As mentioned in our previous blog, getting the job advertisement correct will help you to attract the right candidates – and will ensure that you make a good first impression on those genuine candidates.
However, these candidates with strong potential are not going to be the only people to apply for your role. With every role we advertise – no matter the industry or level – we find that many Job Seekers fail to read the advertisement fully, and click the ‘Apply’ button without considering if the role is a good fit for them (or if they are a good fit for the role)
Below are some statistics on a previous Receptionist/Administration Assistant role that Acworth Recruitment helped our client to fill.
- Over 400 people applied via SEEK.com
- Only 42 were a potential match for the role (Many applications from people with ZERO administration experience or qualifications).
- These 42 candidates were asked to answer online questions as part of the shortlisting process, but only 20 candidates took the time to complete those.
- Of these 20, 11 were not suitable for various reasons including salary expectations, commuting distance, poor spelling & grammar etc.
- Of the 9 remaining candidates of potential, our client met with 5 for interview.
- One arrived wearing jeans for a front of house Reception role
- One didn’t know what data entry was (even though they had recently completed a TAFE course in Administration)
- One became very overwhelmed during the interview
- This left 2 candidates of potential from the initial 400 SEEK resumes and our client chose 1 candidate to fill the role and that candidate accepted.
While the nature of recruitment and shortlisting always involves funnelling a large number of SEEK applicants down to one successful new employee, the high volume of candidates can be overwhelming if hiring managers are not following a quality recruitment process.
Our top tips for hiring managers struggling to manage these high volumes of candidates are as follows:
- Read your Job Advertisement and Position Description again to make sure you know the Must Haves for the role you are trying to fill. Such as:
- Particular Qualifications: TAFE, Graduate degree, etc.
- Particular Software knowledge: MYOB, AutoCad, Adobe Illustrator, etc.
- Experience in Specific areas: Accounts Payable, IT helpdesk, Account Management, etc.
- Open the Applicant’s Resume and quickly screen for those Must Haves. If they don’t have them, move onto the next Application.
- If the Applicant does have the Must Haves, then look for:
- Relevant industry experience, and
- Stable employment history
- If all the boxes are checked, great!!! Open their Cover Letter and see what else they have to say, or ask them to answer relevant shortlisting questions (commute, salary, leave, etc.) and go from there.
Remember, effective shortlisting involves more than just looking at a resume, but it is an important first step to identifying quality candidates for your role.
Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?
Acworth Recruitment utilises an integrated online candidate platform that also incorporates Automated Video Interviews – Providing detailed information on quality shortlisted candidates.
Acworth Recruitment is a genuine outsource recruitment option with a cost-effective hourly charge model. You can outsource as much or as little as you want. No job is too big or too small – $50 to $5,000.
For an obligation free discussion feel free to give Kim Acworth a call on 0411 278 281 or email at finders@acworthrecruitment.com.au.
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