August 2019

Business Owners and Managers are quick to make judgements about Candidates during the Recruitment Process….. But have you ever considered the impression you’re giving them???

The impression you give to your next potential employee/s about your business, its work culture, management style & capability all starts from the advertising stage, and continues even after they commence. If you want to attract high calibre candidates to the role and your business, and have them accept the offer to come work with you, YOU NEED TO IMPRESS THOSE CANDIDATES.

The NUMBER ONE MISTAKE I see employers make – Taking too LONG in the DECISION making PROCESS!!! As a Recruiter, I play the role of a “Middle Man” acting in the best interest of both the clients and the candidates. To facilitate the recruitment process, I need to be proactive, professional, positive and honest. Encouraging my clients to make decisions on who they want to see for the interview, and to whom they want to offer the job, whilst fielding phone calls and emails from candidates seeking an update. This is not only frustrating, but also challenging when trying to maintain a professional image for my client. The result of a drawn out process with wishy washy reasons for delays, usually results in the Top Candidate taking another job offer or simply declining your job offer.

Put yourself in the shoes of your top candidates – most of whom are likely to be in a job and looking to improve their current situation – whether that be the work itself, the work environment, the Manager or a combination of these. Do you want to work for a Manager and Business that is disorganised and ineffective in their communication process??? NO ONE DOES!!!

If you want the best people working for you, then you need to be a GREAT Manager with a Great Business…. and potential new staff need to see this!!!

So how can you make a GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION???

There are 15 things that are a MUST if you want to make that great first impression. They are:

1. Your Job Advertisement needs to paint a positive and clear picture about the role and your business.
2. The Shortlisting Process needs to be carried out Efficiently – Where possible, you should hold face to face interviews within two to three weeks from when you commence advertising.
3. The Interview MUST include the Immediate Supervisor – Consideration should be given to include other key stakeholders such as the Business Owner/ Senior Manager – this will save time in needing a second interview.
4. Be Prepared for the Interview and be On-Time – Review the candidate’s application again prior to bringing them into the room and have the details with you.
5. Be Professional in how YOU Present yourself and Communicate – This is your first opportunity to gain the respect of your potential new employee.
6. Be Aware of the Candidate – Give them the chance to ask questions as well.
7. Be prepared to make a final decision ASAP and communicate this with the Candidate so they know when they can expect to hear from you again.
8. Do your background checks quickly, and make your decision within three days.
9. CALL your preferred candidate to offer them the job – Congratulate them, let them know you’re looking forward to having them on board and give them details around the salary and start date – And that you will be sending them the Formal Offer of Employment by EMAIL.
10. Email the Formal Offer of Employment within 24 hours of your phone call – The Formal Offer should ALWAYS include a copy of the Position Description.
11. Phone them a couple of days before their start date to make them feel welcomed and ensure they know what time to start, whom to ask for and what to expect.
12. Ensure you have their work station with computer, emails and logins all set up ready to go.
13. Have a formalised plan for the first week – which is centred around their training and who will be facilitating it.
14. Ensure others in the business know that a New Person is starting and what their role is – encourage them to make their newest team member feel welcomed.
15. You as the Manager MUST take the time to meet them on their First Day, conduct regular check-ins during the week and again take the time to meet with them again at the end of the week. Regular check-ins are a MUST for a Manager to conduct throughout every employee’s time with your business.

I don’t believe that any of these points are difficult – with a little bit of time and planning you can create a lasting positive impression that will ensure your staff respect you and want to stay with the business.

Make sure you’re following on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Acworth-Recruitment-185674054963527) as I’ll share some other great tips and information.