candidates names obscured until the final stage of the recruitment process. This is called blind recruitment, and it’s now widespread and trusted.

Don’t be afraid to Outsource

Recruitment is something that’s rarely performed by small businesses, but which requires considerable practice, resources and expertise to get right. And, given how getting it right can be hugely consequential for your business, it makes sense to draft in outside expertise. If you’re looking for leadership consulting solutions, for example, it makes sense to go to a specialised organisation to help out.

Vet the Social Media

Candidates today expect to have their online presences vetted. Of course, vetting a social media profile should not be considered an exercise in witch-finding. A candidate who once expressed a problematic viewpoint as a fourteen-year-old should not be considered beyond the pale. In fact, if you are too stringent, then you could end up with a workforce that’s completely devoid of risk-taking and independent thinking. 

Vary your approach to evaluation

The traditional interview is an effective way of assessing a candidate in-person, but it’s just one of them. Don’t rely on the same tried-and-true questions, but don’t avoid them just for the sake of originality, either. Sometimes it’s useful to know where someone sees themselves in five year’s time.

Try to involve the rest of your team in the process, just so you can judge whether the prospective recruit is a good cultural and social fit for your business. Of course, to make this determination, you’ll need to have a good understanding of the existing culture of your business.

Be approachable in Interviews

Adversarial, fault-finding interviews are appropriate for only a minority of positions. It’s in the interest of both parties that the candidate present the best possible version of themselves. Many candidates might be nervous, and putting them at ease should therefore be considered a priority early on. This will allow you to assess social skills in both formal and informal settings, too.