Recruiting Methods for the Perfect Candidate
If you are responsible for recruiting a new employee to an important position, you know how difficult the process can be. You start with a detailed description of what you’re looking for, have a clear image of the perfect resume in your mind, and have a mental checklist of educational, professional, and personal characteristics you want to find. However, all you get are applicants that are close but not quite good enough.
Why does this happen so frequently? The problem comes from expectations. You begin with the ideal candidate in mind. However, there are very few ideal people searching for your particular position at any given time. One person may have all the skills, but their personality seems like it would be a poor fit for the company. Or the person may have a great character and background, but is already working at a level close to what your job gives. They may not be happy in that position for long.
One way to maximize your chances of finding and recruiting the perfect candidate is by streamlining your interview process. In that hour of questions and answers, you need to find out a lot about this person if you want to make a smart choice.
Try out these ideas to make the process more effective:
Take time to prepare before every interview.
- Write down questions about precise things that every candidate must have in common, such as competency with a particular computer program or language skills.
- Ignore most written references in favor of those you can call on the phone.
- No one will include a negative reference on their resume, so it is important to get personal comments whenever possible. Consider offering the candidate a half-day trial period to see if they are a good fit.
One additional way to help you find the perfect candidate is to make them do something out of the ordinary. For example, ask potential candidates to write a letter or statement explaining why they want that position. Reading these will give you a better idea of who is serious or not.
