Acworth Recruitment

Since April 2013, Acworth Recruitment has worked flexibly alongside our clients while utilising an innovative web-based candidate portal to help our clients find, interview, and hire the best staff – while remaining cost-effective and saving our clients time through effective shortlisting. Our recruitment process involves working closely with our clients to identify their needs and screen candidates on their behalf to develop a detailed shortlist of candidates with solid potential.

In late April 2020, a long term client came to us to advise that a long term employee was moving on, and they needed a replacement. We liaised with that client to determine the scope of the role – including necessary skills, experience and qualifications, along with salary and other considerations. Once we had this information, we pulled together an advertisement and, with our client’s approval of the contents, posted it on SEEK.

Within the first 3 days of screening, we received 15 applications via SEEK with 8 of some potential. As part of our shortlisting process, we directed those 8 candidates to upload their resume and answer role-specific questions through our online application platform (a form of ATS). By the Friday we had received 6 completed online applications and reviewed candidates’ detailed responses. We conducted a telephone screening with 1 candidate, progressed him to an automated pre-recorded Video Interview, and wrote a report of our impressions based on the conversation. We shared the full details of all 6 candidates with our client.

The progressed candidate completed the Video Interview over the weekend and, upon review, our client decided to meet with the candidate the following day. Our client liked the candidate and called him to clarify a few things the day after the interview – but was advised that the candidate had just been offered and accepted another role.

Based on this, we continued screening. Over the next 5 working days we received 10 applications via SEEK with just 3 of any potential. Of those, two completed the Online Application questions and we conducted telephone screenings and progressed them to video interview. Of those two, our client decided to meet with one candidate for interview. Our client was very impressed with this candidate and asked that we conduct reference checks. Once we had spoken with two references and reported on these to our client, a job offer was made and accepted.

If our client had recruited for this position in their own time, they would have received 26 resumes with limited information and would have spent many hours contacting and meeting with candidates who may not have been of potential. With the Acworth Recruitment shortlisting processes providing detailed information, and the video interview providing a glimpse of the personality and communication style, our client interviewed just two strong candidates and offered the role to one of them. We filled this role in under 10 working days, with our client taking just 3 or 4 hours of their own – saving them at least 7 hours.

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment utilises a quality recruitment process with a focus on effective shortlisting – saving our clients from spending hours reviewing candidates who don’t fit the role requirements.

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.

Find out more Here

As mentioned in previous articles, implementing an effective recruitment process is important, and one of the steps in that process is screening and shortlisting candidates.

Shortlisting is the process of identifying the candidates who best meet both the required and desired criteria for the role AND who the recruitment decision makers should interview. Shortlisting is often the most challenging and time-consuming step in the recruitment process. In fact, 52% of talent acquisition specialists said the most difficult part of recruitment was identifying the right candidates from the applicant pool.

So, how do you shortlist effectively?

Determine your shortlisting criteria. This criteria is the essential skills or experience required to perform the role, and should be outlined in the job description. It can include work experience, skills & traits, education, and competencies. You should also determine the essential ‘must-haves’ and the desirable ‘nice-to-haves’. An essential criteria may be whether the candidate is legally able to work in the country, while a desirable criteria may be a professional certification.

Screen resumes to shortlist candidates. According to industry stats, 75% of applicants are unqualified and 88% are not strong enough to move forward to an interview. With this in mind, it is obvious why shortlisting is so time consuming. If a position receives 100 applicants, then the hiring manager will need to review 100 resumes AND keep track of their shortlisted candidates. This is where applicant tracking systems (ATS) may come in handy.

Ask additional questions – don’t just rely on resumes. For many small business owners doing their own recruitment, a resume may appear to provide all the necessary information such as employment history and professional certifications. However, there are a number of other factors to consider that a resume may not cover. These factors may include expected salary, commuting distance, notice periods, long term goals, and more – all of which are important to consider when shortlisting effectively. You may be able to ask candidates relevant questions as part of the initial application process, or by progressing candidates to answer questions through an ATS. Additional options also include telephone screening and pre-recorded video interviewing.

Determine the preliminary shortlist for interview. Once you have reviewed candidates and removed those who do not fit your criteria, you need to determine which candidates you would like to interview. Your ultimate goal should be to reduce your long list of candidates down to those who could actually fulfil the role requirements AND fit within the organisation’s culture. Once you have determined your shortlist, you should arrange interviews to meet with candidates (either in-person or via live video interviewing).

We know that for many business owners who are doing their recruitment themselves, shortlisting can be the most confusing step with the least time and attention given towards it during the recruitment process. However, if decision makers are not effectively reviewing and shortlisting candidates, then it increases the chances of missing things or spending time interviewing candidates who were not the right fit for the role in the first place.

