The Recruitment Process: Steps For The Small Business Owner
Strategy. Source. Screen. Selection. Start
The recruitment process needs to be established and communicated to everyone partaking in the process prior to the beginning of any pre-hire actions. When there is a team working on recruiting candidates, each person may play a different role in the recruitment process. Often, business owners begin at the sourcing stage and make up a process as they go along... and never document it, forcing them to start anew with each new need for an employee. Throughout the process, it is imperative to recruit with considerations given to federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Below are the five stages of recruiting that will help bring order to filling a position with the most qualified candidate.
Strategy
Begin with the date-of-hire in mind. The steps that take a candidate through the process from sourcing to date-of-hire begin here. Decide whether you will use internal recruiters or utilize external vendors or agencies. Ensure the job description is complete, accurate, and lists all of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. If not, develop one... the job description drives the types of candidates that you will receive. Consider environmental barriers and how to remove or work around them. Plan to market the position - Target your market. For whom is this job great? Identify what is in it for the jobseeker. For example, ask yourself: What is attractive about this job? What are the growth opportunities? Develop a plan to work with human resources, finance, and legal, as appropriate throughout the recruitment process.
Source
Identify sources to find active and passive job seekers, which include but not limited to online job boards; newspaper ads; niche and professional sites; social media networks including LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter; networking; direct mail; and cold calls. Creativity is key when searching for candidates.
Screen
Prior to bringing in a candidate for an interview with the manager, the recruiter reviews the resume, and phone screens the candidate. Some employers may administer skills and/or integrity tests at this point. Having a recruiter or a third party vendor screen the candidate allows the hiring manager time to focus on other business matters. It cuts down on both the candidate's and the manager's time, if candidates are pre-qualified before being invited for an in-person interview. To be fair, it is important to screen all candidates in the same manner. For example, if you administer skills tests for a certain position, then all candidates for that position should receive the same skills test.
Selection
At this stage, it is likely that the candidate has completed a job application form, which is usually done online these days. Analyze the application thoroughly. Some employers who use a web-based applicant tracking system, prefer to have the candidate complete the application after a contingent offer has been made. On a whole, the selection process also includes interviewing, drug screening and background investigating. The candidate will receive a contingent offer or an employment offer, depending on the successful outcome of the pre-employment screening.
Start
Once all areas of the pre-employment screening come back successful, the candidate is then hired. The candidate is notified of her/his onboarding and assimilation process, and training is coordinated. Before the first day, the manager should call to welcome the new employee to the company, ensure a prepared workstation, and set up needed equipment. On day one, give a warm welcome to your new hire and introduce him/her to team members and others as applicable. It is a good idea to follow up at certain intervals to make sure the new hire has acclimated to the new work environment and understands the job expectations.
Spending the time up front to hire the best person for the job reduces turnover rate. Employee turnonver cost the company money and puts the contract at risk. In addition to the hiring process, the first day experience goes a long way in helping to seal that new work relationship. Wishing you success in growing your workforce! |