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment utilises a professional shortlisting process to efficiently identify quality candidates based our clients’ needs. We use an integrated online candidate platform that also incorporates Automated Video Interviews to provide detailed information on applicants to streamline the shortlisting process for our clients.

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.

Find out more Here

Unlike Pre-Recorded video interviewing, Live video interview is more like a traditional interview, with both the employer and candidate interacting in “real time”. There are a number of live video options available, but some of the most common ones are Skype and Zoom. There are also specific recruitment-based online conference-room options available which generally have the option to record the interview for later review.

There are many benefits to using live video interviewing for recruitment. These include most of the benefits of a face-to-face interview while also ensuring there are no location restrictions. Depending on the technology used to hold the live video interview, there is the potential to record it for later review. This means that hiring managers are able to involve a greater number of stakeholders in the shortlisting process. In general, video interviewing in recruitment leads to better candidate engagement, meaning less candidate no-shows than traditional face-to-face interviews.

Even with all these benefits, there are naturally some areas where live video interviews are limited. As with all technology, there can be occasional hiccups which can be managed. In addition, interaction can be a little impacted by the nature of the video process. The surroundings of all interview participants may impact on the audio and visual, along with focus of those involved in the interview. Finally, for the live video interview to be effective, all parties must be able to access the technology effectively at the same time.

Acworth Recruitment have always worked with clients who have different needs when it comes to interviews. Often with candidates interstate or decision makers being in different locations, the best option has been to utilise video interviewing or video conferencing software. We have seen businesses use ZOOM, Skype and Go2Meetings. For the purposes of holding an interview where there is usually only 2-3 people involved, the free user options are all adequate and certainly do the job.

Whilst live video interviewing adds significant value to the recruitment process, it is only one part of a quality hiring process. Other online tools such as an applicant tracking system (ATS) and skills testing should be considered within your recruitment strategy.

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 – Saving you from sitting through hours of Recruitment Video Interview provider demonstrations, painful implementation and setup, and hefty monthly subscription fees.

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

Find out more Here

As mentioned in our previous article, a good recruitment process ensures that the time you spend screening, shortlisting and interviewing candidates is used effectively – so that you can focus on your business. It also ensures that your search for viable candidates is as efficient as possible.

Does your recruitment process look something like this?

The average time to fill a given position is 42 days – which is six weeks… and then you need to take into account notice periods. It could be two months or more to actually have someone in the role.

If you’re undertaking the recruitment activities yourself, you need to fit them in around your normal work schedule and responsibilities – and ensure that all decision makers are informed. This often means extra work after hours or on weekends to keep up with candidates as they come in.

One option to help with streamlining your recruitment process is an Applicant Tracking System, but these take time to set up correctly, and do come with an added and on-going cost which may not be needed in a small business who do not need to hire often.

The other option if you don’t have the time to screen candidates is an external recruiter. There are a few options for external recruitment companies – there are companies who provide a shortlist from their database and charge based on a percentage of the salary, others charge with a set fee model, and some act as an outsourced option and charge an hourly rate for work carried out.

Acworth Recruitment is a genuine outsource recruitment option with a cost-effective hourly charge model and over 7 years of experience using a highly streamlined recruitment process to share detailed information on quality candidates. Our recruitment process looks something like this:

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

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.

Find out more Here

Employing the right people for your organisation is vital for the success of your business. Recruiting and training new staff is time consuming and costly, so you need to make sure you get it right the first time.

You should take the time to develop a strong recruitment process to ensure that you not only find quality employees, but also save time and money on replacing and training new people. A good recruitment process also ensures that your search for viable candidates is as efficient as possible.

The first step in any recruitment process is knowing the skills and experience that the new employee NEEDS to have in order to do the job. So having a Job Description for the role really is a must – and also plays an important role when undertaking staff Performance Reviews…and in the event you need to Performance Manage an employee.

The next step is creating a job advertisement that will attract the RIGHT candidates. You should promote the specific & relevant criteria and responsibilities of the role – along with the benefits of working for YOUR organisation. Remember, it is an “advertisement” and you are trying to attract top quality candidates to apply.

Step 3 is Screening and Shortlisting. To assist with shortlisting, you need to ensure that you have a screening system in place. Use a systematic set of questions (such as an ATS) to determine if candidates are suitable for the needs of the role, and implement skills testing where applicable. You could even use Video Interviewing as part of the process to check for communication skills and cultural fit. These steps ensure that you are choosing people to bring in for interview based on relevant metrics rather than a ‘gut feeling’. Making decisions just from a candidate’s resume, is VERY restrictive.

Finally, you need to consider your interview process. It’s a good idea to have a set list of interview questions prior to meeting with candidates. This way you know that you are asking relevant questions to ascertain the right fit for the role. You should consider asking behavioural based questions, and ask candidates to provide actual examples of what they did in previous work situations.

Implementing a quality recruitment process to help you find great employees now will save you time and money on replacing and training new people in the long term.

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment has over 7 years of experience using a highly streamlined recruitment process which is both efficient and effective, while also involving our clients in the shortlisting process by providing highly detailed information on quality applicants.

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.

Find out more Here

Pre-recorded video interviewing involves candidates answering pre-set questions while recording themselves doing so. The recruiter or hiring manager will set up the role and questions on their Platform and invite candidates to complete the Pre-recorded video in their own time. The applicant receives a link which will allow them to complete the recording via PC, laptop or mobile device with automated online software.

There are many benefits to pre-recorded video interviewing in recruitment. They allow those involved in hiring decisions to assess personality and cultural fit, along with candidates’ communication styles. They increase flexibility for both candidates and employers – allowing candidates to record their responses in their own time, and allowing hiring managers to review and share those responses as needed.

Video Interviewing in recruitment helps to streamline shortlisting decisions as those involved are basing their decisions on more than just a CV. Pre-recorded video interviews can lead to increased candidate engagement – with fewer no-shows at face-to-face interviews. Due to the pre-set nature of the questions, pre-recorded video interviews also reduce unconscious bias, and the ease of use and adaptability of question content ensures that hiring managers are able to vary the questions dependant on the role.

Even with all these benefits, there are naturally some areas that pre-recorded video interviews are limited. As with all technology, there can be occasional hiccups which can be managed, and candidates are generally nervous and awkward when completing them. These elements should both be taken into account when reviewing responses. When comparing pre-recorded video interviews specifically with live video interviews, the one-sided nature means that there is no ability for either party to ask follow-up questions. Finally, there is an initial outlay of cost and time to set up the pre-recorded video interview technology, which should be taken into consideration.

Over the years, Acworth Recruitment have tested and utilised several methods and styles of pre-recorded video interview. We feel that how we utilise the VidCruiter Platform provides exceptional flexibility and simplicity for both our candidates and our clients. We are able to adapt the style of pre-recorded videos – including when we progress candidates and how we send reminders. In addition, we can customise the question content, number of questions, number of attempts and how long they have to consider their response before recording begins.

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 – Saving you from sitting through hours of Recruitment Video Interview provider demonstrations, painful implementation and setup, and hefty monthly subscription fees.

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.

Find out more Here

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is online software that manages the recruiting and hiring process, including job postings and job applications. It organises and provides searchable information about applicants. As its name implies, an ATS tracks candidates through the recruitment process.

Here are 3 ways to make sure your ATS makes life easier for BOTH hiring managers and applicants:

1. Automate what you can, but stay involved with what REALLY matters.

Yes, it makes sense to automate job listings to different websites/job boards or send out standard replies for applicants during some stages of the process. But don’t rely on keywords to choose the best applicants. You don’t want to dismiss potentially great candidates because they don’t use the exact same words on their resume that you program into the “system”. We’ve all hired gold employees that could easily have been missed without experienced human eyes and intuition.

2. Don’t make applying through your ATS a chore.

What exactly is your ATS asking applicants to fill out? Is it asking the same questions most already have listed on their resumes? Is it asking questions that are too open and require wordy responses? Make it easy for applicants to apply. The system should be simple and intuitive using a combination of question types and drop down responses.

3. Keep it simple.

Don’t go overboard trying to capture every single piece of information from candidates. Rather, you need to focus on what is important information that you need to find out about candidates for this job – and to help the recruitment manager to make decisions on who is most likely to be a great fit. Candidates get frustrated when they have to “keep jumping through hoops”. So, minimise the number of steps in the recruitment process. No one likes wasting time – recruitment managers, nor applicants.

An ATS can be an important and useful tool in the hiring process. However, it is critical to understand that how you hire impacts who you hire and to make it a great experience for them

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment utilises an integrated online candidate platform (ATS) that also incorporates Automated Video Interviews.

We do not utilise AI technology to screen resumes, thus ensuring that potential “gold candidates” are not discounted immediately.

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.

Find out more Here

Having made use of automated Video Interview technology consistently for over 6 years, we know our clients can really see the value it brings – not just in getting to know candidates better, but in streamlining their recruitment activities in a shorter and more engaging way for both applicants and the company – thus saving them time and money.

The average time to recruit in 2019 was 42 days – or 6 weeks. Using Video Interviewing technology as part of our everyday process, Acworth Recruitment takes an average of just 4 weeks working alongside our clients to find the right employee for their needs.

So, how do they actually help with shortlisting?

Video interviewing provides candidates the ability to showcase their knowledge and personality through more than just their resume. A resume a snapshot of a candidate’s employment history, but it generally doesn’t show whether a candidate will fit your organisational culture.

Video interviews also provide insight into a candidate’s communication style – especially their ability to respond to generalised and basic questions. In many roles, employees will be in contact with customers, and therefore the role will have an expected level and style of communication. Video Interviews allow those involved in hiring decisions to quickly assess if candidates meet this requirement.

Video interviews can also show a candidates’ presentation. While not as formal as a face-to-face interview, video interviews have some formality to them. If a candidate is unwilling to represent themselves in the best light for a Video interview when applying for a role – how will they represent the company? While this is a harsh generalisation, it can be important to consider for some roles.

Finally, video interviewing is something which most people have never experienced before. A candidate’s willingness to interact with new and different technology during the recruitment process may indicate their willingness to adapt to change within a new workplace.

With this in mind, hiring managers are able to collate a streamlined shortlist based on communication, personality and presentation (along with general suitability for the role) for multiple candidates– all without taking hours for telephone screening or to meet with them in person.

For some of our high volume roles, ensuring that our clients gain a solid understanding of candidates prior to a face to face interview is vital. Entry level IT roles for example, often receive hundreds of applications with perhaps 20 who actually meet the requirements of the role. Rather than spend 30minutes on the phone with each of those 20 candidates, we ask them to complete a pre-recorded video interview which we can share directly with our client. Based on these 20 or so pre-recorded Video Interviews, our clients generally meet with between 1 and 4 candidates for face-to-face interviews.

Video Interviewing in recruitment is becoming more and more common. Around 60% of companies use them as part of their general recruitment process. To ensure that you are able to access the widest pool of quality candidates while still being able to shortlist effectively, you may want to consider adapting your recruitment process.

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 – Saving you from sitting through hours of Recruitment Video Interview provider demonstrations, painful implementation and setup, and hefty monthly subscription fees.

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.

Find out more Here

As we’ve covered in our previous blogs, recruitment video interviewing  provides candidates the ability to showcase their knowledge and personality through more than just their resume, which in turn helps to streamline the recruitment process and identify quality candidates. We have also covered the two main types of Video Interviews available – Pre-Recorded and Live.

Finding the right online Video Interview software can be difficult, as there are so many options which can fulfil different needs. As with choosing the right ATS, ensuring you have the access to the features you need is very important.

After mapping out your current process and working out what your current and future needs are, it is time to evaluate software options based on your budget.

When choosing the right software to fit your Recruitment Video Interviewing needs, there are 4 things you should consider:

1. Does the software platform allow Pre-Recorded and Live Video Interviews?
2. When creating the Pre-Recorded video, do you have the ability to customise the questions, reading time, answer length and ability to retry?
3. Does the software platform have the ability to record full length Live interviews?
4. Does the software platform have shortlisting and tracking functions that also allow easy sharing of candidate responses?

The importance of the answers to these questions will depend on your needs.

If you only need Pre-Recorded Video, then it does not matter if there is no ability to record a Live interview.

Conversely, if you only require Live Video Interviews, then the ability to customise Pre-Recorded Videos will not matter as much.

Regardless of your needs, you will want to ensure that all people required in the recruitment process are able to be involved for streamlined decision making.

With Video Interviewing the data security and video hosting are very important considerations. You need to ensure that candidates’ responses are protected, and you also want to ensure that the video hosting and storage are cloud based so that you do not need to download and store every video in order to view and share them with relevant decision-makers.

If your needs include Pre-Recorded Video Interviews, you will want to ensure that there is 24/7 support available for candidates who may choose to complete the step at any time. If you require Live Videos, then you will need VERY responsive IT support if issues appear for any person involved in the Live Video.

The decision making for hiring managers benefits strongly when candidates are more natural and comfortable in their video interviews. As such, candidate experience is VERY important. Video Interviewing can be a daunting process even if candidates have experienced them before. To ensure candidates’ highest level of engagement and most natural responses, the video interviewing system must be easy-to-use and accessible across multiple devices.

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Kim is a recruitment expert and director at Acworth Recruitment. Acworth Recruitment utilises an integrated online candidate platform that also incorporates Automated Video Interviews – Saving you from sitting through hours of Recruitment Video Interview provider demonstrations, painful implementation and setup, and hefty monthly subscription fees.

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 us a call on 0411 278 281 or email at finders@acworthrecruitment.com.au.

Find out more Here